diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index ac0b8fce..78d89ce4 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags,
-               String initial_content)
+Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags, std::vector<String> lines)
     : m_name(std::move(name)), m_flags(flags | Flags::NoUndo),
       m_history(), m_history_cursor(m_history.begin()),
       m_last_save_undo_index(0),
@@ -22,9 +21,15 @@ Buffer::Buffer(String name, Flags flags,
       m_options(GlobalOptions::instance())
 {
     BufferManager::instance().register_buffer(*this);
-    if (initial_content.empty() or initial_content.back() != '\n')
-        initial_content += '\n';
-    do_insert(begin(), std::move(initial_content));
+
+    ByteCount pos = 0;
+    m_lines.reserve(lines.size());
+    for (auto& line : lines)
+    {
+        assert(not line.empty() and line.back() == '\n');
+        m_lines.emplace_back(Line{ pos, std::move(line) });
+        pos += m_lines.back().length();
+    }
 
     Editor editor_for_hooks(*this);
     Context context(editor_for_hooks);
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index e3c72665..2c4b0042 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public:
         NoUndo = 8,
     };
 
-    Buffer(String name, Flags flags, String initial_content = "\n");
+    Buffer(String name, Flags flags, std::vector<String> lines = { "\n" });
     Buffer(const Buffer&) = delete;
     Buffer& operator= (const Buffer&) = delete;
     ~Buffer();
diff --git a/src/unit_tests.cc b/src/unit_tests.cc
index 2936d9de..809be574 100644
--- a/src/unit_tests.cc
+++ b/src/unit_tests.cc
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ using namespace Kakoune;
 
 void test_buffer()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "allo ?\nmais que fais la police\n hein ?\n youpi\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, { "allo ?\n", "mais que fais la police\n",  " hein ?\n", " youpi\n" });
     assert(buffer.line_count() == 4);
 
     BufferIterator i = buffer.begin();
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void test_buffer()
 
 void test_editor()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "test\n\nyoupi\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, { "test\n", "\n", "youpi\n" });
     Editor editor(buffer);
 
     using namespace std::placeholders;
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void test_editor()
 
 void test_incremental_inserter()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, "test\n\nyoupi\nmatin\n");
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, { "test\n", "\n", "youpi\n", "matin\n" });
     Editor editor(buffer);
 
     editor.select(buffer.begin());