diff -uNr a/yrc/codemap.txt b/yrc/codemap.txt
--- a/yrc/codemap.txt 5f2f130c0194f6f03a2eebdceca4f4936875cc449c1e9040adb318037f1d0ee6ca75ebc85302053197bb3394e7ad0a198f262135e26db0f7c09145a47af41db7
+++ b/yrc/codemap.txt 770974cfdcc65af191d32cd4929febd6cb1e01d181307746c8a00cb8638af6e468db987916661af1112870c6e810d4fcb93ddf5020fd486d87c2145afb979b29
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 
 self_pipe_rd: int
 self_pipe_wr: int
+commands: (name: str) => function
 
 Global state
 ============
@@ -98,7 +99,6 @@
 Collections
 ===========
 
-commands: (name: str) => function
 buffers: non-empty list of buf
 buffer_index: (name: str, parent_name: str) => buf
 opening_conns: (fileno: int) => conn
diff -uNr a/yrc/manifest b/yrc/manifest
--- a/yrc/manifest ae6bd2e7be742bf1e83941f2a8d0a18a600c992ff7c99bdd1df0d82c9c81f700e29dee073f6fb118348877ad7b2e6d2d85811867d09a4017c86d22ae1836add5
+++ b/yrc/manifest 8ad4a90cf4bb0fa513b82afdb1149f6c16e3d183531f1992c8e1df8a9e81978c83d65beeb63bc4748b0dfced29d85c00fa64835e5f7f8ba5de3814d5574b0ca5
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 632836 yrc_subdir_genesis jfw Initial V release of yrc, version 97K (regrind of yrc_genesis to follow the project subdir and manifest naming conventions and indent with tabs rather than spaces)
 633652 yrc_linear_scroll_etc jfw Version 96K with smooth/linear scrolling, Python 2.6 compat, yrc2local log formatter, bugfixes and more: see NEWS for details.
+768770 yrc_minor_refactors_reorders jfw Move prompt_clear to a higher layer by making it use the prompt_chars accessor: it now deletes entries from a fixed character list container rather than replacing the list as a whole. Expand prompt_backspace not to stack on top of prompt_delete, coming out only slightly longer. Tighten some prompt commands (such as backspace/delete) to skip unnecessary redraw. In codemap.txt, reclassify commands dict as a quasiconstant since it doesn't change after startup.
diff -uNr a/yrc/yrc.py b/yrc/yrc.py
--- a/yrc/yrc.py 27a0dab1a22aad54ce93d7805e682c8ad5a26655ee0b62bc9014fc557af97f3b123bad1a94dd0a25fe0167742b00ec6e08a699e50f016d80ea7b8ccc474a4366
+++ b/yrc/yrc.py 8676ae2cd7fae54dd7f6c06ba6e08235dadd31de4b10459bdb03a1e54a7deb35c26dc0108cd0e3228d465fb0899e67e9d4b282ff0677253734fc5f81dcab9aa2
@@ -807,12 +807,6 @@
 prompt_hscroll = lambda: prompt[2]
 prompt_cursor_column = lambda: prompt[3]
 
-def prompt_clear():
-	schedule_prompt_draw()
-	prompt[0] = []
-	prompt_set_cursor(0)
-	prompt_set_hscroll(0)
-
 def prompt_set_cursor(c):
 	schedule_prompt_draw()
 	if 0 <= c <= len(prompt_chars()):
@@ -827,6 +821,12 @@
 def prompt_set_cursor_column(c):
 	prompt[3] = c
 
+def prompt_clear():
+	schedule_prompt_draw()
+	del prompt_chars()[:]
+	prompt_set_cursor(0)
+	prompt_set_hscroll(0)
+
 def prompt_insert(char):
 	schedule_prompt_draw()
 	c = prompt_cursor()
@@ -835,26 +835,27 @@
 
 @command('prompt-delete')
 def prompt_delete():
-	schedule_prompt_draw()
 	c = prompt_cursor()
 	chars = prompt_chars()
 	if c < len(chars):
 		chars.pop(c)
+		schedule_prompt_draw()
 
 @command('prompt-backspace')
 def prompt_backspace():
-	schedule_prompt_draw()
-	c = prompt_cursor()
-	if prompt_set_cursor(c - 1):
-		prompt_delete()
+	c = prompt_cursor() - 1
+	if c >= 0:
+		prompt_set_cursor(c)
+		prompt_chars().pop(c)
+		schedule_prompt_draw()
 
 @command('prompt-submit')
 def prompt_submit():
-	schedule_prompt_draw()
 	line = ''.join(prompt_chars())
-	prompt_clear()
 	if len(line) == 0:
 		return
+	prompt_clear()
+	schedule_prompt_draw()
 	try:
 		if line.startswith('/'):
 			line = line[1:]