diff --git a/spec/atom/global-keymap-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/global-keymap-spec.coffee
index 44dd26e36..98469446b 100644
--- a/spec/atom/global-keymap-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/global-keymap-spec.coffee
@@ -43,9 +43,13 @@ describe "GlobalKeymap", ->
         deleteCharHandler.reset()
         fragment.removeClass('command-mode').addClass('insert-mode')
 
-        keymap.handleKeyEvent(keypressEvent('x', target: fragment[0]))
+        event = keypressEvent('x', target: fragment[0])
+        keymap.handleKeyEvent(event)
         expect(deleteCharHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
         expect(insertCharHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
+        commandEvent = insertCharHandler.argsForCall[0][0]
+        expect(commandEvent.keyEvent).toBe event
+        expect(event.char).toBe 'x'
 
     describe "when the event's target node *descends* from a selector with a matching binding", ->
       it "triggers the command event associated with that binding on the target node and returns false", ->
diff --git a/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
index c6f12ce98..f4d6b8ebf 100644
--- a/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe "VimMode", ->
         expect(editor).toHaveClass 'insert-mode'
         expect(editor).not.toHaveClass 'command-mode'
 
-    fdescribe "the x keybinding", ->
+    describe "the x keybinding", ->
       it "deletes a charachter", ->
         editor.buffer.setText("12345")
         editor.setCursor(column: 1, row: 0)
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ describe "VimMode", ->
         expect(editor.buffer.getText()).toBe '1345'
         expect(editor.getCursor()).toEqual(column: 1, row: 0)
 
+    describe "numeric prefix binding", ->
+      it "repeats the following operation N times", ->
+        editor.buffer.setText("12345")
+        editor.setCursor(column: 1, row: 0)
+
+        editor.trigger keydownEvent('3')
+        editor.trigger keydownEvent('x')
+
+        expect(editor.buffer.getText()).toBe '15'
+
   describe "insert-mode", ->
     beforeEach ->
       editor.trigger keydownEvent('i')
diff --git a/spec/spec-helper.coffee b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
index cdaf7a4a8..e2dcdbefa 100644
--- a/spec/spec-helper.coffee
+++ b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
@@ -11,13 +11,17 @@ afterEach ->
 
 window.atom = new (require 'app')
 
-window.keypressEvent = (pattern, properties={}) ->
+eventPropertiesFromPattern = (pattern) ->
   bindingSet = new BindingSet("*", {})
-  $.Event "keypress", _.extend(bindingSet.parseKeyPattern(pattern), properties)
+  parsedPattern = bindingSet.parseKeyPattern(pattern)
+  delete parsedPattern.key # key doesn't exist on browser-generated key events
+  parsedPattern
+
+window.keypressEvent = (pattern, properties={}) ->
+  $.Event "keypress", _.extend(eventPropertiesFromPattern(pattern), properties)
 
 window.keydownEvent = (pattern, properties={}) ->
-  bindingSet = new BindingSet("*", {})
-  $.Event "keydown", _.extend(bindingSet.parseKeyPattern(pattern), properties)
+  $.Event "keydown", _.extend(eventPropertiesFromPattern(pattern), properties)
 
 window.waitsForPromise = (fn) ->
   window.waitsFor (moveOn) ->
diff --git a/src/atom/editor.coffee b/src/atom/editor.coffee
index d93a45e8b..52795861d 100644
--- a/src/atom/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/editor.coffee
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class Editor extends Template
     getCursor: ->
       @getAceSession().getSelection().getCursor()
 
-    delete: ->
+    deleteChar: ->
       @aceEditor.remove 'right'
 
 
diff --git a/src/atom/global-keymap.coffee b/src/atom/global-keymap.coffee
index 3f83dff04..0fb263e0c 100644
--- a/src/atom/global-keymap.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/global-keymap.coffee
@@ -19,10 +19,20 @@ class GlobalKeymap
       candidateBindingSets.sort (a, b) -> b.specificity - a.specificity
       for bindingSet in candidateBindingSets
         if command = bindingSet.commandForEvent(event)
-          $(event.target).trigger(command)
+          @triggerCommandEvent(event, command)
           return false
       currentNode = currentNode.parent()
     true
 
   reset: ->
     @BindingSets = []
+
+  triggerCommandEvent: (keyEvent, commandName) ->
+    commandEvent = $.Event(commandName)
+    keyEvent.char = @charForKeyEvent(keyEvent)
+    commandEvent.keyEvent = keyEvent
+    $(keyEvent.target).trigger(commandEvent)
+
+  charForKeyEvent: (keyEvent) ->
+    String.fromCharCode(keyEvent.which).toLowerCase()
+
diff --git a/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee b/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..289819395
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+_ = require 'underscore'
+
+module.exports =
+  NumericPrefix: class
+    count: null
+    operatorToRepeat: null
+    complete: null
+
+    constructor: (@count) ->
+      @complete = false
+
+    compose: (@operatorToRepeat) ->
+      @complete = true
+
+    isComplete: -> @complete
+
+    execute: (editor) ->
+      _.times @count, => @operatorToRepeat.execute(editor)
+
+  DeleteChar: class
+    execute: (editor) ->
+      editor.deleteChar()
+
+    isComplete: -> true
+
diff --git a/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee b/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
index e01df66cd..e7db89ebe 100644
--- a/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
@@ -1,20 +1,23 @@
+_ = require 'underscore'
+$ = require 'jquery'
+{ NumericPrefix, DeleteChar } = require 'vim-mode-operators'
+
 module.exports =
 class VimMode
   editor: null
+  opStack: null
 
   constructor: (@editor) ->
-    atom.bindKeys '.command-mode'
-      'i': 'insert-mode:activate'
-      'x': 'command-mode:delete'
-
-    atom.bindKeys '.insert-mode'
-      '<esc>': 'command-mode:activate'
+    @opStack = []
+    atom.bindKeys '.command-mode', @commandModeBindings()
+    atom.bindKeys '.insert-mode', '<esc>': 'command-mode:activate'
 
     @editor.addClass('command-mode')
 
     @editor.on 'insert-mode:activate', => @activateInsertMode()
     @editor.on 'command-mode:activate', => @activateCommandMode()
-    @editor.on 'command-mode:delete', => @delete()
+    @editor.on 'command-mode:delete-char', => @deleteChar()
+    @editor.on 'command-mode:numeric-prefix', (e) => @numericPrefix(e)
 
   activateInsertMode: ->
     @editor.removeClass('command-mode')
@@ -24,5 +27,33 @@ class VimMode
     @editor.removeClass('insert-mode')
     @editor.addClass('command-mode')
 
-  delete: ->
-    @editor.delete()
+  deleteChar: ->
+    @pushOperator(new DeleteChar)
+
+  numericPrefix: (e) ->
+    @pushOperator(new NumericPrefix(e.keyEvent.char))
+
+  commandModeBindings: ->
+    bindings =
+      'i': 'insert-mode:activate'
+      'x': 'command-mode:delete-char'
+    for i in [0..9]
+      bindings[i] = 'command-mode:numeric-prefix'
+    bindings
+
+  pushOperator: (op) ->
+    @opStack.push(op)
+    @processOpStack()
+
+  processOpStack: ->
+    return unless @topOperator().isComplete()
+    poppedOperator = @opStack.pop()
+    if @opStack.length
+      @topOperator().compose(poppedOperator)
+      @processOpStack()
+    else
+      poppedOperator.execute(@editor)
+
+  topOperator: ->
+    _.last @opStack
+