diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/actions/DeleteToWordStartAction.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/actions/DeleteToWordStartAction.java
index d7026415b463..34ceda57714b 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/actions/DeleteToWordStartAction.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/actions/DeleteToWordStartAction.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2009 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2012 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -24,12 +24,15 @@
  */
 package com.intellij.openapi.editor.actions;
 
+import com.intellij.openapi.editor.CaretModel;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.Document;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.Editor;
+import com.intellij.openapi.editor.SelectionModel;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.actionSystem.EditorAction;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.actionSystem.EditorWriteActionHandler;
 import com.intellij.openapi.command.CommandProcessor;
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.DataContext;
+import com.intellij.util.text.CharArrayUtil;
 
 public class DeleteToWordStartAction extends TextComponentEditorAction {
   public DeleteToWordStartAction() {
@@ -45,10 +48,31 @@ public class DeleteToWordStartAction extends TextComponentEditorAction {
   }
 
   private static void deleteToWordStart(Editor editor) {
-    int endOffset = editor.getCaretModel().getOffset();
-    EditorActionUtil.moveCaretToPreviousWord(editor, false);
-    int startOffset = editor.getCaretModel().getOffset();
+    final CaretModel caretModel = editor.getCaretModel();
+    int endOffset = caretModel.getOffset();
+    
+    // The logic is as follows:
+    //   1. Check are there white-space symbols starting at the current caret position going backwards. Delete them if any;
+    //   2. Otherwise locate previous word start and delete the text up to it;
+    // Example:
+    //    'test string    <caret>' -> 'test string<caret>'
+    //    'test string<caret>'     -> 'test <caret>'
+
     Document document = editor.getDocument();
+    final SelectionModel selectionModel = editor.getSelectionModel();
+    int startOffset = -1;
+    if (!selectionModel.hasSelection() && !selectionModel.hasBlockSelection()) {
+      int i = CharArrayUtil.shiftBackward(document.getCharsSequence(), Math.max(0, endOffset - 1), " \t\n");
+      if (i >= 0 && i < endOffset - 1) {
+        startOffset = i + 1; // We need offset of the first white space symbol, not offset of the last non-white space symbol before it.
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (startOffset < 0) {
+      EditorActionUtil.moveCaretToPreviousWord(editor, false);
+      startOffset = caretModel.getOffset();
+    }
+    
     document.deleteString(startOffset, endOffset);
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/LightPlatformCodeInsightTestCase.java b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/LightPlatformCodeInsightTestCase.java
index 15aab99d6495..f86a7c80bbbe 100644
--- a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/LightPlatformCodeInsightTestCase.java
+++ b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/LightPlatformCodeInsightTestCase.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2011 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2012 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -514,69 +514,69 @@ public abstract class LightPlatformCodeInsightTestCase extends LightPlatformTest
     }
   }
   protected static void backspace() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_BACKSPACE);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_BACKSPACE);
   }
   protected static void delete() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_DELETE);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_DELETE);
   }
 
   protected static void home() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_MOVE_LINE_START);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_MOVE_LINE_START);
   }
 
   protected static void end() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_MOVE_LINE_END);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_MOVE_LINE_END);
   }
 
   protected static void copy() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_COPY);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_COPY);
   }
 
   protected static void paste() {
-    doAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_PASTE);
+    executeAction(IdeActions.ACTION_EDITOR_PASTE);
   }
   
   protected static void moveCaretToPreviousWordWithSelection() {
-    doAction("EditorPreviousWordWithSelection");
+    executeAction("EditorPreviousWordWithSelection");
   }
 
   protected static void moveCaretToNextWordWithSelection() {
-    doAction("EditorNextWordWithSelection");
+    executeAction("EditorNextWordWithSelection");
   }
 
   protected static void cutLineBackward() {
-    doAction("EditorCutLineBackward");
+    executeAction("EditorCutLineBackward");
   }
   
   protected static void cutToLineEnd() {
-    doAction("EditorCutLineEnd");
+    executeAction("EditorCutLineEnd");
   }
 
   protected static void killToWordStart() {
-    doAction("EditorKillToWordStart");
+    executeAction("EditorKillToWordStart");
   }
   
   protected static void killToWordEnd() {
-    doAction("EditorKillToWordEnd");
+    executeAction("EditorKillToWordEnd");
   }
 
   protected static void killRegion() {
-    doAction("EditorKillRegion");
+    executeAction("EditorKillRegion");
   }
 
   protected static void killRingSave() {
-    doAction("EditorKillRingSave");
+    executeAction("EditorKillRingSave");
   }
 
   protected static void unindent() {
-    doAction("EditorUnindentSelection");
+    executeAction("EditorUnindentSelection");
   }
   
   protected static void lineComment() {
     new CommentByLineCommentHandler().invoke(getProject(), getEditor(), getFile());
   }
   
-  private static void doAction(@NotNull final String actionId) {
+  protected static void executeAction(@NotNull final String actionId) {
     CommandProcessor.getInstance().executeCommand(getProject(), new Runnable() {
       @Override
       public void run() {
diff --git a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/text/CharArrayUtil.java b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/text/CharArrayUtil.java
index c5244ba4ca7b..e5b5c958e4c4 100644
--- a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/text/CharArrayUtil.java
+++ b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/text/CharArrayUtil.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2009 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2012 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -198,17 +198,17 @@ public class CharArrayUtil {
     return shiftForward(new CharArrayCharSequence(buffer), offset, chars);
   }
 
-  public static int shiftBackward(CharSequence buffer, int offset, String chars) {
+  public static int shiftBackward(CharSequence buffer, int offset, String charsToSkip) {
     if (offset >= buffer.length()) return offset;
 
     while (true) {
       if (offset < 0) break;
       char c = buffer.charAt(offset);
       int i;
-      for (i = 0; i < chars.length(); i++) {
-        if (c == chars.charAt(i)) break;
+      for (i = 0; i < charsToSkip.length(); i++) {
+        if (c == charsToSkip.charAt(i)) break;
       }
-      if (i == chars.length()) break;
+      if (i == charsToSkip.length()) break;
       offset--;
     }
     return offset;