diff --git a/bpython/curtsiesfrontend/manual_readline.py b/bpython/curtsiesfrontend/manual_readline.py
index 35d28f54..223ec9e7 100644
--- a/bpython/curtsiesfrontend/manual_readline.py
+++ b/bpython/curtsiesfrontend/manual_readline.py
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ def titlecase_next_word(cursor_offset, line):
     return cursor_offset, line  # TODO Not implemented
 
 
-delete_word_from_cursor_back_re = LazyReCompile(r'\b\w')
+delete_word_from_cursor_back_re = LazyReCompile(r'^|\b\w')
 
 
 @edit_keys.on('<Esc+BACKSPACE>')

diff --git a/bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py b/bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py
index 4141292d..faf4b585 100644
--- a/bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py
+++ b/bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py
@@ -240,6 +240,12 @@ class TestManualReadline(unittest.TestCase):
             "|"],
             delete_word_from_cursor_back)
 
+        self.try_stages_kill([
+            " (( asdf |",
+            " (( |",
+            "|"],
+            delete_word_from_cursor_back)
+
 
 class TestEdits(unittest.TestCase):
 

Option-delete doesn't delete a left paren
On line like
~~~
>>> (( asdf a sdf
>>>         lots of space
~~~
pressing option-delete repeatedly doesn't delete the opening parens or leading spaces
bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete_word_from_cursor_back
bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_back_word bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_backspace bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_beginning_of_line bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete_from_cursor_back bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete_from_cursor_forward bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete_rest_of_word bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_delete_word_to_cursor bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_end_of_line bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_forward_word bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_forward_word_empty bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_forward_word_end bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_forward_word_tabs bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_last_word_pos bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_last_word_pos_single_word bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_left_arrow_at_non_zero bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_left_arrow_at_zero bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_right_arrow_at_end bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_right_arrow_at_non_end bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_transpose_character_before_cursor bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_transpose_empty_line bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_transpose_end_of_line bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_transpose_first_character bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_transpose_word_before_cursor bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_yank_prev_killed_text bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestManualReadline::test_yank_prev_prev_killed_text bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestEdits::test_config bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestEdits::test_functions_with_bad_return_values bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestEdits::test_functions_with_bad_signatures bpython/test/test_manual_readline.py::TestEdits::test_seq