diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e1602b007..fecc39850 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ Any uppercase BUG_* names are modernish shell bug IDs.
 
 2021-02-15:
 
+- Fixed a bug in the emacs built-in editor, introduced on 2020-09-17, that
+  made the Meta-D and Meta-H keys delete single characters instead of words.
+
 - A new 'backslashctrl' shell option has been added. It is on by default.
   Turning it off (set +o backslashctrl or set --nobackslashctrl) disables the
   special escaping behaviour of the backslash character in the emacs and vi
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
index cefb4b033..b5e483645 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
@@ -318,13 +318,13 @@ int ed_emacsread(void *context, int fd,char *buff,int scend, int reedit)
 			killing = 0;
 #endif
 		oadjust = count = adjust;
-		if(vt220_save_repeat)
-		{
-			count = vt220_save_repeat;
-			vt220_save_repeat = 0;
-		}
 		if(count<0)
 			count = 1;
+		if(vt220_save_repeat>0)
+		{
+			count += vt220_save_repeat;
+			vt220_save_repeat = 0;
+		}
 		adjust = -1;
 		i = cur;
 		if(c!='\t' && c!=ESC && !digit(c))