diff --git a/helix-core/src/register.rs b/helix-core/src/register.rs
index 1cff77ba3..52eb6e3e7 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/register.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/register.rs
@@ -15,11 +15,7 @@ impl Register {
     }
 
     pub fn new_with_values(name: char, values: Vec<String>) -> Self {
-        if name == '_' {
-            Self::new(name)
-        } else {
-            Self { name, values }
-        }
+        Self { name, values }
     }
 
     pub const fn name(&self) -> char {
@@ -31,15 +27,11 @@ impl Register {
     }
 
     pub fn write(&mut self, values: Vec<String>) {
-        if self.name != '_' {
-            self.values = values;
-        }
+        self.values = values;
     }
 
     pub fn push(&mut self, value: String) {
-        if self.name != '_' {
-            self.values.push(value);
-        }
+        self.values.push(value);
     }
 }
 
@@ -54,19 +46,25 @@ impl Registers {
         self.inner.get(&name)
     }
 
-    pub fn get_mut(&mut self, name: char) -> &mut Register {
-        self.inner
-            .entry(name)
-            .or_insert_with(|| Register::new(name))
+    pub fn read(&self, name: char) -> Option<&[String]> {
+        self.get(name).map(|reg| reg.read())
     }
 
     pub fn write(&mut self, name: char, values: Vec<String>) {
-        self.inner
-            .insert(name, Register::new_with_values(name, values));
+        if name != '_' {
+            self.inner
+                .insert(name, Register::new_with_values(name, values));
+        }
     }
 
-    pub fn read(&self, name: char) -> Option<&[String]> {
-        self.get(name).map(|reg| reg.read())
+    pub fn push(&mut self, name: char, value: String) {
+        if name != '_' {
+            if let Some(r) = self.inner.get_mut(&name) {
+                r.push(value);
+            } else {
+                self.write(name, vec![value]);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn first(&self, name: char) -> Option<&String> {
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index 5498a4377..e5ca56117 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -1805,7 +1805,7 @@ fn search_selection(cx: &mut Context) {
         .join("|");
 
     let msg = format!("register '{}' set to '{}'", '/', &regex);
-    cx.editor.registers.get_mut('/').push(regex);
+    cx.editor.registers.push('/', regex);
     cx.editor.set_status(msg);
 }
 
@@ -2121,16 +2121,14 @@ enum Operation {
 fn delete_selection_impl(cx: &mut Context, op: Operation) {
     let (view, doc) = current!(cx.editor);
 
-    let text = doc.text().slice(..);
     let selection = doc.selection(view.id);
 
     if cx.register != Some('_') {
         // first yank the selection
+        let text = doc.text().slice(..);
         let values: Vec<String> = selection.fragments(text).map(Cow::into_owned).collect();
         let reg_name = cx.register.unwrap_or('"');
-        let registers = &mut cx.editor.registers;
-        let reg = registers.get_mut(reg_name);
-        reg.write(values);
+        cx.editor.registers.write(reg_name, values);
     };
 
     // then delete
@@ -5005,7 +5003,7 @@ fn record_macro(cx: &mut Context) {
                 }
             })
             .collect::<String>();
-        cx.editor.registers.get_mut(reg).write(vec![s]);
+        cx.editor.registers.write(reg, vec![s]);
         cx.editor
             .set_status(format!("Recorded to register [{}]", reg));
     } else {
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
index 51ef688d7..b19b9a9fc 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/prompt.rs
@@ -294,23 +294,22 @@ impl Prompt {
         direction: CompletionDirection,
     ) {
         (self.callback_fn)(cx, &self.line, PromptEvent::Abort);
-        let register = cx.editor.registers.get_mut(register).read();
-
-        if register.is_empty() {
-            return;
-        }
+        let values = match cx.editor.registers.read(register) {
+            Some(values) if !values.is_empty() => values,
+            _ => return,
+        };
 
-        let end = register.len().saturating_sub(1);
+        let end = values.len().saturating_sub(1);
 
         let index = match direction {
             CompletionDirection::Forward => self.history_pos.map_or(0, |i| i + 1),
             CompletionDirection::Backward => {
-                self.history_pos.unwrap_or(register.len()).saturating_sub(1)
+                self.history_pos.unwrap_or(values.len()).saturating_sub(1)
             }
         }
         .min(end);
 
-        self.line = register[index].clone();
+        self.line = values[index].clone();
 
         self.history_pos = Some(index);
 
@@ -548,10 +547,7 @@ impl Component for Prompt {
                         if last_item != self.line {
                             // store in history
                             if let Some(register) = self.history_register {
-                                cx.editor
-                                    .registers
-                                    .get_mut(register)
-                                    .push(self.line.clone());
+                                cx.editor.registers.push(register, self.line.clone());
                             };
                         }