diff --git a/packages/slate/src/changes/at-range.js b/packages/slate/src/changes/at-range.js
index ca5e5bc11..b98c5e7c1 100644
--- a/packages/slate/src/changes/at-range.js
+++ b/packages/slate/src/changes/at-range.js
@@ -863,8 +863,8 @@ Changes.insertTextAtRange = (change, range, text, marks, options = {}) => {
   }
 
   // PERF: Unless specified, don't normalize if only inserting text.
-  if (normalize !== undefined) {
-    normalize = range.isExpanded
+  if (normalize === undefined) {
+    normalize = range.isExpanded && marks.size !== 0
   }
   change.insertTextByKey(key, offset, text, marks, { normalize: false })
 
@@ -877,7 +877,10 @@ Changes.insertTextAtRange = (change, range, text, marks, options = {}) => {
     const normalizeAncestor = ancestors.findLast(n =>
       change.value.document.getDescendant(n.key)
     )
-    change.normalizeNodeByKey(normalizeAncestor.key)
+    // it is possible that normalizeAncestor doesn't return any node
+    // on that case fallback to startKey to be normalized
+    const normalizeKey = normalizeAncestor ? normalizeAncestor.key : startKey
+    change.normalizeNodeByKey(normalizeKey)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/slate/test/changes/at-current-range/insert-text/expanded-with-mark.js b/packages/slate/test/changes/at-current-range/insert-text/expanded-with-mark.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25a25d2d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/slate/test/changes/at-current-range/insert-text/expanded-with-mark.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/** @jsx h */
+
+import h from '../../../helpers/h'
+
+/*
+ * This test makes sure a normalization happens on insertText on expandedRange
+ */
+
+export default function(change) {
+  change.insertText('a')
+  change.insertText('b')
+}
+
+export const input = (
+  <value>
+    <document>
+      <paragraph>
+        <b>
+          <anchor />lorem
+        </b>
+        ipsum
+      </paragraph>
+      <paragraph>
+        ipsum<focus />
+      </paragraph>
+    </document>
+  </value>
+)
+
+export const output = (
+  <value>
+    <document>
+      <paragraph>
+        <b>
+          ab<cursor />
+        </b>
+      </paragraph>
+    </document>
+  </value>
+)