diff --git a/modules/ve/ce/ve.ce.Surface.js b/modules/ve/ce/ve.ce.Surface.js
index 3c93135bbc..02d57a9723 100644
--- a/modules/ve/ce/ve.ce.Surface.js
+++ b/modules/ve/ce/ve.ce.Surface.js
@@ -794,19 +794,19 @@ ve.ce.Surface.prototype.beforePaste = function ( e ) {
 		// If there is content to the left of the cursor, put a placeholder
 		// character to the left of the cursor
 		if ( selection.start > range.start ) {
-			leftText = 'A';
+			leftText = '☀';
 			context.push( leftText );
 			textStart = textEnd = 1;
 		}
 		// If there is content to the right of the cursor, put a placeholder
 		// character to the right of the cursor
 		if ( selection.end < range.end ) {
-			rightText = 'B';
+			rightText = '☂';
 			context.push( rightText );
 		}
 		// If there is no text context, select some text to be replaced
 		if ( !leftText && !rightText ) {
-			context.push( 'C' );
+			context.push( '☁' );
 			textEnd = 1;
 		}
 		context.push( { 'type': '/' + context[0].type } );
diff --git a/modules/ve/test/ce/ve.ce.Surface.test.js b/modules/ve/test/ce/ve.ce.Surface.test.js
index 6a93292090..cbda2d4ae6 100644
--- a/modules/ve/test/ce/ve.ce.Surface.test.js
+++ b/modules/ve/test/ce/ve.ce.Surface.test.js
@@ -445,14 +445,14 @@ QUnit.test( 'beforePaste/afterPaste', function ( assert ) {
 			},
 			{
 				'range': new ve.Range( 4 ),
-				'pasteTargetHtml': 'BfooA',
+				'pasteTargetHtml': '☂foo☀',
 				'expectedRange': new ve.Range( 9 ),
 				'expectedOps': [
 					[
 						{ 'type': 'retain', 'length': 4 },
 						{
 							'type': 'replace',
-							'insert': [ 'B', 'f', 'o', 'o', 'A' ],
+							'insert': [ '☂', 'f', 'o', 'o', '☀' ],
 							'remove': []
 						},
 						{ 'type': 'retain', 'length': 5 }