diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index c8ff9c78..62cfb864 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ static boost::optional<SelectionList> compute_modified_ranges(Buffer& buffer, si
         const ByteCoord& end = change.end;
         if (change.type == Buffer::Change::Insert)
         {
-            update_insert(ranges, begin, end, change.at_end);
+            update_insert(ranges, begin, end);
             auto it = std::upper_bound(ranges.begin(), ranges.end(), begin,
                                        [](ByteCoord c, const Selection& sel)
                                        { return c < sel.min(); });
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ static boost::optional<SelectionList> compute_modified_ranges(Buffer& buffer, si
         }
         else
         {
-            update_erase(ranges, begin, end, change.at_end);
+            update_erase(ranges, begin, end);
             auto pos = begin;
             if (change.at_end)
                 pos = begin.column ? ByteCoord{begin.line, begin.column - 1}
@@ -1185,6 +1185,12 @@ static boost::optional<SelectionList> compute_modified_ranges(Buffer& buffer, si
     if (ranges.empty())
         return {};
 
+    for (auto& sel : ranges)
+    {
+        sel.anchor() = buffer.clamp(sel.anchor());
+        sel.cursor() = buffer.clamp(sel.cursor());
+    }
+
     SelectionList result{buffer, std::move(ranges)};
 
     auto touches = [&](const Selection& lhs, const Selection& rhs) {
diff --git a/src/selection.cc b/src/selection.cc
index c37829c2..d3c798b0 100644
--- a/src/selection.cc
+++ b/src/selection.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include "selection.hh"
 
 #include "utf8.hh"
-#include "modification.hh"
 #include "buffer_utils.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
@@ -16,93 +15,6 @@ void Selection::merge_with(const Selection& range)
         m_anchor = std::max(m_anchor, range.m_anchor);
 }
 
-namespace
-{
-
-template<template <bool, bool> class UpdateFunc>
-void on_buffer_change(std::vector<Selection>& sels,
-                      ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end, LineCount end_line)
-{
-    auto update_beg = std::lower_bound(sels.begin(), sels.end(), begin,
-                                       [](const Selection& s, ByteCoord c)
-                                       { return s.max() < c; });
-    auto update_only_line_beg = std::upper_bound(sels.begin(), sels.end(), end_line,
-                                                 [](LineCount l, const Selection& s)
-                                                 { return l < s.min().line; });
-
-    if (update_beg != update_only_line_beg)
-    {
-        // for the first one, we are not sure if min < begin
-        UpdateFunc<false, false>{}(update_beg->anchor(), begin, end, at_end);
-        UpdateFunc<false, false>{}(update_beg->cursor(), begin, end, at_end);
-    }
-    for (auto it = update_beg+1; it < update_only_line_beg; ++it)
-    {
-        UpdateFunc<false, true>{}(it->anchor(), begin, end, at_end);
-        UpdateFunc<false, true>{}(it->cursor(), begin, end, at_end);
-    }
-    if (end.line > begin.line)
-    {
-        for (auto it = update_only_line_beg; it != sels.end(); ++it)
-        {
-            UpdateFunc<true, true>{}(it->anchor(), begin, end, at_end);
-            UpdateFunc<true, true>{}(it->cursor(), begin, end, at_end);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-template<bool assume_different_line, bool assume_greater_than_begin>
-struct UpdateInsert
-{
-    void operator()(ByteCoord& coord, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end,
-                    bool at_end) const
-    {
-        if (assume_different_line)
-            kak_assert(begin.line < coord.line);
-        if (not assume_greater_than_begin and coord < begin)
-            return;
-        if (not assume_different_line and begin.line == coord.line)
-            coord.column = end.column + coord.column - begin.column;
-
-        coord.line += end.line - begin.line;
-        kak_assert(coord.line >= 0 and coord.column >= 0);
-    }
-};
-
-template<bool assume_different_line, bool assume_greater_than_begin>
-struct UpdateErase
-{
-    void operator()(ByteCoord& coord, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end,
-                    bool at_end) const
-    {
-        if (not assume_greater_than_begin and coord < begin)
-            return;
-        if (assume_different_line)
-            kak_assert(end.line < coord.line);
-        if (not assume_different_line and coord <= end)
-        {
-            if (not at_end or begin == ByteCoord{0,0})
-                coord = begin;
-            else
-                coord = begin.column ? ByteCoord{begin.line, begin.column-1}
-                                     : ByteCoord{begin.line - 1};
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            if (not assume_different_line and end.line == coord.line)
-            {
-                coord.line = begin.line;
-                coord.column = begin.column + coord.column - end.column;
-            }
-            else
-                coord.line -= end.line - begin.line;
-        }
-        kak_assert(coord.line >= 0 and coord.column >= 0);
-    }
-};
-
-}
-
 SelectionList::SelectionList(Buffer& buffer, Selection s, size_t timestamp)
     : m_buffer(&buffer), m_selections({ s }), m_timestamp(timestamp)
 {
@@ -124,14 +36,41 @@ SelectionList::SelectionList(Buffer& buffer, std::vector<Selection> s)
     : SelectionList(buffer, std::move(s), buffer.timestamp())
 {}
 
