diff --git a/src/input.cpp b/src/input.cpp
index f344694f3..4b183b80c 100644
--- a/src/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input.cpp
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ static maybe_t<char_event_t> interrupt_handler() {
         return char_event_t{vintr};
     }
 
-    return char_event_t{R_NULL};
+    return char_event_t{char_event_type_t::check_exit};
 }
 
 static std::atomic<bool> input_initialized{false};
diff --git a/src/input_common.cpp b/src/input_common.cpp
index d71bbb91f..29826459a 100644
--- a/src/input_common.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common.cpp
@@ -197,8 +197,6 @@ char_event_t input_common_readch() {
         }
 
         wint_t b = evt.get_char();
-        if (b >= R_NULL && b < R_END_INPUT_FUNCTIONS) return b;
-
         if (MB_CUR_MAX == 1) {
             return b;  // single-byte locale, all values are legal
         }
diff --git a/src/input_common.h b/src/input_common.h
index 51aa41f60..85db7b5c6 100644
--- a/src/input_common.h
+++ b/src/input_common.h
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@
 
 enum {
     R_MIN = INPUT_COMMON_BASE,
-    R_NULL = R_MIN,
 
-    R_BEGINNING_OF_LINE,
+    R_BEGINNING_OF_LINE = R_MIN,
     R_END_OF_LINE,
     R_FORWARD_CHAR,
     R_BACKWARD_CHAR,
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 19c455b44..b911f2a2f 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -1044,7 +1044,6 @@ static bool command_ends_paging(wchar_t c, bool focused_on_search_field) {
         case R_FORWARD_CHAR:
         case R_UP_LINE:
         case R_DOWN_LINE:
-        case R_NULL:
         case R_REPAINT:
         case R_SUPPRESS_AUTOSUGGESTION:
         case R_BEGINNING_OF_HISTORY:
@@ -2502,7 +2501,8 @@ maybe_t<wcstring> reader_data_t::readline(int nchars) {
         }
 
         if (!event_needing_handling || event_needing_handling->is_check_exit()) {
-            event_needing_handling = R_NULL;
+            repaint_if_needed();
+            continue;
         } else if (event_needing_handling->is_eof()) {
             reader_force_exit();
             continue;
@@ -2562,9 +2562,6 @@ maybe_t<wcstring> reader_data_t::readline(int nchars) {
                 reader_repaint_needed();
                 break;
             }
-            case R_NULL: {
-                break;
-            }
             case R_CANCEL: {
                 // The only thing we can cancel right now is paging, which we handled up above.
                 break;
@@ -3267,7 +3264,7 @@ maybe_t<wcstring> reader_data_t::readline(int nchars) {
 
         if ((c != R_HISTORY_SEARCH_BACKWARD) && (c != R_HISTORY_SEARCH_FORWARD) &&
             (c != R_HISTORY_TOKEN_SEARCH_BACKWARD) && (c != R_HISTORY_TOKEN_SEARCH_FORWARD) &&
-            (c != R_NULL) && (c != R_REPAINT) && (c != R_FORCE_REPAINT)) {
+            (c != R_REPAINT) && (c != R_FORCE_REPAINT)) {
             history_search.reset();
         }