diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
index a174d23d44..a6eb3ce723 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
@@ -641,7 +641,6 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.prototype.cancel = function ( trackMechanism ) {
 		}
 
 		target.clearState();
-		target.docToSave = null;
 		target.initialEditSummary = new mw.Uri().query.summary;
 
 		target.deactivating = false;
@@ -1550,7 +1549,7 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.prototype.switchToWikitextEditor = function ( di
 		} );
 	} else {
 		this.serialize(
-			this.docToSave || this.getSurface().getDom(),
+			this.getDocToSave(),
 			function ( wikitext ) {
 				ve.track( 'mwedit.abort', { type: 'switchwith', mechanism: 'navigate' } );
 				target.submitWithSaveFields( { wpDiff: 1, wpAutoSummary: '' }, wikitext );
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
index cc5d784f58..bf8cf47309 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.switchToWikitextEditor = funct
 	var dataPromise,
 		target = this;
 
-	this.serialize( this.docToSave || this.getSurface().getDom() );
+	this.serialize( this.getDocToSave() );
 	dataPromise = this.serializing.then( function ( response ) {
 		// HACK
 		var data = response.visualeditor;
@@ -71,16 +71,16 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.switchToWikitextEditor = funct
 ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.switchToVisualEditor = function () {
 	var dataPromise;
 
-	this.setMode( 'visual' );
-
 	dataPromise = mw.libs.ve.targetLoader.requestParsoidData(
 		this.pageName,
 		this.revid,
 		this.constructor.name,
 		this.edited,
-		this.getWikitextFromDocument( this.getSurface().getDom() )
+		this.getDocToSave()
 	);
 
+	this.setMode( 'visual' );
+
 	this.reloadSurface( dataPromise );
 };
 
@@ -259,33 +259,47 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.prepareCacheKey = function ()
 	// else: No need, just wikitext
 };
 
+/**
+ * @inheritdoc
+ */
+ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.createDocToSave = function () {
+	var i, l, text, data;
+
+	if ( this.mode !== 'source' ) {
+		// Parent method
+		return ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.super.prototype.createDocToSave.apply( this, arguments );
+	}
+
+	text = '';
+	data = this.getSurface().getModel().getDocument().data.data;
+	for ( i = 0, l = data.length; i < l; i++ ) {
+		if ( data[ i ].type === '/paragraph' && data[ i + 1 ].type === 'paragraph' ) {
+			text += '\n';
+		} else if ( !data[ i ].type ) {
+			text += data[ i ];
+		}
+	}
+
+	return text;
+};
+
 /**
  * @inheritdoc
  */
 ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.tryWithPreparedCacheKey = function ( doc, options ) {
-	var data;
 	if ( this.mode === 'source' ) {
-		data = ve.extendObject( {}, options, { format: 'json' } );
-
-		data.wikitext = this.getWikitextFromDocument( doc );
-
-		return new mw.Api().post( data, { contentType: 'multipart/form-data' } );
+		return new mw.Api().post( ve.extendObject( {}, options, {
+				wikitext: doc,
+				format: 'json'
+			} ),
+			{ contentType: 'multipart/form-data' }
+		);
 	} else {
 		// Parent method
 		return ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.super.prototype.tryWithPreparedCacheKey.apply( this, arguments );
 	}
 };
 
-/**
- * Get wikitext for the whole document
- *
- * @param {ve.dm.Document} doc Document
- * @return {string} Wikitext
- */
-ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.getWikitextFromDocument = function ( doc ) {
-	return Array.prototype.map.call( doc.body.children, function ( p ) { return p.innerText; } ).join( '\n' );
-};
-
 /* Registration */
 
 ve.init.mw.targetFactory.register( ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget );
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.js
index f06966a1b7..fd3956fdfd 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.js
@@ -893,9 +893,9 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogReview = function () {
 		this.saveDialog.pushPending();
 		if ( this.pageExists ) {
 			// Has no callback, handled via target.showChangesDiff
-			this.showChanges( this.docToSave );
+			this.showChanges( this.getDocToSave() );
 		} else {
-			this.serialize( this.docToSave, this.onSaveDialogReviewComplete.bind( this ) );
+			this.serialize( this.getDocToSave(), this.onSaveDialogReviewComplete.bind( this ) );
 		}
 	} else {
 		this.saveDialog.swapPanel( 'review' );
@@ -924,7 +924,7 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogReviewComplete = function ( wikit
 ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogResolveConflict = function () {
 	// Get Wikitext from the DOM, and set up a submit call when it's done
 	this.serialize(
-		this.docToSave,
+		this.getDocToSave(),
 		this.submitWithSaveFields.bind( this, { wpSave: 1 } )
 	);
 };
@@ -946,21 +946,6 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogRetry = function () {
  * @fires saveWorkflowEnd
  */
 ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogClose = function () {
-	var target = this;
-
-	function clear() {
-		target.docToSave = null;
-		target.clearPreparedCacheKey();
-	}
-
-	// Clear the cached HTML and cache key once the document changes
-	if ( this.getSurface() ) {
-		this.getSurface().getModel().getDocument().once( 'transact', clear );
-		this.getSurface().once( 'destroy', clear );
-	} else {
-		clear();
-	}
-
 	this.emit( 'saveWorkflowEnd' );
 };
 
@@ -1036,6 +1021,43 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.clearState = function () {
  */
 ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.editSource = null;
 
+/**
+ * Get a document to save, cached until the surface is modified
+ *
+ * The default implementation returns an HTMLDocument, but other targets
+ * may use a different document model (e.g. plain text for source mode).
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Document to save
+ */
+ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.getDocToSave = function () {
+	var surface;
+	if ( !this.docToSave ) {
+		this.docToSave = this.createDocToSave();
+		// Cache clearing events
+		surface = this.getSurface();
+		surface.getModel().getDocument().once( 'transact', this.clearDocToSave.bind( this ) );
+		surface.once( 'destroy', this.clearDocToSave.bind( this ) );
+	}
+	return this.docToSave;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Create a document to save
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Document to save
+ */
+ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.createDocToSave = function () {
+	return this.getSurface().getDom();
+};
+
+/**
+ * Clear the document to save from the cache
+ */
+ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.clearDocToSave = function () {
+	this.docToSave = null;
+	this.clearPreparedCacheKey();
+};
+
 /**
  * Serialize the current document and store the result in the serialization cache on the server.
  *
@@ -1278,10 +1300,7 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.onSaveDialogSave = function ( saveDeferred )
  * @param {Object} saveOptions Save options
  */
 ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.startSave = function ( saveOptions ) {
-	if ( !this.docToSave ) {
-		this.docToSave = this.getSurface().getDom();
-	}
-	this.save( this.docToSave, saveOptions );
+	this.save( this.getDocToSave(), saveOptions );
 };
 
 /**
@@ -1606,10 +1625,7 @@ ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.prototype.showSaveDialog = function () {
 	this.emit( 'saveWorkflowBegin' );
 
 	// Preload the serialization
-	if ( !this.docToSave ) {
-		this.docToSave = this.getSurface().getDom();
-	}
-	this.prepareCacheKey( this.docToSave );
+	this.prepareCacheKey( this.getDocToSave() );
 
 	// Connect events to save dialog
 	this.getSurface().getDialogs().getWindow( 'mwSave' ).done( function ( win ) {