diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.init.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.init.js
index 06cbf5fec5..002ae5a872 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.init.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.init.js
@@ -550,8 +550,7 @@
 		},
 
 		activateVe: function () {
-			var wikitext = $( '#wpTextbox1' ).val(),
-				wikitextModified = wikitext !== initialWikitext;
+			var wikitext = $( '#wpTextbox1' ).textSelection( 'getContents' );
 
 			// Close any open jQuery.UI dialogs (e.g. WikiEditor's find and replace)
 			if ( $.fn.dialog ) {
@@ -560,7 +559,10 @@
 
 			if (
 				mw.config.get( 'wgAction' ) === 'submit' ||
-				( mw.config.get( 'wgAction' ) === 'edit' && wikitextModified ) ||
+				(
+					mw.config.get( 'wgAction' ) === 'edit' &&
+					wikitext !== initialWikitext
+				) ||
 				// switching from section editing must prompt because we can't
 				// keep changes from that (yet?)
 				$( 'input[name=wpSection]' ).val()
@@ -718,7 +720,7 @@
 			urlSaysHideWelcome = 'hidewelcomedialog' in new mw.Uri( location.href ).query;
 
 		if ( uri.query.action === 'edit' && $( '#wpTextbox1' ).length ) {
-			initialWikitext = $( '#wpTextbox1' ).val();
+			initialWikitext = $( '#wpTextbox1' ).textSelection( 'getContents' );
 		}
 
 		if ( init.isAvailable ) {
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTargetLoader.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTargetLoader.js
index c0d04a8c8c..4c9db9ae8c 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTargetLoader.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTargetLoader.js
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
 				ve.track( 'trace.restbaseLoad.enter' );
 				if (
 					conf.fullRestbaseUrl &&
-					$( '#wpTextbox1' ).val() &&
+					$( '#wpTextbox1' ).textSelection( 'getContents' ) &&
 					!$( '[name=wpSection]' ).val()
 				) {
 					switched = true;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
 						data: {
 							title: pageName,
 							oldid: oldid,
-							wikitext: $( '#wpTextbox1' ).val(),
+							wikitext: $( '#wpTextbox1' ).textSelection( 'getContents' ),
 							stash: 'true'
 						},
 						// Should be synchronised with ApiVisualEditor.php