diff --git a/src/transforms/by-key.js b/src/transforms/by-key.js
index b3397d083..b041b04ca 100644
--- a/src/transforms/by-key.js
+++ b/src/transforms/by-key.js
@@ -77,6 +77,23 @@ export function insertTextByKey(transform, key, offset, text, marks) {
   return transform.insertTextOperation(path, offset, text, marks)
 }
 
+/**
+ * Join a node by `key` with a node `withKey`.
+ *
+ * @param {Transform} transform
+ * @param {String} key
+ * @param {String} withKey
+ * @return {Transform}
+ */
+
+export function joinNodeByKey(transform, key, withKey) {
+  const { state } = transform
+  const { document } = state
+  const path = document.getPath(key)
+  const withPath = document.getPath(withKey)
+  return transform.joinNodeOperation(path, withPath)
+}
+
 /**
  * Move a node by `key` to a new parent by `key` and `index`.
  *
@@ -124,21 +141,29 @@ export function removeMarkByKey(transform, key, offset, length, mark) {
 
 export function removeNodeByKey(transform, key) {
   const { state } = transform
-  const { document } = state
+  let { document } = state
   const node = document.assertDescendant(key)
-  const parent = document.getParent(key)
-  const index = parent.nodes.indexOf(node)
   const path = document.getPath(key)
+  const parent = document.getParent(key)
+  const previous = document.getPreviousSibling(key)
+  const next = document.getNextSibling(key)
   transform.removeNodeOperation(path)
 
-  // If the node isn't a text node, or it isn't the last node in its parent,
-  // then we have nothing else to do.
-  if (node.kind != 'text' || parent.nodes.size > 1) return transform
+  // If there are no more remaining nodes in the parent, re-add an empty text
+  // node so that we guarantee to always have text nodes as the tree's leaves.
+  if (parent.nodes.size == 1) {
+    const text = Text.create()
+    transform.insertNodeByKey(parent.key, 0, text)
+  }
+
+  // If the previous and next siblings are both text nodes, join them.
+  if (
+    (previous && previous.kind == 'text') &&
+    (next && next.kind == 'text')
+  ) {
+    transform.joinNodeByKey(next.key, previous.key)
+  }
 
-  // Otherwise, re-add an empty text node into the parent so that we guarantee
-  // to always have text nodes as the leaves of the node tree.
-  const text = Text.create()
-  transform.insertNodeByKey(parent.key, index, text)
   return transform
 }
 
@@ -158,21 +183,30 @@ export function removeTextByKey(transform, key, offset, length) {
   const path = document.getPath(key)
   transform.removeTextOperation(path, offset, length)
 
-  // If the text node is now empty, and not needed in the tree, remove it.
+  // If the text node is now empty, we might need to remove more nodes.
   document = transform.state.document
   const node = document.getDescendant(key)
   const parent = document.getParent(key)
+  const previous = document.getPreviousSibling(key)
+  const next = document.getNextSibling(key)
 
+  // If the text node isn't empty, don't do anything more.
   if (node.text != '') {
     return transform
   }
 
-  // If the text node is now empty, and not needed in the tree, remove it.
-  const previous = document.getPreviousSibling(key)
-  const next = document.getNextSibling(key)
-
+  // If the empty text node is the only node remaining in a non-void inline,
+  // remove the inline completely.
   if (
-    (parent.nodes.size == 1) ||
+    parent.kind == 'inline' &&
+    parent.isVoid == false &&
+    parent.nodes.size == 1
+  ) {
+    transform.removeNodeByKey(parent.key)
+  }
+
+  // Otherwise, if the text node is not needed in the tree any more, remove it.
+  else if (
     (previous && previous.isVoid == false) ||
     (next && next.isVoid == false)
   ) {
diff --git a/src/transforms/index.js b/src/transforms/index.js
index 8d750bd1e..ddddad45e 100644
--- a/src/transforms/index.js
+++ b/src/transforms/index.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   addMarkOperation,
   insertNodeOperation,
   insertTextOperation,
+  joinNodeOperation,
   moveNodeOperation,
   removeMarkOperation,
   removeNodeOperation,
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ import {
   addMarkByKey,
   insertNodeByKey,
   insertTextByKey,
+  joinNodeByKey,
   moveNodeByKey,
   removeMarkByKey,
   removeNodeByKey,
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ export default {
   addMarkOperation,
   insertNodeOperation,
   insertTextOperation,
+  joinNodeOperation,
   moveNodeOperation,
   removeMarkOperation,
   removeNodeOperation,
@@ -231,6 +234,7 @@ export default {
   addMarkByKey,
   insertNodeByKey,
   insertTextByKey,
+  joinNodeByKey,
   moveNodeByKey,
   removeMarkByKey,
   removeNodeByKey,
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/index.js b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a88ca23a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+export default function (state) {
+  const { document, selection } = state
+  const first = document.getInlines().first()
+
+  return state
+    .transform()
+    .removeNodeByKey(first.key)
+    .apply()
+}
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/input.yaml b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/input.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0fa3c627c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/input.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+
+nodes:
+  - kind: block
+    type: paragraph
+    nodes:
+      - kind: text
+        text: one
+      - kind: inline
+        type: link
+        nodes:
+          - kind: text
+            text: two
+      - kind: text
+        text: three
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/output.yaml b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/output.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab9dcade9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-node-by-key/middle-inline/output.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+
+nodes:
+  - kind: block
+    type: paragraph
+    nodes:
+      - kind: text
+        text: onethree
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/index.js b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..955d83d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+export default function (state) {
+  const { document, selection } = state
+  const first = document.getTexts().first()
+
+  return state
+    .transform()
+    .removeTextByKey(first.key, 0, 1)
+    .apply()
+}
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/input.yaml b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/input.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8001e3ad1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/input.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+nodes:
+  - kind: block
+    type: paragraph
+    nodes:
+      - kind: inline
+        type: link
+        nodes:
+          - kind: text
+            text: a
diff --git a/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/output.yaml b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/output.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6de4d08a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms/fixtures/by-key/remove-text-by-key/inline-last-character/output.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+
+nodes:
+  - kind: block
+    type: paragraph
+    nodes:
+      - kind: text
+        text: ""