diff --git a/autotests/src/katedocument_test.cpp b/autotests/src/katedocument_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/src/katedocument_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/src/katedocument_test.cpp
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@
 {
     KTextEditor::DocumentPrivate doc;
     auto view = static_cast<KTextEditor::ViewPrivate*>(doc.createView(nullptr));
-    view.config()->setBackspaceRemoveComposed(true);
+    view->config()->setBackspaceRemoveComposed(true);
     doc.setText(QString::fromUtf8("व्यक्तियों"));
     doc.del(view, Cursor(0, 0));
 
diff --git a/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp b/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
--- a/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
+++ b/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
@@ -391,6 +391,7 @@
     connect(ui->chkPagingMovesCursor, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
     connect(ui->sbAutoCenterCursor, SIGNAL(valueChanged(int)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
     connect(ui->chkScrollPastEnd, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
+    connect(ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
 
     layout->addWidget(newWidget);
     setLayout(layout);
@@ -421,6 +422,8 @@
 
     KateViewConfig::global()->setScrollPastEnd(ui->chkScrollPastEnd->isChecked());
 
+    KateViewConfig::global()->setBackspaceRemoveComposed(ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed->isChecked());
+
     KateDocumentConfig::global()->configEnd();
     KateViewConfig::global()->configEnd();
 }
@@ -433,6 +436,7 @@
     ui->chkPagingMovesCursor->setChecked(KateDocumentConfig::global()->pageUpDownMovesCursor());
     ui->sbAutoCenterCursor->setValue(KateViewConfig::global()->autoCenterLines());
     ui->chkScrollPastEnd->setChecked(KateViewConfig::global()->scrollPastEnd());
+    ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed->setChecked(KateViewConfig::global()->backspaceRemoveComposed());
 }
 
 QString KateNavigationConfigTab::name() const
diff --git a/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui b/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
--- a/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
+++ b/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
@@ -132,6 +132,16 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QCheckBox" name="chkBackspaceRemoveComposed">
+        <property name="whatsThis">
+         <string>When selected, composed characters are removed with their diacritics instead of only removing the base character. This is useful for Indic locales.</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>Backspace key removes character’s base with its diacritics</string>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
      </layout>
     </widget>
    </item>
diff --git a/src/document/katedocument.cpp b/src/document/katedocument.cpp
--- a/src/document/katedocument.cpp
+++ b/src/document/katedocument.cpp
@@ -3167,6 +3167,7 @@
     }
 
     if (col > 0) {
+        bool useNextBlock = false;
         if (config()->backspaceIndents()) {
             // backspace indents: erase to next indent position
             Kate::TextLine textLine = m_buffer->plainLine(line);
@@ -3186,8 +3187,11 @@
                 // only spaces on left side of cursor
                 indent(KTextEditor::Range(line, 0, line, 0), -1);
             }
+            else {
+                useNextBlock = true;
+            }
         }
-        if (!config()->backspaceIndents() || pos) {
+        if (!config()->backspaceIndents() || useNextBlock) {
             KTextEditor::Cursor beginCursor(line, 0);
             KTextEditor::Cursor endCursor(line, col);
             if (!view->config()->backspaceRemoveComposed()) { // Normal backspace behavior
diff --git a/src/utils/kateconfig.h b/src/utils/kateconfig.h
--- a/src/utils/kateconfig.h
+++ b/src/utils/kateconfig.h
@@ -575,6 +575,9 @@
     bool autoBrackets() const;
     void setAutoBrackets(bool on);
 
+    bool backspaceRemoveComposed() const;
+    void setBackspaceRemoveComposed(bool on);
+
 private:
     bool m_dynWordWrap;
     int m_dynWordWrapIndicators;
@@ -609,6 +612,7 @@
     bool m_foldFirstLine;
     bool m_showWordCount;
     bool m_autoBrackets;
+    bool m_backspaceRemoveComposed;
 
     bool m_dynWordWrapSet : 1;
     bool m_dynWordWrapIndicatorsSet : 1;
@@ -642,6 +646,7 @@
     bool m_wordCompletionRemoveTailSet : 1;
     bool m_foldFirstLineSet : 1;
     bool m_autoBracketsSet : 1;
+    bool m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet : 1;
 
 private:
     static KateViewConfig *s_global;
diff --git a/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp b/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
--- a/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
@@ -1263,6 +1263,7 @@
     m_wordCompletionRemoveTailSet(false),
     m_foldFirstLineSet (false),
     m_autoBracketsSet(false),
+    m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet(false),
     m_view(nullptr)
 {
     s_global = this;
@@ -1307,8 +1308,9 @@
     m_scrollPastEndSet(false),
     m_allowMarkMenu(true),
     m_wordCompletionRemoveTailSet(false),
-    m_foldFirstLineSet (false),
+    m_foldFirstLineSet(false),
     m_autoBracketsSet(false),
+    m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet(false),
     m_view(view)
 {
 }
@@ -1353,6 +1355,7 @@
 const char KEY_FOLD_FIRST_LINE[] = "Fold First Line";
 const char KEY_SHOW_WORD_COUNT[] = "Show Word Count";
 const char KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS[] = "Auto Brackets";
+const char KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED[] = "Backspace Remove Composed Characters";
 }
 
 void KateViewConfig::readConfig(const KConfigGroup &config)
@@ -1415,6 +1418,8 @@
     setShowWordCount(config.readEntry(KEY_SHOW_WORD_COUNT, false));
     setAutoBrackets(config.readEntry(KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS, false));
 
+    setBackspaceRemoveComposed(config.readEntry(KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED, false));
+
     configEnd();
 }
 
@@ -1476,6 +1481,8 @@
 
     config.writeEntry(KEY_SHOW_WORD_COUNT, showWordCount());
     config.writeEntry(KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS, autoBrackets());
+
+    config.writeEntry(KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED, backspaceRemoveComposed());
 }
 
 void KateViewConfig::updateConfig()
@@ -2234,6 +2241,29 @@
     configEnd();
 }
 
+bool KateViewConfig::backspaceRemoveComposed() const
+{
+    if (m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet || isGlobal()) {
+        return m_backspaceRemoveComposed;
+    }
+
+    return s_global->backspaceRemoveComposed();
+}
+
+void KateViewConfig::setBackspaceRemoveComposed(bool on)
+{
+    if (m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet && m_backspaceRemoveComposed == on) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    configStart();
+
+    m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet = true;
+    m_backspaceRemoveComposed = on;
+
+    configEnd();
+}
+
 //END
 
 //BEGIN KateRendererConfig