diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 09bd3239..e5aa3b65 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -221,10 +221,10 @@ struct scoped_status
     }
 };
 
-void do_insert(Window& window, bool append = false)
+void do_insert(Window& window, IncrementalInserter::Mode mode)
 {
     scoped_status("-- INSERT --");
-    Kakoune::IncrementalInserter inserter(window, append);
+    Kakoune::IncrementalInserter inserter(window, mode);
     draw_window(window);
     while(true)
     {
@@ -399,8 +399,7 @@ void do_erase(Window& window, int count)
 void do_change(Window& window, int count)
 {
     do_yank(window, 0);
-    window.erase();
-    do_insert(window);
+    do_insert(window, IncrementalInserter::Mode::Change);
 }
 
 template<bool append>
@@ -424,8 +423,8 @@ std::unordered_map<char, std::function<void (Window& window, int count)>> keymap
 
     { 'd', do_erase },
     { 'c', do_change },
-    { 'i', [](Window& window, int count) { do_insert(window); } },
-    { 'a', [](Window& window, int count) { do_insert(window, true); } },
+    { 'i', [](Window& window, int count) { do_insert(window, IncrementalInserter::Mode::Insert); } },
+    { 'a', [](Window& window, int count) { do_insert(window, IncrementalInserter::Mode::Append); } },
 
     { 'g', do_go },
 
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index 0631416f..720cfb73 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -270,19 +270,23 @@ void Window::scroll_to_keep_cursor_visible_ifn()
     }
 }
 
-IncrementalInserter::IncrementalInserter(Window& window, bool append)
+IncrementalInserter::IncrementalInserter(Window& window, Mode mode)
     : m_window(window)
 {
     assert(not m_window.m_current_inserter);
     m_window.m_current_inserter = this;
     m_window.check_invariant();
 
+    m_window.m_buffer.begin_undo_group();
+
+    if (mode == Mode::Change)
+        window.erase_noundo();
+
     for (auto& sel : m_window.m_selections)
     {
-        const BufferIterator& pos = append ? sel.end() : sel.begin();
+        const BufferIterator& pos = mode == Mode::Append ? sel.end() : sel.begin();
         sel = Selection(pos, pos);
     }
-    m_window.m_buffer.begin_undo_group();
 }
 
 IncrementalInserter::~IncrementalInserter()
diff --git a/src/window.hh b/src/window.hh
index e953cf60..db244db4 100644
--- a/src/window.hh
+++ b/src/window.hh
@@ -113,7 +113,14 @@ private:
 class IncrementalInserter
 {
 public:
-    IncrementalInserter(Window& window, bool append = false);
+    enum class Mode
+    {
+        Insert,
+        Append,
+        Change
+    };
+
+    IncrementalInserter(Window& window, Mode mode = Mode::Insert);
     ~IncrementalInserter();
 
     void insert(const Window::String& string);