diff --git a/src/reader/reader.rs b/src/reader/reader.rs
index 843461373..60a74a2c7 100644
--- a/src/reader/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader/reader.rs
@@ -2320,11 +2320,11 @@ fn move_word(
 
     fn delete_a_word(&mut self, elt: EditableLineTag, style: MoveWordStyle, newv: bool) {
         let el = self.edit_line(elt);
-        if el.is_empty() {
+        let pos = el.position();
+        if pos == el.len() {
             return;
         }
         let text_slice = el.text().as_char_slice();
-        let pos = el.position();
         let on_blank = is_blank(text_slice[pos]);
 
         if on_blank {
@@ -2396,10 +2396,10 @@ fn delete_a_word(&mut self, elt: EditableLineTag, style: MoveWordStyle, newv: bo
     fn delete_inner_word(&mut self, elt: EditableLineTag, style: MoveWordStyle, newv: bool) {
         let el = self.edit_line(elt);
         let len = el.len();
-        if len == 0 {
+        let pos = el.position();
+        if pos == len {
             return;
         }
-        let pos = el.position();
         let text_slice = el.text().as_char_slice();
         if is_blank(text_slice[pos]) {
             // Cursor is on whitespace: delete whitespace only
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/bind.py b/tests/pexpects/bind.py
index f986a58a0..2317e3f3f 100644
--- a/tests/pexpects/bind.py
+++ b/tests/pexpects/bind.py
@@ -666,6 +666,22 @@ expect_prompt()
 send("\x07")  # ctrl-g
 send("\x1b[27u")  # escape, to close pager
 
+sendline("bind ctrl-g kill-inner-word")
+expect_prompt()
+send("echo foo-bar")
+send("\x07")  # ctrl-g
+sendline("baz")
+expect_str("foo-barbaz")
+expect_prompt()
+
+sendline("bind ctrl-g kill-a-word")
+expect_prompt()
+send("echo foo-bar")
+send("\x07")  # ctrl-g
+sendline("qux")
+expect_str("foo-barqux")
+expect_prompt()
+
 # Check that the builtin version of `exit` works
 # (for obvious reasons this MUST BE LAST)
 sendline("function myexit; echo exit; exit; end; bind ctrl-z myexit")