diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index b1dc38f..cc8ed0c 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - [x] syntax highlighting for Honey (honeylang)
     - honeylang treesitter project located at `/Users/valdemar/Developer/Personal/Languages/tree-sitter-honey`.
-- [ ] bug: `x` cut action does not copy the hovered character if not in selection mode, though should always copy.
+- [x] bug: `x` cut action does not copy the hovered character if not in selection mode, though should always copy.
 - [ ] diff view: GitHub code review integration after the local review UX is usable.
 	- publish local reviews explicitly: general PR comments, inline line/range comments, review summaries, approval, and requests for changes.
 	- preserve explicit PR identity and reviewed commit IDs; validate anchors against GitHub's PR diff and recheck the PR head before submission.
diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
index f20463b..74086cc 100644
--- a/docs/development.md
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Rust tests live under [`tests/`](../tests/). Private unit tests are in [`tests/u
 - Hover regression checks cover content forms, sanitization, cancelled/superseded replies, invalid results, scrolling/dismissal, Unicode clipping, and preserved editing state. Rendered checks cover longer/wider documentation visibility, Markdown heading and fenced-code colors, scrolled color coordinates, and replacement content without stale highlighting.
 - Semantic-token checks cover full/range requests, legend/modifier remapping, UTF-16 boundaries and grapheme rounding, ASCII tab and Unicode column bounds, refresh/change coalescing, stale rename/close replies, null/empty/error fallback, primary/sibling retirement, and rendered cell precedence with syntax, diagnostics, search, selections, and carets. Retention checks cover typing/undo/redo in editable diffs, column/newline/Unicode remapping, overlapping-token removal, and session polling with delayed/stale server replies. Live PTY smoke holds semantic replies while typing and undoing/redoing, checking that untouched colored text is not repainted in the fallback color.
 
-Clipboard checks use isolated providers rather than reading or overwriting the desktop clipboard.
+Clipboard checks use isolated providers rather than reading or overwriting the desktop clipboard. Normal `x`/Delete regressions cover Unicode graphemes, remapped actions, multiple carets with empty rows, characterwise paste, undo/redo, dot-repeat publication and failure atomicity, and unchanged Insert Delete behavior. Live PTY smoke cuts a combining grapheme, repeats over a ZWJ emoji, pastes, undoes/redoes, and checks exact saved bytes using Separate mode.
 
 Diff checks cover staged category/filter navigation, stale request cancellation, row alignment, read-only buffer isolation, and rendered panes. Repository integration fixtures exercise Git and Git-backed jj, advertised but unfetched remote branches/bookmarks/tags, imported historical commit/change IDs, conflicts, unusual paths, binary/mode/link/submodule changes, and unchanged active metadata. Remote fixtures are local bare copies; they never push. Git fixture identities and commit dates are fixed.
 
diff --git a/docs/editing.md b/docs/editing.md
index acdeced..8472d10 100644
--- a/docs/editing.md
+++ b/docs/editing.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Indicators refresh asynchronously. Typing and undo/redo retain the last complete
 | Normal, Visual | Decimal prefixes repeat cursor/word/search motions: `5j`, `3k`, `2w`, `4e`, `2n`; Esc cancels a pending count |
 | Normal, Visual | Ctrl+u/Ctrl+d scroll up/down without moving carets or selections; half a viewport by default, configurable with `config.scroll_step_lines`; counts multiply the distance |
 | Normal | `J` (Shift+j) joins each targeted line with the next line |
-| Normal | `x`/Delete delete; `u` undo; `U` (Shift+u) redo |
+| Normal | `x`/Delete cut the hovered grapheme at every caret; `u` undo; `U` (Shift+u) redo |
 | Normal, Visual | `:` enters command mode; Visual selections remain available to selection-aware commands |
 | Normal | `yy` copies whole lines without moving; `dd` deletes them; `cc` changes them and enters Insert; counts work (`3yy`, `2dd`, `2cc`) |
 | Normal | `D` deletes through line end; `C` changes that suffix and enters Insert; `Y` copies that suffix characterwise |
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ Clipboard policy is session-wide and defaults to the system clipboard. Copy/cut
 
 ## Clipboard policy
 
+Normal `x`/Delete (`config.core.delete`) copies each hovered grapheme to the configured clipboard before removing it. Combining sequences and emoji stay intact; empty lines are unchanged, and an entirely empty cut preserves the clipboard. Dot-repeat cuts and copies the current graphemes. Insert-mode Delete and its replay do not copy.
+
 `config.clipboard_mode = "system"` is the default: ordinary Visual `y`/`d`/`x`/`c` and Normal/Visual `p`/`P` use the OS clipboard. External clipboard changes are read on each paste. Set `"separate"` to keep ordinary operations on vamp's internal fragment register instead. Both registers remain independent across buffers; changing the policy does not overwrite either.
 
