diff --git a/src/selection.coffee b/src/selection.coffee
index 306eb0bced..8bc194f126 100644
--- a/src/selection.coffee
+++ b/src/selection.coffee
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-_     = require('lodash')
-DOM   = require('./dom')
-Leaf  = require('./leaf')
-Range = require('./lib/range')
-Utils = require('./utils')
+_          = require('lodash')
+DOM        = require('./dom')
+Leaf       = require('./leaf')
+Normalizer = require('./normalizer')
+Range      = require('./lib/range')
+Utils      = require('./utils')
 
 
 class Selection
@@ -86,6 +87,11 @@ class Selection
         node = node.childNodes[offset]
         offset = 0
       else if node.childNodes.length == 0
+        # TODO revisit fix for encoding edge case <p><em>|</em></p>
+        unless Normalizer.TAGS[node.tagName]?
+          text = node.ownerDocument.createTextNode('')
+          node.appendChild(text)
+          node = text
         return [node, 0]
       else
         node = node.lastChild
diff --git a/src/utils.coffee b/src/utils.coffee
index 9503504d61..68da9a6112 100644
--- a/src/utils.coffee
+++ b/src/utils.coffee
@@ -47,8 +47,12 @@ Utils =
     return version and maxVersion >= version
 
   mergeNodes: (newNode, oldNode) ->
-    DOM.moveChildren(newNode, oldNode)
-    DOM.normalize(newNode)
+    if DOM.isElement(newNode)
+      DOM.moveChildren(newNode, oldNode)
+      DOM.normalize(newNode)
+    else
+      text = DOM.getText(newNode) + DOM.getText(oldNode)
+      DOM.setText(newNode, text)
     DOM.removeNode(oldNode)
 
   # refNode is node after split point, root is parent of eldest node we want split (root will not be split)
diff --git a/test/unit/document.coffee b/test/unit/document.coffee
index 96ac6cda67..014925091d 100644
--- a/test/unit/document.coffee
+++ b/test/unit/document.coffee
@@ -5,27 +5,27 @@ describe('Document', ->
 
   describe('constructor', ->
     tests =
-      # 'blank':
-      #   initial:  ''
-      #   expected: ''
-      # 'no change':
-      #   initial:  '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
-      #   expected: '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
-      # 'text':
-      #   initial:  'Test'
-      #   expected: '<p>Test</p>'
-      # 'inline':
-      #   initial:  '<b>Test</b>'
-      #   expected: '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
+      'blank':
+        initial:  ''
+        expected: ''
+      'no change':
+        initial:  '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
+        expected: '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
+      'text':
+        initial:  'Test'
+        expected: '<p>Test</p>'
+      'inline':
+        initial:  '<b>Test</b>'
+        expected: '<p><b>Test</b></p>'
       'block pulling':
         initial:  '<div><div><div><div><b>Test</b><div>Test</div></div></div></div></div>'
         expected: '<p><b>Test</b></p><p>Test</p>'
-      # 'with breaks':
-      #   initial:  '<p>A<br>B<br>C</p>'
-      #   expected: '<p>A<br></p><p>B<br></p><p>C</p>'
-      # 'pull and break':
-      #   initial:  '<div><div><div>A</div>B<br>C</div></div>'
-      #   expected: '<p>A</p><p>B<br></p><p>C</p>'
+      'with breaks':
+        initial:  '<p>A<br>B<br>C</p>'
+        expected: '<p>A<br></p><p>B<br></p><p>C</p>'
+      'pull and break':
+        initial:  '<div><div><div>A</div>B<br>C</div></div>'
+        expected: '<p>A</p><p>B<br></p><p>C</p>'
 
     _.each(tests, (test, name) ->
       it(name, ->
diff --git a/test/unit/normalizer.coffee b/test/unit/normalizer.coffee
index 92c47802f6..fd861250e0 100644
--- a/test/unit/normalizer.coffee
+++ b/test/unit/normalizer.coffee
@@ -113,10 +113,13 @@ describe('Normalizer', ->
       'wrap orphaned text node':
         initial:  '<s><b>0</b></s><s><span>1</span></s>'
         expected: '<s><b>0</b><span>1</span></s>'
+      'merge text nodes':
+        initial:  'A <b></b> B.'
+        expected:  'A  B.'
 
     _.each(tests, (test, name) ->
       it(name, ->
-        @container.innerHTML = "<div>#{test.initial}</div>"
+        @container.innerHTML = "<p>#{test.initial}</p>"
         Quill.Normalizer.optimizeLine(@container.firstChild)
         expect(@container.firstChild).toEqualHTML(test.expected)
       )
diff --git a/test/unit/selection.coffee b/test/unit/selection.coffee
index 6ea20dfdc3..20cdfc7307 100644
--- a/test/unit/selection.coffee
+++ b/test/unit/selection.coffee
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ describe('Selection', ->
         quill.root.innerHTML = ''
         quill.editor.doc.rebuild()
         [resultNode, resultIndex] = quill.editor.selection._encodePosition(quill.root, 0)
-        expect(resultNode).toEqual(quill.root)
+        expect(Quill.DOM.isTextNode(resultNode)).toBe(true)
+        expect(Quill.DOM.getText(resultNode)).toEqual('')
         expect(resultIndex).toEqual(0)
       )
 
diff --git a/test/unit/utils.coffee b/test/unit/utils.coffee
index 5ebbbd59f7..00b29402e8 100644
--- a/test/unit/utils.coffee
+++ b/test/unit/utils.coffee
@@ -146,10 +146,22 @@ describe('Utils', ->
 
     it('merge and normalize', ->
       @container.innerHTML = '<span>One</span><span>Two</span>'
+      expect(@container.childNodes.length).toEqual(2)
       Quill.Utils.mergeNodes(@container.firstChild, @container.lastChild)
       expect(@container).toEqualHTML('<span>OneTwo</span>')
+      expect(@container.childNodes.length).toEqual(1)
       expect(@container.firstChild.childNodes.length).toEqual(1)
     )
+
+    it('merge text nodes', ->
+      @container.innerHTML = ''
+      @container.appendChild(document.createTextNode('One'))
+      @container.appendChild(document.createTextNode('Two'))
+      expect(@container.childNodes.length).toEqual(2)
+      Quill.Utils.mergeNodes(@container.firstChild, @container.lastChild)
+      expect(@container).toEqualHTML('OneTwo')
+      expect(@container.childNodes.length).toEqual(1)
+    )
   )
 
   describe('splitAncestors()', ->