diff --git a/lib/models/selection.js b/lib/models/selection.js
index ceb2de400..c16e1be79 100644
--- a/lib/models/selection.js
+++ b/lib/models/selection.js
@@ -99,6 +99,16 @@ class Selection extends new Record(DEFAULTS) {
     return this.isBackward == null ? null : !this.isBackward
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Check whether the selection's keys are not set.
+   *
+   * @return {Boolean}
+   */
+
+  get isUnset() {
+    return this.anchorKey == null || this.focusKey == null
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get the start key.
    *
@@ -281,19 +291,18 @@ class Selection extends new Record(DEFAULTS) {
     const { isCollapsed } = selection
     let { anchorKey, anchorOffset, focusKey, focusOffset, isBackward } = selection
 
-    // If the selection isn't formed yet or is malformed, set it to the
-    // beginning of the node.
+    // If the selection isn't formed yet or is malformed, ensure that it is
+    // properly zeroed out.
     if (
       anchorKey == null ||
       focusKey == null ||
       !node.hasDescendant(anchorKey) ||
       !node.hasDescendant(focusKey)
     ) {
-      const first = node.getTexts().first()
       return selection.merge({
-        anchorKey: first.key,
+        anchorKey: null,
         anchorOffset: 0,
-        focusKey: first.key,
+        focusKey: null,
         focusOffset: 0,
         isBackward: false
       })
diff --git a/lib/models/state.js b/lib/models/state.js
index 83bd2809f..22760453c 100644
--- a/lib/models/state.js
+++ b/lib/models/state.js
@@ -42,9 +42,16 @@ class State extends new Record(DEFAULTS) {
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
     if (properties instanceof State) return properties
-    properties.document = Document.create(properties.document)
-    properties.selection = Selection.create(properties.selection).normalize(properties.document)
-    return new State(properties)
+
+    let document = Document.create(properties.document)
+    let selection = Selection.create(properties.selection)
+
+    if (selection.isUnset) {
+      const text = document.getTexts().first()
+      selection = selection.collapseToStartOf(text)
+    }
+
+    return new State({ document, selection })
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/transforms/apply-operation.js b/lib/transforms/apply-operation.js
index f72894658..74fb31469 100644
--- a/lib/transforms/apply-operation.js
+++ b/lib/transforms/apply-operation.js
@@ -281,15 +281,17 @@ function setSelection(state, operation) {
   let properties = { ...operation.properties }
   let { document, selection } = state
 
-  if (properties.anchorPath) {
-    const anchorNode = document.assertPath(properties.anchorPath)
-    properties.anchorKey = anchorNode.key
+  if (properties.anchorPath !== undefined) {
+    properties.anchorKey = properties.anchorPath === null
+      ? null
+      : document.assertPath(properties.anchorPath).key
     delete properties.anchorPath
   }
 
-  if (properties.focusPath) {
-    const focusNode = document.assertPath(properties.focusPath)
-    properties.focusKey = focusNode.key
+  if (properties.focusPath !== undefined) {
+    properties.focusKey = properties.focusPath === null
+      ? null
+      : document.assertPath(properties.focusPath).key
     delete properties.focusPath
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/transforms/at-current-range.js b/lib/transforms/at-current-range.js
index 31eb0c7e7..385b47f35 100644
--- a/lib/transforms/at-current-range.js
+++ b/lib/transforms/at-current-range.js
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export function _delete(transform) {
   }
 
   return transform
+    .unsetSelection()
     .deleteAtRange(selection)
     .moveTo(after)
 }
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export function deleteBackward(transform, n = 1) {
   }
 
   return transform
+    .unsetSelection()
     .deleteBackwardAtRange(selection, n)
     .moveTo(after)
 }
@@ -213,6 +215,7 @@ export function deleteForward(transform, n = 1) {
   }
 
   return transform
+    .unsetSelection()
     .deleteForwardAtRange(selection, n)
     .moveTo(after)
 }
@@ -230,6 +233,7 @@ export function insertBlock(transform, block) {
   let { document, selection } = state
   const keys = document.getTexts().map(text => text.key)
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.insertBlockAtRange(selection, block)
   state = transform.state
   document = state.document
@@ -258,6 +262,7 @@ export function insertFragment(transform, fragment) {
   const lastInline = fragment.getClosestInline(lastText)
   const beforeTexts = document.getTexts()
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.insertFragmentAtRange(selection, fragment)
   state = transform.state
   document = state.document
@@ -306,6 +311,7 @@ export function insertInline(transform, inline) {
   const hasVoid = document.hasVoidParent(startText)
   const keys = document.getTexts().map(text => text.key)
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.insertInlineAtRange(selection, inline)
   state = transform.state
   document = state.document
@@ -353,6 +359,7 @@ export function insertText(transform, text, marks) {
   marks = marks || selection.marks
 
   return transform
+    .unsetSelection()
     .insertTextAtRange(selection, text, marks)
     .moveTo(after)
 }
@@ -397,6 +404,7 @@ export function splitBlock(transform, depth = 1) {
   let { state } = transform
   let { document, selection } = state
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.splitBlockAtRange(selection, depth)
 
   state = transform.state
@@ -423,6 +431,7 @@ export function splitInline(transform, depth = Infinity) {
   let { document, selection } = state
   let after = selection
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.splitInlineAtRange(selection, depth)
   state = transform.state
   document = state.document
@@ -551,6 +560,7 @@ export function wrapInline(transform, properties) {
   const { startKey } = selection
   const previous = document.getPreviousText(startKey)
 