-void update_insert(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end)
+namespace
 {
-    on_buffer_change<UpdateInsert>(sels, begin, end, at_end, begin.line);
+
+ByteCoord update_insert(ByteCoord coord, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end)
+{
+    if (coord < begin)
+        return coord;
+    if (begin.line == coord.line)
+        coord.column += end.column - begin.column;
+    coord.line += end.line - begin.line;
+    kak_assert(coord.line >= 0 and coord.column >= 0);
+    return coord;
 }
 
-void update_erase(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end)
+ByteCoord update_erase(ByteCoord coord, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end)
 {
-    on_buffer_change<UpdateErase>(sels, begin, end, at_end, end.line);
+    if (coord < begin)
+        return coord;
+    if (coord <= end)
+        return begin;
+    if (end.line == coord.line)
+        coord.column -= end.column - begin.column;
+    coord.line -= end.line - begin.line;
+    kak_assert(coord.line >= 0 and coord.column >= 0);
+    return coord;
+}
+
+ByteCoord update_pos(ByteCoord coord, const Buffer::Change& change)
+{
+    if (change.type == Buffer::Change::Insert)
+        return update_insert(coord, change.begin, change.end);
+    else  
+        return update_erase(coord, change.begin, change.end);
+}
+
 }
 
 void SelectionList::update()
@@ -139,18 +78,19 @@ void SelectionList::update()
     if (m_timestamp == m_buffer->timestamp())
         return;
 
-    auto modifs = compute_modifications(*m_buffer, m_timestamp);
+    for (auto& change : m_buffer->changes_since(m_timestamp))
+    {
+        for (auto& sel : m_selections)
+        {
+            sel.anchor() = update_pos(sel.anchor(), change);
+            sel.cursor() = update_pos(sel.cursor(), change);
+        }
+    }
     for (auto& sel : m_selections)
     {
-        auto anchor = update_pos(modifs, sel.anchor());
-        kak_assert(m_buffer->is_valid(anchor));
-        sel.anchor() = m_buffer->clamp(anchor);
-
-        auto cursor = update_pos(modifs, sel.cursor());
-        kak_assert(m_buffer->is_valid(cursor));
-        sel.cursor() = m_buffer->clamp(cursor);
+        sel.anchor() = m_buffer->clamp(sel.anchor());
+        sel.cursor() = m_buffer->clamp(sel.cursor());
     }
-
     merge_overlapping(overlaps);
     check_invariant();
 
@@ -222,17 +162,6 @@ void SelectionList::avoid_eol()
         _avoid_eol(buffer(), sel);
 }
 
-void SelectionList::erase()
-{
-    for (auto& sel : reversed(m_selections))
-    {
-        Kakoune::erase(*m_buffer, sel);
-    }
-    update();
-    avoid_eol();
-    m_buffer->check_invariant();
-}
-
 BufferIterator prepare_insert(Buffer& buffer, const Selection& sel, InsertMode mode)
 {
     switch (mode)
@@ -264,42 +193,127 @@ BufferIterator prepare_insert(Buffer& buffer, const Selection& sel, InsertMode m
     return {};
 }
 
