diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 8f6fcf3..aff284e 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@
     {VV_NAME("mouse_win",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
     {VV_NAME("mouse_lnum",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
     {VV_NAME("mouse_col",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
+    {VV_NAME("operator",	 VAR_STRING), VV_RO},
 };
 
 /* shorthand */
diff --git a/src/normal.c b/src/normal.c
index f5b7651..f2c0089 100644
--- a/src/normal.c
+++ b/src/normal.c
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@
 static void	nv_Undo __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
 static void	nv_tilde __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
 static void	nv_operator __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+static void	set_op_var __ARGS((int optype));
+#endif
 static void	nv_lineop __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
 static void	nv_home __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
 static void	nv_pipe __ARGS((cmdarg_T *cap));
@@ -7180,6 +7183,9 @@
 	{
 	    cap->oap->start = curwin->w_cursor;
 	    cap->oap->op_type = OP_DELETE;
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+	    set_op_var(OP_DELETE);
+#endif
 	    cap->count1 = 1;
 	    nv_dollar(cap);
 	    finish_op = TRUE;
@@ -8219,9 +8225,34 @@
     {
 	cap->oap->start = curwin->w_cursor;
 	cap->oap->op_type = op_type;
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+	set_op_var(op_type);
+#endif
     }
 }
 
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+/*
+ * Set v:operator to the characters for "optype".
+ */
+    static void
+set_op_var(optype)
+    int optype;
+{
+    char_u	opchars[3];
+
+    if (optype == OP_NOP)
+	set_vim_var_string(VV_OP, NULL, 0);
+    else
+    {
+	opchars[0] = get_op_char(optype);
+	opchars[1] = get_extra_op_char(optype);
+	opchars[2] = NUL;
+	set_vim_var_string(VV_OP, opchars, -1);
+    }
+}
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Handle linewise operator "dd", "yy", etc.
  *
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index f9ad029..c9508b9 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -667,6 +667,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    205,
+/**/
     204,
 /**/
     203,
diff --git a/src/vim.h b/src/vim.h
index 05efc9a..bfbfde0 100644
--- a/src/vim.h
+++ b/src/vim.h
@@ -1688,7 +1688,8 @@
 #define VV_MOUSE_WIN	49
 #define VV_MOUSE_LNUM   50
 #define VV_MOUSE_COL	51
-#define VV_LEN		52	/* number of v: vars */
+#define VV_OP		52
+#define VV_LEN		53	/* number of v: vars */
 
 #ifdef FEAT_CLIPBOARD