diff --git a/src/actions/commands/actions.ts b/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
index 9f2b76f9e94..d3af03a8ce0 100644
--- a/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
+++ b/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
@@ -3106,7 +3106,7 @@ class CommandTabPrevious extends BaseTabCommand {
 }
 
 @RegisterAction
-class ActionDeleteChar extends BaseCommand {
+export class ActionDeleteChar extends BaseCommand {
   modes = [ModeName.Normal];
   keys = ['x'];
   canBeRepeatedWithDot = true;
@@ -3132,7 +3132,7 @@ class ActionDeleteChar extends BaseCommand {
 }
 
 @RegisterAction
-class ActionDeleteCharWithDeleteKey extends BaseCommand {
+export class ActionDeleteCharWithDeleteKey extends BaseCommand {
   modes = [ModeName.Normal];
   keys = ['<Del>'];
   runsOnceForEachCountPrefix = true;
@@ -3154,7 +3154,7 @@ class ActionDeleteCharWithDeleteKey extends BaseCommand {
 }
 
 @RegisterAction
-class ActionDeleteLastChar extends BaseCommand {
+export class ActionDeleteLastChar extends BaseCommand {
   modes = [ModeName.Normal];
   keys = ['X'];
   canBeRepeatedWithDot = true;
diff --git a/src/register/register.ts b/src/register/register.ts
index 0b257b35f96..01d1de48f5e 100644
--- a/src/register/register.ts
+++ b/src/register/register.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import { Clipboard } from './../util/clipboard';
-import { CommandRegister, CommandYankFullLine } from './../actions/commands/actions';
+import {
+  ActionDeleteChar,
+  ActionDeleteCharWithDeleteKey,
+  ActionDeleteLastChar,
+  CommandRegister,
+  CommandYankFullLine,
+} from './../actions/commands/actions';
 import { DeleteOperator, YankOperator } from './../actions/operator';
 import { RecordedState } from './../state/recordedState';
 import { VimState } from './../state/vimState';
@@ -40,6 +46,7 @@ export class Register {
     '.': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: false },
     '*': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: true },
     '+': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: true },
+    '-': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: false },
     _: { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: false },
     '0': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: false },
     '1': { text: '', registerMode: RegisterMode.CharacterWise, isClipboardRegister: false },
@@ -315,19 +322,30 @@ export class Register {
         Register.registers['0'].registerMode = vimState.effectiveRegisterMode;
       }
     } else if (
-      baseOperator instanceof DeleteOperator &&
+      (baseOperator instanceof DeleteOperator ||
+        baseOperator instanceof ActionDeleteChar ||
+        baseOperator instanceof ActionDeleteLastChar ||
+        baseOperator instanceof ActionDeleteCharWithDeleteKey) &&
       !(vimState.isRecordingMacro || vimState.isReplayingMacro)
     ) {
-      // shift 'delete-history' register
-      for (let index = 9; index > 1; index--) {
-        Register.registers[String(index)].text = Register.registers[String(index - 1)].text;
-        Register.registers[String(index)].registerMode =
-          Register.registers[String(index - 1)].registerMode;
-      }
+      if (
+        !content.toString().match(/\n/g) &&
+        vimState.currentRegisterMode !== RegisterMode.LineWise
+      ) {
+        Register.registers['-'].text = content;
+        Register.registers['-'].registerMode = RegisterMode.CharacterWise;
+      } else {
+        // shift 'delete-history' register
+        for (let index = 9; index > 1; index--) {
+          Register.registers[String(index)].text = Register.registers[String(index - 1)].text;
+          Register.registers[String(index)].registerMode =
+            Register.registers[String(index - 1)].registerMode;
+        }
 
-      // Paste last delete into register '1'
-      Register.registers['1'].text = content;
-      Register.registers['1'].registerMode = vimState.effectiveRegisterMode;
+        // Paste last delete into register '1'
+        Register.registers['1'].text = content;
+        Register.registers['1'].registerMode = vimState.effectiveRegisterMode;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/register/register.test.ts b/test/register/register.test.ts
index 231616f36a2..38ba0b64f84 100644
--- a/test/register/register.test.ts
+++ b/test/register/register.test.ts
@@ -255,4 +255,52 @@ suite('register', () => {
       assert.fail(err);
     }
   });
+
+  test('Small deletion using x is stored in small delete register', async () => {
+    modeHandler.vimState.editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+
+    modeHandler.vimState.registerName = '-';
+    Register.put('', modeHandler.vimState);
+
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents('itest1\ntest2\ntest3'.split(''));
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents(['<Esc>', 'g', 'g', '2', 'x', 'j', '"', '-', 'p']);
+
+    assertEqualLines(['st1', 'tteest2', 'test3']);
+  });
+
+  test('Small deletion using Del is stored in small delete register', async () => {
+    modeHandler.vimState.editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+
+    modeHandler.vimState.registerName = '-';
+    Register.put('', modeHandler.vimState);
+
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents('itest1\ntest2\ntest3'.split(''));
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents(['<Esc>', 'g', 'g', '<Del>', 'j', '"', '-', 'p']);
+
+    assertEqualLines(['est1', 'ttest2', 'test3']);
+  });
+
+  test('Small deletion using X is stored in small delete register', async () => {
+    modeHandler.vimState.editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+
+    modeHandler.vimState.registerName = '-';
+    Register.put('', modeHandler.vimState);
+
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents('itest1\ntest2\ntest3'.split(''));
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents([
+      '<Esc>',
+      'g',
+      'g',
+      'l',
+      'l',
+      '2',
+      'X',
+      'j',
+      '"',
+      '-',
+      'p',
+    ]);
+
+    assertEqualLines(['st1', 'tteest2', 'test3']);
+  });
 });