diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
index c605953473..0dd9d16e51 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
@@ -209,9 +209,8 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
             const selectedParts = range.parts.map(p => p.serialize());
             event.clipboardData.setData("application/x-riot-composer", JSON.stringify(selectedParts));
             if (type === "cut") {
-                // Remove the text from the composer
-                const {caret} = getCaretOffsetAndText(this._editorRef, selection);
-                this.props.model.update("", event.inputType, caret);
+                // Remove the text, updating the model as appropriate
+                replaceRangeAndMoveCaret(range, []);
             }
             event.preventDefault();
         }