diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/completion_dropdown.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/completion_dropdown.zig
index ce1609c..a85d745 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/completion_dropdown.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/completion_dropdown.zig
@@ -130,6 +130,16 @@ pub fn update_query(self: *Type, query: []const u8) void {
     return;
 }
 
+pub fn delete_word_empty(self: *Type) void {
+    cancel(self) catch return;
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "delete_word_left" }) catch |e| self.logger.err(module_name, e);
+}
+
+pub fn delete_empty(self: *Type) void {
+    cancel(self) catch return;
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "smart_delete_backward" }) catch |e| self.logger.err(module_name, e);
+}
+
 fn get_insert_selection(self: *Type, cursor: ed.Cursor) ed.Selection {
     return if (self.value.replace) |sel|
         sel
diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/dropdown.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/dropdown.zig
index 1a54f85..41448a9 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/dropdown.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/dropdown.zig
@@ -354,6 +354,10 @@ pub fn Create(options: type) type {
         }
 
         fn delete_word(self: *Self) !void {
+            if (self.query.items.len == 0 and @hasDecl(options, "delete_word_empty")) {
+                options.delete_word_empty(self);
+                return;
+            }
             if (std.mem.lastIndexOfAny(u8, self.query.items, "/\\. -_")) |pos| {
                 self.query.shrinkRetainingCapacity(pos);
             } else {
@@ -369,6 +373,9 @@ pub fn Create(options: type) type {
                 self.query.shrinkRetainingCapacity(self.query.items.len - tui.egc_last(self.query.items).len);
                 if (@hasDecl(options, "update_query"))
                     options.update_query(self, self.query.items);
+            } else {
+                if (@hasDecl(options, "delete_empty"))
+                    options.delete_empty(self);
             }
             try self.start_query(0);
         }