diff --git a/tty-term.c b/tty-term.c
index aac1f8c7..2d7bcae9 100644
--- a/tty-term.c
+++ b/tty-term.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: tty-term.c,v 1.28 2009-08-09 16:52:06 tcunha Exp $ */
+/* $Id: tty-term.c,v 1.29 2009-08-21 21:15:00 tcunha Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2008 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -337,10 +337,6 @@ tty_term_find(char *name, int fd, const char *overrides, char **cause)
 		    "terminal does not support ich1 or ich or smir and rmir");
 		goto error;
 	}
-	if (!tty_term_has(term, TTYC_DCH1) && !tty_term_has(term, TTYC_DCH)) {
-		xasprintf(cause, "terminal does not support dch1 or dch");
-		goto error;
-	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Figure out if terminal support default colours. AX is a screen
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index ef47391c..74dd6f8e 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.129 2009-08-19 09:00:06 nicm Exp $ */
+/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.130 2009-08-21 21:15:00 tcunha Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2007 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -604,7 +604,9 @@ tty_cmd_deletecharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
   	struct window_pane	*wp = ctx->wp;
 	struct screen		*s = wp->screen;
 
-	if (wp->xoff != 0 || screen_size_x(s) < tty->sx) {
+	if (wp->xoff != 0 || screen_size_x(s) < tty->sx ||
+	    (!tty_term_has(tty->term, TTYC_DCH) &&
+	    !tty_term_has(tty->term, TTYC_DCH1))) {
 		tty_draw_line(tty, wp->screen, ctx->ocy, wp->xoff, wp->yoff);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -612,7 +614,9 @@ tty_cmd_deletecharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
 	tty_reset(tty);
 
  	tty_cursor(tty, ctx->ocx, ctx->ocy, wp->xoff, wp->yoff);
-	tty_emulate_repeat(tty, TTYC_DCH, TTYC_DCH1, ctx->num);
+	if (tty_term_has(tty->term, TTYC_DCH) ||
+	    tty_term_has(tty->term, TTYC_DCH1))
+		tty_emulate_repeat(tty, TTYC_DCH, TTYC_DCH1, ctx->num);
 }
 
 void