diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 
+5.27
+ - Added Graphics.Vty.Config.getTtyEraseChar to support querying the
+   kernel for the current terminal's settings to obtain the character
+   assigned by the "stty erase" command. That can then be added to the
+   Vty configuration's input map to map to KBS (backspace) if desired.
+
 5.26
  - Resolved various import warnings (thanks @glguy)
  - Removed the MonadIO constraint from the Output type's fields and
diff --git a/cbits/get_tty_erase.c b/cbits/get_tty_erase.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cbits/get_tty_erase.c
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include <termios.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+// Given a file descriptor for a terminal, get the ERASE character for
+// the terminal. If the terminal info cannot be obtained, this returns
+// zero.
+char vty_get_tty_erase(int fd)
+{
+    struct termios trm;
+
+    if (0 == tcgetattr(fd, &trm)) {
+        return (char) trm.c_cc[VERASE];
+    } else {
+        return (char) 0;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/demos/ModeDemo.hs b/demos/ModeDemo.hs
--- a/demos/ModeDemo.hs
+++ b/demos/ModeDemo.hs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import Control.Applicative
 import Data.Monoid
+import Foreign.C.Types (CInt(..), CChar(..))
+import System.Posix.Types (Fd(..))
 
 import Graphics.Vty
 
diff --git a/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs b/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
--- a/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Graphics/Vty/Config.hs
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
   , runParseConfig
   , parseConfigFile
   , defaultConfig
+  , getTtyEraseChar
   )
 where
 
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@
 import System.Environment (lookupEnv)
 import System.Posix.IO (stdInput, stdOutput)
 import System.Posix.Types (Fd(..))
+import Foreign.C.Types (CInt(..), CChar(..))
 
 import Text.Parsec hiding ((<|>))
 import Text.Parsec.Token ( GenLanguageDef(..) )
@@ -306,3 +308,24 @@
   gparseAlts con = L1 <$> gparseAlts con <|> R1 <$> gparseAlts con
 
 instance GParseAlts V1 where gparseAlts _ = fail "GParse: V1"
+
+foreign import ccall "vty_get_tty_erase" cGetTtyErase :: Fd -> IO CChar
+
+-- | Get the "erase" character for the terminal attached to the
+-- specified file descriptor. This is the character configured by 'stty
+-- erase'. If the call to 'tcgetattr' fails, this will return 'Nothing'.
+-- Otherwise it will return the character that has been configured to
+-- indicate the canonical mode ERASE behavior. That character can then
+-- be added to the table of strings that we interpret to mean Backspace.
+--
+-- For more details, see:
+--
+-- * https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/manual/html_node/Canonical-or-Not.html
+-- * https://www.gsp.com/cgi-bin/man.cgi?section=1&topic=stty
+-- * https://github.com/matterhorn-chat/matterhorn/issues/565
+getTtyEraseChar :: Fd -> IO (Maybe Char)
+getTtyEraseChar fd = do
+    c <- cGetTtyErase fd
+    if c /= 0
+       then return $ Just $ toEnum $ fromEnum c
+       else return Nothing
diff --git a/vty.cabal b/vty.cabal
--- a/vty.cabal
+++ b/vty.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                vty
-version:             5.26
+version:             5.27
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
 author:              AUTHORS
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
 
   c-sources:           cbits/gwinsz.c
                        cbits/set_term_timing.c
+                       cbits/get_tty_erase.c
                        cbits/mk_wcwidth.c
 
   include-dirs:        cbits