diff --git a/base/repl/LineEdit.jl b/base/repl/LineEdit.jl
index 10236ea3f6d0c..5e09ce730b6c6 100644
--- a/base/repl/LineEdit.jl
+++ b/base/repl/LineEdit.jl
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ const COMMAND_GROUPS =
     Dict(:movement    => [:edit_move_left, :edit_move_right, :edit_move_word_left, :edit_move_word_right,
                           :edit_move_up, :edit_move_down, :edit_exchange_point_and_mark],
          :deletion    => [:edit_clear, :edit_backspace, :edit_delete, :edit_werase,
-                          :edit_delete_prev_word, :edit_delete_next_word, :edit_kill_line, :edit_kill_region],
+                          :edit_delete_prev_word,
+                          :edit_delete_next_word,
+                          :edit_kill_line_forwards, :edit_kill_line_backwards, :edit_kill_region],
          :insertion   => [:edit_insert, :edit_insert_newline, :edit_yank],
          :replacement => [:edit_yank_pop, :edit_transpose_chars, :edit_transpose_words,
                           :edit_upper_case, :edit_lower_case, :edit_title_case, :edit_indent,
@@ -870,21 +872,32 @@ function push_kill!(s::MIState, killed::String, concat = s.key_repeats > 0; rev=
     true
 end
 
-function edit_kill_line(s::MIState)
-    set_action!(s, :edit_kill_line)
-    push_undo(s)
+function edit_kill_line(s::MIState, backwards::Bool=false)
     buf = buffer(s)
-    pos = position(buf)
-    endpos = endofline(buf)
-    endpos == pos && buf.size > pos && (endpos += 1)
-    if push_kill!(s, edit_splice!(s, pos => endpos))
+    if backwards
+        set_action!(s, :edit_kill_line_backwards)
+        pos = beginofline(buf)
+        endpos = position(buf)
+        pos == endpos && pos > 0 && (pos -= 1)
+    else
+        set_action!(s, :edit_kill_line_forwards)
+        pos = position(buf)
+        endpos = endofline(buf)
+        endpos == pos && buf.size > pos && (endpos += 1)
+    end
+    push_undo(s)
+    if push_kill!(s, edit_splice!(s, pos => endpos); rev=backwards)
         refresh_line(s)
     else
         pop_undo(s)
+        beep(s)
         return :ignore
     end
 end
 
+edit_kill_line_forwards(s) = edit_kill_line(s, false)
+edit_kill_line_backwards(s) = edit_kill_line(s, true)
+
 function edit_copy_region(s::MIState)
     set_action!(s, :edit_copy_region)
     buf = buffer(s)
@@ -1996,8 +2009,8 @@ AnyDict(
     "\e_" => (s,o...)->edit_redo!(s),
     # Simply insert it into the buffer by default
     "*" => (s,data,c)->(edit_insert(s, c)),
-    "^U" => (s,o...)->edit_clear(s),
-    "^K" => (s,o...)->edit_kill_line(s),
+    "^U" => (s,o...)->edit_kill_line_backwards(s),
+    "^K" => (s,o...)->edit_kill_line_forwards(s),
     "^Y" => (s,o...)->edit_yank(s),
     "\ey" => (s,o...)->edit_yank_pop(s),
     "\ew" => (s,o...)->edit_copy_region(s),
@@ -2011,16 +2024,19 @@ AnyDict(
     "^W" => (s,o...)->edit_werase(s),
     # Meta D
     "\ed" => (s,o...)->edit_delete_next_word(s),
-    "^C" => (s,o...)->begin
-        try # raise the debugger if present
-            ccall(:jl_raise_debugger, Int, ())
+    "^C" => function (s,o...)
+        if isempty(s)
+            try # raise the debugger if present
+                ccall(:jl_raise_debugger, Int, ())
+            end
+            cancel_beep(s)
+            refresh_line(s)
+            print(terminal(s), "^C\n\n")
+            transition(s, :reset)
+            refresh_line(s)
+        else
+            edit_clear(s)
         end
-        cancel_beep(s)
-        move_input_end(s)
-        refresh_line(s)
-        print(terminal(s), "^C\n\n")
-        transition(s, :reset)
-        refresh_line(s)
     end,
     "^Z" => (s,o...)->(return :suspend),
     # Right Arrow
diff --git a/base/repl/REPL.jl b/base/repl/REPL.jl
index 3396777cd0a08..c291bd7de8ca4 100644
--- a/base/repl/REPL.jl
+++ b/base/repl/REPL.jl
@@ -732,12 +732,14 @@ function mode_keymap(julia_prompt::Prompt)
         end
     end,
     "^C" => function (s,o...)
-        LineEdit.move_input_end(s)
-        LineEdit.refresh_line(s)
-        print(LineEdit.terminal(s), "^C\n\n")
-        transition(s, julia_prompt)
-        transition(s, :reset)
-        LineEdit.refresh_line(s)
+        if isempty(s)
+            print(LineEdit.terminal(s), "^C\n\n")
+            transition(s, julia_prompt)
+            transition(s, :reset)
+            LineEdit.refresh_line(s)
+        else
+            LineEdit.edit_clear(s)
+        end
     end)
 end
 
diff --git a/test/lineedit.jl b/test/lineedit.jl
index 0bd04b84694fa..de997ccfbcb98 100644
--- a/test/lineedit.jl
+++ b/test/lineedit.jl
@@ -649,6 +649,18 @@ end
     LineEdit.edit_delete_next_word(s)
     s.key_repeats = 0
     @test s.kill_ring[end] == "B  C"
+
+    # edit_kill_line_backwards
+    LineEdit.edit_clear(s)
+    edit_insert(s, "begin\n  a=1\n  b=2")
+    LineEdit.edit_kill_line_backwards(s)
+    @test s.kill_ring[end] == "  b=2"
+    s.key_repeats = 1
+    LineEdit.edit_kill_line_backwards(s)
+    @test s.kill_ring[end] == "\n  b=2"
+    LineEdit.edit_kill_line_backwards(s)
+    @test s.kill_ring[end] == "  a=1\n  b=2"
+    s.key_repeats = 0
 end
 
 @testset "undo" begin
@@ -696,6 +708,10 @@ end
     LineEdit.edit_kill_line(s) # no effect
     @test edit!(edit_undo!) == "one two three"
 
+    LineEdit.move_line_end(s)
+    @test edit!(LineEdit.edit_kill_line_backwards) == ""
+    @test edit!(edit_undo!) == "one two three"
+
     LineEdit.move_line_start(s)
     LineEdit.edit_kill_line(s)
     LineEdit.edit_yank(s)