diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
index 39d24b1bab..38cfff9b65 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ import EditorModel from '../../../editor/model';
 import HistoryManager from '../../../editor/history';
 import {setCaretPosition} from '../../../editor/caret';
 import {
+    replaceRangeAndExpandSelection,
+    formatRangeAsQuote,
     formatInline,
 } from '../../../editor/operations';
-import {getCaretOffsetAndText, getRangeForSelection, getSelectionOffsetAndText} from '../../../editor/dom';
+import {getCaretOffsetAndText, getRangeForSelection} from '../../../editor/dom';
 import Autocomplete from '../rooms/Autocomplete';
 import {autoCompleteCreator} from '../../../editor/parts';
 import {renderModel} from '../../../editor/render';
@@ -427,37 +429,6 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
         return caretPosition;
     }
 
-    _replaceSelection(callback) {
-        const selection = document.getSelection();
-        if (selection.isCollapsed) {
-            return;
-        }
-        const focusOffset = getSelectionOffsetAndText(
-            this._editorRef,
-            selection.focusNode,
-            selection.focusOffset,
-        ).offset;
-        const anchorOffset = getSelectionOffsetAndText(
-            this._editorRef,
-            selection.anchorNode,
-            selection.anchorOffset,
-        ).offset;
-        const {model} = this.props;
-        const focusPosition = focusOffset.asPosition(model);
-        const anchorPosition = anchorOffset.asPosition(model);
-        const range = model.startRange(focusPosition, anchorPosition);
-        const firstPosition = focusPosition.compare(anchorPosition) < 0 ? focusPosition : anchorPosition;
-
-        model.transform(() => {
-            const oldLen = range.length;
-            const newParts = callback(range);
-            const addedLen = range.replace(newParts);
-            const lastOffset = firstPosition.asOffset(model);
-            lastOffset.offset += oldLen + addedLen;
-            return lastOffset.asPosition(model);
-        });
-    }
-
     _wrapSelectionAsInline(prefix, suffix = prefix) {
         const range = getRangeForSelection(
             this._editorRef,
@@ -479,30 +450,11 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
     }
 
     _formatQuote = () => {
-        const {model} = this.props;
-        const {partCreator} = this.props.model;
-        this._replaceSelection(range => {
-            const parts = range.parts;
-            parts.splice(0, 0, partCreator.plain("> "));
-            const startsWithPartial = range.start.offset !== 0;
-            const isFirstPart = range.start.index === 0;
-            const previousIsNewline = !isFirstPart && model.parts[range.start.index - 1].type === "newline";
-            // prepend a newline if there is more text before the range on this line
-            if (startsWithPartial || (!isFirstPart && !previousIsNewline)) {
-                parts.splice(0, 0, partCreator.newline());
-            }
-            // start at position 1 to make sure we skip the potentially inserted newline above,
-            // as we already inserted a quote sign for it above
-            for (let i = 1; i < parts.length; ++i) {
-                const part = parts[i];
-                if (part.type === "newline") {
-                    parts.splice(i + 1, 0, partCreator.plain("> "));
-                }
-            }
-            parts.push(partCreator.newline());
-            parts.push(partCreator.newline());
-            return parts;
-        });
+        const range = getRangeForSelection(
+            this._editorRef,
+            this.props.model,
+            document.getSelection());
+        formatRangeAsQuote(range);
     }
 
     _formatCodeBlock = () => {
diff --git a/src/editor/dom.js b/src/editor/dom.js
index 03ee7f2cfc..e2a65be6ff 100644
--- a/src/editor/dom.js
+++ b/src/editor/dom.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export function getCaretOffsetAndText(editor, sel) {
     return {caret: offset, text};
 }
 
-export function getSelectionOffsetAndText(editor, selectionNode, selectionOffset) {
+function getSelectionOffsetAndText(editor, selectionNode, selectionOffset) {
     // sometimes selectionNode is an element, and then selectionOffset means
     // the index of a child element ... - 1 🤷
     if (selectionNode.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE && selectionOffset !== 0) {
diff --git a/src/editor/offset.js b/src/editor/offset.js
index c638640f6f..785f16bc6d 100644
--- a/src/editor/offset.js
+++ b/src/editor/offset.js
@@ -23,4 +23,8 @@ export default class DocumentOffset {
     asPosition(model) {
         return model.positionForOffset(this.offset, this.atNodeEnd);
     }
+
+    add(delta, atNodeEnd = false) {
+        return new DocumentOffset(this.offset + delta, atNodeEnd);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/editor/operations.js b/src/editor/operations.js
index 4f0757948a..be979c275a 100644
--- a/src/editor/operations.js
+++ b/src/editor/operations.js
@@ -29,6 +29,44 @@ export function replaceRangeAndExpandSelection(model, range, newParts) {
     });
 }
 
+export function rangeStartsAtBeginningOfLine(range) {
+    const {model} = range;
+    const startsWithPartial = range.start.offset !== 0;
+    const isFirstPart = range.start.index === 0;
+    const previousIsNewline = !isFirstPart && model.parts[range.start.index - 1].type === "newline";
+    return !startsWithPartial && (isFirstPart || previousIsNewline);
+}
+
+export function rangeEndsAtEndOfLine(range) {
+    const {model} = range;
+    const lastPart = model.parts[range.end.index];
+    const endsWithPartial = range.end.offset !== lastPart.length;
+    const isLastPart = range.end.index === model.parts.length - 1;
+    const nextIsNewline = !isLastPart && model.parts[range.end.index + 1].type === "newline";
+    return !endsWithPartial && (isLastPart || nextIsNewline);
+}
+
+export function formatRangeAsQuote(range) {
+    const {model, parts} = range;
+    const {partCreator} = model;
+    for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; ++i) {
+        const part = parts[i];
+        if (part.type === "newline") {
+            parts.splice(i + 1, 0, partCreator.plain("> "));
+        }
+    }
+    parts.unshift(partCreator.plain("> "));
+    if (!rangeStartsAtBeginningOfLine(range)) {
+        parts.unshift(partCreator.newline());
+    }
+    if (rangeEndsAtEndOfLine(range)) {
+        parts.push(partCreator.newline());
+    }
+
+    parts.push(partCreator.newline());
+    replaceRangeAndExpandSelection(model, range, parts);
+}
+
 export function formatInline(range, prefix, suffix = prefix) {
     const {model, parts} = range;
     const {partCreator} = model;
diff --git a/src/editor/range.js b/src/editor/range.js
index 2163076515..0739cd7842 100644
--- a/src/editor/range.js
+++ b/src/editor/range.js
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ export default class Range {
         this._start = this._start.backwardsWhile(this._model, predicate);
     }
 
+    get model() {
+        return this._model;
+    }
+
     get text() {
         let text = "";
         this._start.iteratePartsBetween(this._end, this._model, (part, startIdx, endIdx) => {