diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index fecf09bbf..4b4bd3004 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ public:
                                              get_face("Information"), InfoStyle::Prompt);
                 it->func(context(), m_params);
             }
-            m_params = { 0, '"' };
+            m_params = { 0, 0 };
         }
 
         context().hooks().run_hook("NormalKey", key_to_str(key), context());
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ public:
             atoms.push_back({ "; param=", Face(Color::Yellow) });
             atoms.push_back({ to_string(m_params.count), Face(Color::Green) });
         }
-        if (m_params.reg != '"')
+        if (m_params.reg)
         {
             atoms.push_back({ "; reg=", Face(Color::Yellow) });
             atoms.push_back({ StringView(m_params.reg).str(), Face(Color::Green) });
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public:
     KeymapMode keymap_mode() const override { return KeymapMode::Normal; }
 
 private:
-    NormalParams m_params = { 0, '"' };
+    NormalParams m_params = { 0, 0 };
     bool m_hooks_disabled = false;
     bool m_waiting_for_reg = false;
     Timer m_idle_timer;
diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index a2985fc48..ecd4c60ba 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -460,15 +460,17 @@ void select_next_match(const Buffer& buffer, SelectionList& selections,
 
 void yank(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
-    RegisterManager::instance()[params.reg] = context.selections_content();
+    const char reg = params.reg ? params.reg : '"';
+    RegisterManager::instance()[reg] = context.selections_content();
     context.print_status({ format("yanked {} selections to register {}",
-                                  context.selections().size(), params.reg),
+                                  context.selections().size(), reg),
                            get_face("Information") });
 }
 
 void erase_selections(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
-    RegisterManager::instance()[params.reg] = context.selections_content();
+    const char reg = params.reg ? params.reg : '"';
+    RegisterManager::instance()[reg] = context.selections_content();
     ScopedEdition edition(context);
     context.selections().erase();
     context.selections().avoid_eol();
@@ -476,7 +478,8 @@ void erase_selections(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 
 void change(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
-    RegisterManager::instance()[params.reg] = context.selections_content();
+    const char reg = params.reg ? params.reg : '"';
+    RegisterManager::instance()[reg] = context.selections_content();
     enter_insert_mode<InsertMode::Replace>(context, params);
 }
 
@@ -493,7 +496,8 @@ constexpr InsertMode adapt_for_linewise(InsertMode mode)
 template<InsertMode mode>
 void paste(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
-    auto strings = RegisterManager::instance()[params.reg].values(context);
+    const char reg = params.reg ? params.reg : '"';
+    auto strings = RegisterManager::instance()[reg].values(context);
     InsertMode effective_mode = mode;
     for (auto& str : strings)
     {
@@ -510,7 +514,8 @@ void paste(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 template<InsertMode mode>
 void paste_all(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
-    auto strings = RegisterManager::instance()[params.reg].values(context);
+    const char reg = params.reg ? params.reg : '"';
+    auto strings = RegisterManager::instance()[reg].values(context);
     InsertMode effective_mode = mode;
     String all;
     Vector<ByteCount> offsets;