+  transform.unsetSelection()
   transform.wrapInlineAtRange(selection, properties)
   state = transform.state
   document = state.document
@@ -612,6 +622,7 @@ export function wrapText(transform, prefix, suffix = prefix) {
   }
 
   return transform
+    .unsetSelection()
     .wrapTextAtRange(selection, prefix, suffix)
     .moveTo(after)
 }
diff --git a/lib/transforms/index.js b/lib/transforms/index.js
index 83c6977c1..8d750bd1e 100644
--- a/lib/transforms/index.js
+++ b/lib/transforms/index.js
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ import {
   moveTo,
   moveToOffsets,
   moveToRangeOf,
+  unsetSelection,
 } from './on-selection'
 
 /**
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ export default {
   moveTo,
   moveToOffsets,
   moveToRangeOf,
+  unsetSelection,
 
   /**
    * History.
diff --git a/lib/transforms/on-selection.js b/lib/transforms/on-selection.js
index 18332c194..bd322a26e 100644
--- a/lib/transforms/on-selection.js
+++ b/lib/transforms/on-selection.js
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ export function moveForward(transform, n) {
  */
 
 export function moveTo(transform, properties) {
+  debugger
   return transform.setSelectionOperation(properties)
 }
 
@@ -398,3 +399,21 @@ export function moveToRangeOf(transform, start, end) {
   const sel = selection.moveToRangeOf(start, end).normalize(document)
   return transform.setSelectionOperation(sel)
 }
+
+/**
+ * Unset the selection, removing an association to a node.
+ *
+ * @param {Transform} transform
+ * @return {Transform}
+ */
+
+export function unsetSelection(transform) {
+  return transform.setSelectionOperation({
+    anchorKey: null,
+    anchorOffset: 0,
+    focusKey: null,
+    focusOffset: 0,
+    isFocused: false,
+    isBackward: false
+  })
+}
diff --git a/lib/transforms/operations.js b/lib/transforms/operations.js
index 0a34bbc6f..f5d7cc5ff 100644
--- a/lib/transforms/operations.js
+++ b/lib/transforms/operations.js
@@ -361,39 +361,53 @@ export function setSelectionOperation(transform, properties) {
   const { document, selection } = state
   const prevProps = {}
 
-  if (properties.marks == selection.marks) {
+  // If the current selection has marks, and the new selection doesn't change
+  // them in some way, they are old and should be removed.
+  if (selection.marks && properties.marks == selection.marks) {
     properties.marks = null
   }
 
+  // Create a dictionary of the previous values for all of the properties that
+  // are being changed, for the inverse operation.
   for (const k in properties) {
     prevProps[k] = selection[k]
   }
 
+  // Resolve the selection keys into paths.
   if (properties.anchorKey) {
     properties.anchorPath = document.getPath(properties.anchorKey)
-    prevProps.anchorPath = document.getPath(prevProps.anchorKey)
     delete properties.anchorKey
+  }
+
+  if (prevProps.anchorKey) {
+    prevProps.anchorPath = document.getPath(prevProps.anchorKey)
     delete prevProps.anchorKey
   }
 
   if (properties.focusKey) {
     properties.focusPath = document.getPath(properties.focusKey)
-    prevProps.focusPath = document.getPath(prevProps.focusKey)
     delete properties.focusKey
+  }
+
+  if (prevProps.focusKey) {
+    prevProps.focusPath = document.getPath(prevProps.focusKey)
     delete prevProps.focusKey
   }
 
+  // Define an inverse of the operation for undoing.
   const inverse = [{
     type: 'set_selection',
     properties: prevProps
   }]
 
+  // Define the operation.
   const operation = {
     type: 'set_selection',
     properties,
     inverse,
   }
 
+  // Apply the operation.
   return transform.applyOperation(operation)
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/normalize.js b/lib/utils/normalize.js
index a4b83e344..641738626 100644
--- a/lib/utils/normalize.js
+++ b/lib/utils/normalize.js
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function markProperties(value = {}) {
     case 'object': {
       for (const k in value) {
         if (k == 'data') {
-          if (value[k] != null) ret[k] = Data.create(value[k])
+          if (value[k] !== undefined) ret[k] = Data.create(value[k])
         } else {
           ret[k] = value[k]
         }
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ function nodeProperties(value = {}) {
       break
     }
     case 'object': {
-      if (value.isVoid != null) ret.isVoid = !!value.isVoid
+      if (value.isVoid !== undefined) ret.isVoid = !!value.isVoid
       for (const k in value) {
         if (k == 'data') {
-          if (value[k] != null) ret[k] = Data.create(value[k])
+          if (value[k] !== undefined) ret[k] = Data.create(value[k])
         } else {
           ret[k] = value[k]
         }
@@ -188,12 +188,12 @@ function selectionProperties(value = {}) {
 
   switch (typeOf(value)) {
     case 'object': {
-      if (value.anchorKey != null) ret.anchorKey = value.anchorKey
-      if (value.anchorOffset != null) ret.anchorOffset = value.anchorOffset
-      if (value.focusKey != null) ret.focusKey = value.focusKey
-      if (value.focusOffset != null) ret.focusOffset = value.focusOffset
-      if (value.isBackward != null) ret.isBackward = !!value.isBackward
-      if (value.isFocused != null) ret.isFocused = !!value.isFocused
+      if (value.anchorKey !== undefined) ret.anchorKey = value.anchorKey
+      if (value.anchorOffset !== undefined) ret.anchorOffset = value.anchorOffset
+      if (value.focusKey !== undefined) ret.focusKey = value.focusKey
+      if (value.focusOffset !== undefined) ret.focusOffset = value.focusOffset
+      if (value.isBackward !== undefined) ret.isBackward = !!value.isBackward
+      if (value.isFocused !== undefined) ret.isFocused = !!value.isFocused
       if (value.marks !== undefined) ret.marks = value.marks
       break
     }