+// This tracks position changes for changes that are done
+// in a forward way (each change takes place at a position)
+// *after* the previous one.
+struct PositionChangesTracker 
+{
+    ByteCoord last_pos;
+    ByteCoord pos_change;
+
+    void update(const Buffer::Change& change)
+    {
+        if (change.type == Buffer::Change::Insert)
+        {
+            pos_change.line += change.end.line - change.begin.line;
+            if (change.begin.line != last_pos.line)
+                pos_change.column = 0;
+            pos_change.column += change.end.column - change.begin.column;
+            last_pos = change.end;
+        }
+        else if (change.type == Buffer::Change::Erase)
+        {
+            pos_change.line -= change.end.line - change.begin.line;
+            if (last_pos.line != change.end.line)
+                pos_change.column = 0;
+            pos_change.column -= change.end.column - change.begin.column;
+            last_pos = change.begin;
+        }
+    }
+
+    void update(const Buffer& buffer, size_t& timestamp)
+    {
+        for (auto& change : buffer.changes_since(timestamp))
+            update(change);
+        timestamp = buffer.timestamp();
+    }
+
+    ByteCoord get_new_coord(ByteCoord coord)
+    {
+        if (last_pos.line - pos_change.line == coord.line)
+            coord.column += pos_change.column;
+        coord.line += pos_change.line;
+        return coord;
+    }
+
+    void update_sel(Selection& sel)
+    {
+        sel.anchor() = get_new_coord(sel.anchor());
+        sel.cursor() = get_new_coord(sel.cursor());
+    }
+};
+
 void SelectionList::insert(memoryview<String> strings, InsertMode mode)
 {
     if (strings.empty())
         return;
 
     update();
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < m_selections.size(); ++i)
+    PositionChangesTracker changes_tracker;
+    for (size_t index = 0; index < m_selections.size(); ++index)
     {
-        size_t index = m_selections.size() - 1 - i;
         auto& sel = m_selections[index];
+
+        changes_tracker.update_sel(sel);
+        kak_assert(m_buffer->is_valid(sel.anchor()));
+        kak_assert(m_buffer->is_valid(sel.cursor()));
+
         auto pos = prepare_insert(*m_buffer, sel, mode);
+        changes_tracker.update(*m_buffer, m_timestamp);
+
         const String& str = strings[std::min(index, strings.size()-1)];
         pos = m_buffer->insert(pos, str);
+
+        auto& change = m_buffer->changes_since(m_timestamp).back();
+        changes_tracker.update(change);
+        m_timestamp = m_buffer->timestamp();
+
         if (mode == InsertMode::Replace)
         {
-             if (pos == m_buffer->end())
-                 --pos;
-            sel.anchor() = pos.coord();
-            sel.cursor() = (str.empty() ?
-                pos : pos + str.byte_count_to(str.char_length() - 1)).coord();
-
-           // update following selections
-           auto changes = compute_modifications(*m_buffer, timestamp());
-           for (size_t j = index+1; j < m_selections.size(); ++j)
-           {
-               auto& sel = m_selections[j];
-               sel.anchor() = update_pos(changes, sel.anchor());
-               sel.cursor() = update_pos(changes, sel.cursor());
-           }
-           update_timestamp();
+            sel.anchor() = change.begin;
+            sel.cursor() = m_buffer->char_prev(change.end);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            sel.anchor() = m_buffer->clamp(update_insert(sel.anchor(), change.begin, change.end));
+            sel.cursor() = m_buffer->clamp(update_insert(sel.cursor(), change.begin, change.end));
         }
     }
-    update();
     check_invariant();
     m_buffer->check_invariant();
 }
 
+void SelectionList::erase()
+{
+    update();
+    PositionChangesTracker changes_tracker;
+    for (auto& sel : m_selections)
+    {
+        changes_tracker.update_sel(sel);
+        auto pos = Kakoune::erase(*m_buffer, sel);
+        sel.anchor() = sel.cursor() = m_buffer->clamp(pos.coord());
+        changes_tracker.update(*m_buffer, m_timestamp);
+    }
+    avoid_eol();
+    m_buffer->check_invariant();
+}
+
+void update_insert(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end)
+{
+    for (auto& sel : sels)
+    {
+        sel.anchor() = update_insert(sel.anchor(), begin, end);
+        sel.cursor() = update_insert(sel.cursor(), begin, end);
+    }
+}
+
+void update_erase(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end)
+{
+    for (auto& sel : sels)
+    {
+        sel.anchor() = update_erase(sel.anchor(), begin, end);
+        sel.cursor() = update_erase(sel.cursor(), begin, end);
+    }
+}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/selection.hh b/src/selection.hh
index 75d26728..7e6fb2ad 100644
--- a/src/selection.hh
+++ b/src/selection.hh
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ private:
     size_t m_timestamp;
 };
 
-void update_insert(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end);
-void update_erase(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end, bool at_end);
+void update_insert(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end);
+void update_erase(std::vector<Selection>& sels, ByteCoord begin, ByteCoord end);
 
 }