diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 48c4e00c..2c81aeb2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ CVS code -
 	  file help.c; changes to help_init(), help_line_len(), and
 	  do_help() (all moved to help.c). (DLR)
 	- Tweak a few functions to remove the assumption that the file
-	  always ends in a magicline.  Changes to do_cut_till_end(),
-	  open_buffer(), read_file(), write_file(), do_last_line(),
-	  do_alt_speller(), and do_wordlinechar_count(). (DLR)
+	  always ends in a magicline.  Changes to cut_line(),
+	  do_cut_till_end(), open_buffer(), read_file(), write_file(),
+	  do_last_line(), do_alt_speller(), and do_wordlinechar_count().
+	  (DLR)
 	- Tweak a few functions to rely on fileage and filebot instead
 	  of NULL for their checks to detect the top or bottom of the
 	  file.  Changes to cut_line(), cut_to_eol(), do_page_up(),
diff --git a/src/cut.c b/src/cut.c
index 79bbf8bb..5581a243 100644
--- a/src/cut.c
+++ b/src/cut.c
@@ -40,14 +40,24 @@ void cutbuffer_reset(void)
 
 /* If we're not on the last line of the file, move all the text of the
  * current line, plus the newline at the end, to the cutbuffer, and set
- * the current place we want to where the line used to start. */
+ * the current place we want to where the line used to start.  If we
+ * are, and the last line of the file isn't blank, move all of the text
+ * of the current line to the cutbuffer, and set the current place we
+ * want to where the now-blank line starts. */
 void cut_line(void)
 {
-    if (openfile->current != openfile->filebot) {
+    size_t data_len = strlen(openfile->current->data);
+
+    assert(openfile->current_x <= data_len);
+
+    if (openfile->current != openfile->filebot)
 	move_to_filestruct(&cutbuffer, &cutbottom, openfile->current, 0,
 		openfile->current->next, 0);
-	openfile->placewewant = xplustabs();
-    }
+    else if (data_len > 0)
+	move_to_filestruct(&cutbuffer, &cutbottom, openfile->current, 0,
+		openfile->current, data_len);
+
+    openfile->placewewant = xplustabs();
 }
 
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index 4d6d855b..c135c5d2 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ void do_delete(void)
 	    openfile->mark_begin_x -= char_buf_len;
 #endif
 	openfile->totsize--;
+
+	set_modified();
     } else if (openfile->current != openfile->filebot) {
 	filestruct *foo = openfile->current->next;
 
@@ -130,14 +132,17 @@ void do_delete(void)
 
 	/* If the NO_NEWLINES flag isn't set, and text has been added to
 	 * the magicline as a result of deleting at the end of the line
-	 * before filebot, add a new magicline. */
+	 * before filebot, add a new magicline.  This effectively leaves
+	 * the text unchanged, so don't mark the file as modified after
+	 * doing this. */
 	if (!ISSET(NO_NEWLINES) && openfile->current ==
 		openfile->filebot && openfile->current->data[0] != '\0')
 	    new_magicline();
+	else
+	    set_modified();
     } else
 	return;
 
-    set_modified();
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
     /* If color syntaxes are available and turned on, we need to call