diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index 8a2111bed..f0bf2a8ea 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-12-25  Andy Koppe  <andy.koppe@gmail.com>
+
+	* fhandler_console.cc (handler_console::read): Use the tty's VERASE
+	character as the backspace keycode.
+
 2009-12-24  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
 
 	* path.cc (symlink_info::check): Set fileattr to
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
index f5814e80f..6cfbcf638 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
@@ -375,13 +375,20 @@ fhandler_console::read (void *pv, size_t& buflen)
 	  if (control_key_state & LEFT_ALT_PRESSED)
 	    dev_state->nModifiers |= 8;
 
-	  /* Adopt the linux standard of translating the backspace key to DEL
-	     except when ALT is pressed.  */
+	  /* Send the VERASE character from the terminal settings as backspace keycode. */
 	  if (input_rec.Event.KeyEvent.wVirtualScanCode == 14)
 	    {
-	      toadd = (control_key_state & (LEFT_ALT_PRESSED | RIGHT_ALT_PRESSED))
-		      ? (dev_state->metabit ? "\377" : "\033\177") : "\177";
-	      nread = strlen (toadd);
+	      char c = ti.c_cc[VERASE];
+	      nread = 0;
+	      if (control_key_state & ALT_PRESSED) {
+		if (dev_state->metabit)
+		  c |= 0x80;
+		else
+		  tmp[nread++] = '\e';
+	      }
+	      tmp[nread++] = c;
+	      tmp[nread] = 0;
+	      toadd = tmp;
 	    }
 	  /* Allow Ctrl-Space to emit ^@ */
 	  else if (input_rec.Event.KeyEvent.wVirtualKeyCode == VK_SPACE