diff --git a/src/tty_interface.c b/src/tty_interface.c
index 6e09852..3dcfec6 100644
--- a/src/tty_interface.c
+++ b/src/tty_interface.c
@@ -132,6 +132,13 @@ static void action_emit(tty_interface_t *state) {
 	state->exit = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+static void action_exit(tty_interface_t *state) {
+	clear(state);
+	tty_close(state->tty);
+
+	state->exit = EXIT_FAILURE;
+}
+
 static void action_del_char(tty_interface_t *state) {
 	if (*state->search) {
 		size_t length = strlen(state->search);
@@ -141,6 +148,8 @@ static void action_del_char(tty_interface_t *state) {
 
 		state->cursor--;
 		memmove(&state->search[state->cursor], &state->search[state->cursor + 1], length - state->cursor);
+	} else {
+		action_exit(state);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -216,13 +225,6 @@ static void action_autocomplete(tty_interface_t *state) {
 	}
 }
 
-static void action_exit(tty_interface_t *state) {
-	clear(state);
-	tty_close(state->tty);
-
-	state->exit = EXIT_FAILURE;
-}
-
 static void append_search(tty_interface_t *state, char ch) {
 	char *search = state->search;
 	size_t search_size = strlen(search);