diff --git a/src/data/action/value.cpp b/src/data/action/value.cpp
index bfacd39f..1ec20421 100644
--- a/src/data/action/value.cpp
+++ b/src/data/action/value.cpp
@@ -119,14 +119,20 @@ unique_ptr<TextValueAction> toggle_format_action(const TextValueP& value, vector
                 tag == _("li")    ? compute_new_bullet_value  (new_value, offset, start_i, end_i):
                                     compute_new_simple_value  (new_value, tag,    start_i, end_i);
     // Erase redundant tags
-    if (start != end) {
-      // don't simplify if start == end, this way we insert <b></b>, allowing the
-      // user to press Ctrl+B and start typing bold text
-      new_value = simplify_tagged(new_value);
+    if (start != end) {
+      // Simplify
+      new_value = simplify_tagged(new_value);
+      // Adjust selection
+      start_i = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_start_i, true, true, true);
+      end_i   = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_end_i,   false, false, false);
+    }
+    else {
+      // Don't simplify if start == end, this way we insert <b></b>,
+      // allowing the user to press Ctrl+B and start typing bold text
+      // Adjust selection
+      start_i = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_start_i, true, false, true);
+      end_i   = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_end_i,   true, false, true);
     }
-    // Adjust selection
-    start_i = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_start_i, true, false);
-    end_i   = to_tagged_pos(new_value, untagged_end_i,   true, false);
   }
   // Build action
   if (value->value() == new_value) {
diff --git a/src/util/tagged_string.cpp b/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
index 01168cbb..457cc193 100644
--- a/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
+++ b/src/util/tagged_string.cpp
@@ -129,10 +129,12 @@ String fix_old_tags(const String& str) {
   return it;
 }
 
-[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator skip_all_tags(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, bool skip_open, bool skip_close) {
+[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator skip_all_tags(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, bool skip_open, bool skip_close, bool skip_nonformat) {
   // move after first possible position corresponding
   while (it != end && *it == '<') {
-    if (it + 1 != end && *(it + 1) == '/') {
+    if (skip_nonformat && !is_formatting_tag(it, end)) {
+      it = skip_tag(it, end);
+    } else if (it + 1 != end && *(it + 1) == '/') {
       if (skip_close) {
         it = skip_tag(it, end);
       } else {
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ String fix_old_tags(const String& str) {
   return it;
 }
 
-[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator advance_untagged(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, size_t n, bool after_open, bool after_close) {
+[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator advance_untagged(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, size_t n, bool after_open, bool after_close, bool after_nonformat) {
   while (n > 0) {
     it = skip_all_tags(it, end);
     if (it != end) {
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ String fix_old_tags(const String& str) {
       return it;
     }
   }
-  return skip_all_tags(it, end, after_open, after_close);
+  return skip_all_tags(it, end, after_open, after_close, after_nonformat);
 }
 
 [[nodiscard]] bool is_tag(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, const char* tag, bool strict) {
@@ -284,6 +286,63 @@ bool is_formatting_tag(const String& str, size_t pos) {
          is_substr(str, pos, _("size"))   || is_substr(str, pos, _("/size")) ||
          is_substr(str, pos, _("color"))  || is_substr(str, pos, _("/color"));
 }
+
+bool is_formatting_tag(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end) {
+  // so ugly but so fast!
+  if (it == end) return false;
+  if (*it != '<') return false;
+  ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+  if (*it == '/') {++it; if (it == end) return false;}
+  if (*it == 'b' || *it == 'i' || *it == 'u') return true;
+  if (*it == 's') {
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it == 'y') {
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'm') return false;
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (*it == 't') {
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'r') return false;
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'i') return false;
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'k') return false;
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'e') return false;
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (*it == 'i') {
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'z') return false;
+      ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+      if (*it != 'e') return false;
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (*it == 'f') {
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'o') return false;
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'n') return false;
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 't') return false;
+    return true;
+  }
+  if (*it == 'c') {
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'o') return false;
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'l') return false;
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'o') return false;
+    ++it; if (it == end) return false;
+    if (*it != 'r') return false;
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
 
 [[nodiscard]] size_t in_tag(const String& str, const String& tag, size_t start, size_t end, bool strict) {
   size_t last_start = String::npos;
@@ -343,10 +402,10 @@ size_t to_untagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos) {
   return untag(str.substr(0, pos)).size();
 }
 
-size_t to_tagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos, bool after_open, bool after_close) {
+size_t to_tagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos, bool after_open, bool after_close, bool after_nonformat) {
   String::const_iterator it = str.begin();
   const String::const_iterator end = str.end();
-  it = advance_untagged(it, end, pos, after_open, after_close);
+  it = advance_untagged(it, end, pos, after_open, after_close, after_nonformat);
   return std::distance(str.begin(), it);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/tagged_string.hpp b/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
index 0f7fd1ea..0cf96e97 100644
--- a/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
+++ b/src/util/tagged_string.hpp
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ String fix_old_tags(const String&);
 /// Does a string contain a tag at the given location?
 /** Matches <b <i <u <strike <font <size <color <sym or their anti tags */
 [[nodiscard]] bool is_formatting_tag(const String& str, size_t pos);
+[[nodiscard]] bool is_formatting_tag(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end);
 
 /// Is the given range entirely contained in a given tagged block?
 /** If so: return the start position of that tag, otherwise returns String::npos
@@ -113,11 +114,11 @@ String anti_tag(const String& tag);
 [[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator skip_all_tags(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end);
 
 // Skip past all open/close tags
-[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator skip_all_tags(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, bool skip_open, bool skip_close);
+[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator skip_all_tags(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, bool skip_open, bool skip_close, bool skip_nonformat=false);
 
 // Advance an iterator by n positions, not counting tags
 // For example: advance_untagged("<b>abc</b>",_,2) = "c</b>"
-[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator advance_untagged(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, size_t n, bool after_open=false, bool after_close=false);
+[[nodiscard]] String::const_iterator advance_untagged(String::const_iterator it, String::const_iterator end, size_t n, bool after_open=false, bool after_close=false, bool after_nonformat=false);
 
 // Find the position of the closing tag matching the tag at it
 // If not found, returns end
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ size_t to_untagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos);
 
 /// Take a tagged string and a position inside the untagged version,
 /// return the position in the tagged version.
-size_t to_tagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos, bool after_open=false, bool after_close=false);
+size_t to_tagged_pos(const String& str, size_t pos, bool after_open=false, bool after_close=false, bool after_nonformat=false);
 
 /// Directions of cursor movement
 enum Movement