diff --git a/examples/text_input.zig b/examples/text_input.zig
index aa6a825..86f4a71 100644
--- a/examples/text_input.zig
+++ b/examples/text_input.zig
@@ -50,14 +50,15 @@ pub fn main() !void {
                     255 => 0,
                     else => color_idx + 1,
                 };
-                try text_input.update(.{ .key_press = key });
                 if (key.matches('c', .{ .ctrl = true })) {
                     break :outer;
-                }
-                if (key.matches('l', .{ .ctrl = true })) {
+                } else if (key.matches('l', .{ .ctrl = true })) {
                     vx.queueRefresh();
+                } else {
+                    try text_input.update(.{ .key_press = key });
                 }
             },
+
             .winsize => |ws| {
                 try vx.resize(alloc, ws);
             },
diff --git a/src/Parser.zig b/src/Parser.zig
index 7a5720a..8e9f79c 100644
--- a/src/Parser.zig
+++ b/src/Parser.zig
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ pub fn parse(self: *Parser, input: []const u8) !Result {
                 // ascii characters when we can
                 const key: Key = switch (b) {
                     0x00 => .{ .codepoint = '@', .mods = .{ .ctrl = true } },
-                    0x01...0x1A => .{ .codepoint = b + 0x60, .mods = .{ .ctrl = true } },
+                    0x08 => .{ .codepoint = Key.backspace },
+                    0x01...0x07,
+                    0x09...0x1A,
+                    => .{ .codepoint = b + 0x60, .mods = .{ .ctrl = true } },
                     0x1B => escape: {
                         // NOTE: This could be an errant escape at the end
                         // of a large read. That is _incredibly_ unlikely
@@ -466,6 +469,19 @@ test "parse: single xterm keypress" {
     try testing.expectEqual(expected_event, result.event);
 }
 
+test "parse: single xterm keypress backspace" {
+    const input = "\x08";
+    var parser: Parser = .{};
+    const result = try parser.parse(input);
+    const expected_key: Key = .{
+        .codepoint = Key.backspace,
+    };
+    const expected_event: Event = .{ .key_press = expected_key };
+
+    try testing.expectEqual(1, result.n);
+    try testing.expectEqual(expected_event, result.event);
+}
+
 test "parse: single xterm keypress with more buffer" {
     const input = "ab";
     var parser: Parser = .{};