 Explicit `config.core.copy_system` (Visual) and `config.core.paste_system_before` / `paste_system_after` (Normal/Visual) always use the system clipboard in either policy. They appear in the command palette and can be bound without replacing ordinary internal operations:
diff --git a/src/editor.rs b/src/editor.rs
index bcbfae1..02bbce9 100644
--- a/src/editor.rs
+++ b/src/editor.rs
@@ -368,7 +368,6 @@ enum EditStart {
         target: char,
         selector: SelectionIntent,
     },
-    Delete,
     Join,
     Paste {
         after: bool,
@@ -8657,21 +8656,16 @@ impl Editor {
                 );
             }
             Action::Delete => {
+                if self.active.view.mode == Mode::Normal {
+                    self.edit_normal(action, 1);
+                    return None;
+                }
                 if self.active.view.mode == Mode::Insert && self.edit_snippet("", Some(action)) {
                     return None;
                 }
-                let before = (self.active.view.mode != Mode::Insert).then(|| self.snapshot());
                 let mask = self.deletion_mask(None);
                 self.delete_forward(&mask);
-                if let Some(before) = before {
-                    self.record_native(
-                        before,
-                        EditRecipe {
-                            start: EditStart::Delete,
-                            steps: Vec::new(),
-                        },
-                    );
-                } else if mask.iter().any(|active| *active) {
+                if mask.iter().any(|active| *active) {
                     self.push_insert_step(InsertStep::Delete(mask));
                 }
             }
@@ -10689,7 +10683,7 @@ impl Editor {
                     Action::DeleteWordBackward | Action::ChangeWordBackward => {
                         self.word_destination(cursor, Action::DeleteWordBackward, count)
                     }
-                    Action::SubstituteCharacter => Cursor {
+                    Action::Delete | Action::SubstituteCharacter => Cursor {
                         row: cursor.row,
                         column: cursor
                             .column
@@ -11537,10 +11531,6 @@ impl Editor {
                     self.normalize_targets();
                 }
             }
-            EditStart::Delete => {
-                self.active.view.mode = Mode::Normal;
-                self.delete_forward(&[true]);
-            }
             EditStart::Join => {
                 self.active.view.mode = Mode::Normal;
                 self.join_lines();
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 3e56d1d..b8943a8 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Files: Space o floating tree INSERT; Space e docked tree NORMAL (right by defaul
        i filters; Esc retains filter and returns NORMAL, then editor; Ctrl+u clears in either mode
        Ctrl+t view, Ctrl+w close, Ctrl+r refresh
 Normal: i/a insert, I/A insert at first nonblank/end, o/O new line
-        h/j/k/l move, 0/$ line ends, x delete, J join lines
+        h/j/k/l move, 0/$ line ends, x/Delete cut hovered graphemes, J join lines
         w/b/e word next/previous/end, W/B/E whitespace-delimited WORDs
         Normal/Visual: f<char>/F<char> seek next/previous on current line; 2fx seeks second x
         gf follows Markdown file links/reference links and heading fragments (no LSP)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Normal: i/a insert, I/A insert at first nonblank/end, o/O new line
         Linewise p/P paste below/above the current row; characterwise p/P paste after/before the grapheme
         Normal/Visual: . repeats last native edit at current targets (one undo group)
         v characterwise select, V linewise select, p/P paste fragments, Ctrl+k/Ctrl+e clone above/below
-        y/d/c/p/P use the system clipboard by default; config.clipboard_mode = \"separate\" isolates it
+        y/d/x/c/p/P use the system clipboard by default; config.clipboard_mode = \"separate\" isolates it
         Esc keeps only the primary caret
 Visual: motions extend selections, y copy, d/x/Delete cut, c change, p/P replace selections
         : opens command input with the selection preserved; Esc returns to that selection
diff --git a/tests/normal_editing.rs b/tests/normal_editing.rs
index f982e56..d99beaa 100644
--- a/tests/normal_editing.rs
+++ b/tests/normal_editing.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,72 @@ fn keys(editor: &mut Editor, text: &str) {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn normal_x_cuts_the_hovered_grapheme_for_paste() {
+    for grapheme in ["b", "e\u{301}", "👩‍🚀"] {
+        let fixture = Fixture::new();
+        let mut editor = fixture.editor(&format!("a{grapheme}z\n"));
