diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index 29a0e0f7e..696916c74 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-06-03  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
+
+	* fhandler_console.cc (fhandler_console::read): Convert Alt-Backspace
+	to \033\177 or to \377 dependent on the setting of dev_state->metabit.
+
 2009-06-02  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
 
 	* path.cc (path_conv::check): Don't call set_exec for files on "noacl"
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
index b4f47ea1d..fe9307cfe 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_console.cc
@@ -318,8 +318,11 @@ fhandler_console::read (void *pv, size_t& buflen)
 	  /* Adopt the linux standard of translating the backspace key to DEL
 	     except when ALT is pressed.  */
 	  if (input_rec.Event.KeyEvent.wVirtualScanCode == 14)
-	    toadd = (control_key_state & (LEFT_ALT_PRESSED | RIGHT_ALT_PRESSED))
-	            ? "" : "\177";
+	    {
+	      toadd = (control_key_state & (LEFT_ALT_PRESSED | RIGHT_ALT_PRESSED))
+		      ? (dev_state->metabit ? "\377" : "\033\177") : "\177";
+	      nread = strlen (toadd);
+	    }
 	  else if (wch == 0
 	      /* arrow/function keys */
 	      || (input_rec.Event.KeyEvent.dwControlKeyState & ENHANCED_KEY))