diff --git a/lib/ace/keyboard/emacs.js b/lib/ace/keyboard/emacs.js
index bb688868..4cb0e2f6 100644
--- a/lib/ace/keyboard/emacs.js
+++ b/lib/ace/keyboard/emacs.js
@@ -231,6 +231,10 @@ exports.handler.handleKeyboard = function(data, hashId, key, keyCode) {
         if (count) {
             data.count = count;
             return {command: "null"};
+        } else if (data.universalArgument) {
+            // if no number pressed use emacs defaults for universalArgument
+            // which is 4
+            data.count = 4;
         }
     }
     data.universalArgument = false;
@@ -288,15 +292,20 @@ exports.handler.handleKeyboard = function(data, hashId, key, keyCode) {
     if (data.count) {
         var count = data.count;
         data.count = 0;
-        return {
-            args: args,
-            command: {
-                exec: function(editor, args) {
-                    for (var i = 0; i < count; i++)
-                        command.exec(editor, args);
+        if (!command || !command.handlesCount) {
+            return {
+                args: args,
+                command: {
+                    exec: function(editor, args) {
+                        for (var i = 0; i < count; i++)
+                            command.exec(editor, args);
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-        };
+            };
+        } else {
+            if (!args) args = {}
+            if (typeof args === 'object') args.count = count;
+        }
     }
 
     return {command: command, args: args};