+        keys(&mut editor, "lx");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "az\n");
+        assert_eq!(editor.mode(), Mode::Normal);
+        keys(&mut editor, "P");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, format!("a{grapheme}z\n"));
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn normal_delete_and_remapped_action_copy_characterwise() {
+    for input in [Input::Delete, Input::Char('q')] {
+        let fixture = Fixture::new();
+        let mut editor = fixture.editor("abz\n");
+        editor
+            .bind("normal", "q", Some("core.delete".into()))
+            .unwrap();
+        keys(&mut editor, "yyl");
+        editor.handle(input);
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "az\n");
+        keys(&mut editor, "uUP");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "abz\n");
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn normal_x_repeat_copies_current_graphemes_and_preserves_empty_line_clipboard() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let mut editor = fixture.editor("abc\n\nxyz\n");
+    keys(&mut editor, "x.");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "c\n\nxyz\n");
+    keys(&mut editor, "jxjP");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "c\n\nbxyz\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn normal_x_cuts_at_every_caret_without_crossing_empty_lines() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let source = "a👩‍🚀z\n\nbe\u{301}y\n";
+    let mut editor = fixture.editor(source);
+    keys(&mut editor, "l");
+    editor.handle(Input::Ctrl('e'));
+    editor.handle(Input::Ctrl('e'));
+    keys(&mut editor, "x");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "az\n\nby\n");
+    keys(&mut editor, "P");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, source);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn insert_delete_and_its_repeat_do_not_overwrite_clipboard() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let mut editor = fixture.editor("abc\nxyz\n");
+    keys(&mut editor, "vyi");
+    editor.handle(Input::Delete);
+    editor.handle(Input::Escape);
+    keys(&mut editor, "j.");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "bc\nyz\n");
+    keys(&mut editor, "P");
+    assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "bc\nayz\n");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn visual_r_replaces_selected_graphemes_as_one_undo_edit() {
     let fixture = Fixture::new();
diff --git a/tests/unit/editor.rs b/tests/unit/editor.rs
index 53449ac..84e2265 100644
--- a/tests/unit/editor.rs
+++ b/tests/unit/editor.rs
@@ -6992,7 +6992,7 @@ mod system_clipboard {
         let revision = editor.text_revision();
         fixture.fail("fail-write", true);
         for keys in [
-            "yy", "2y3y", "2dd", "cc", "C", "D", "Y", "s", "d2w", "d2b", "c2w", "c2b",
+            "x", "yy", "2y3y", "2dd", "cc", "C", "D", "Y", "s", "d2w", "d2b", "c2w", "c2b",
         ] {
             type_text(&mut editor, keys);
             assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "Xone\ntwo\nthree");
@@ -7007,6 +7007,29 @@ mod system_clipboard {
         assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "XXone\ntXwo\nthree");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn normal_x_publishes_graphemes_and_repeat_failure_is_atomic() {
+        let fixture = Fixture::new();
+        let mut editor = fixture.editor();
+        editor
+            .apply(vec![Effect::Replace("e\u{301}👩‍🚀z".into())])
+            .unwrap();
+        type_text(&mut editor, "x");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "👩‍🚀z");
+        assert_eq!(fixture.bytes("state"), "e\u{301}".as_bytes());
+        fixture.fail("fail-write", true);
+        let before = state(&editor);
+        type_text(&mut editor, ".");
+        assert_eq!(state(&editor), before);
+        assert_eq!(fixture.bytes("state"), "e\u{301}".as_bytes());
+        fixture.fail("fail-write", false);
+        type_text(&mut editor, ".");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "z");
+        assert_eq!(fixture.bytes("state"), "👩‍🚀".as_bytes());
+        type_text(&mut editor, "uUP");
+        assert_eq!(editor.context().text, "👩‍🚀z");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn copy_line_publication_failure_keeps_owned_shape_register_and_full_state() {
         let fixture = Fixture::new();
@@ -7707,7 +7730,6 @@ mod system_clipboard {
         editor.set_clipboard_mode("system").unwrap();
         editor.apply(vec![Effect::Replace("plain".into())]).unwrap();
         set_carets(&mut editor, &[(0, 0)], 0);
-        type_text(&mut editor, "x.");
         type_text(&mut editor, "iX");
         editor.handle(Input::Backspace);
         editor.handle(Input::Delete);