diff --git a/lib/models/node.js b/lib/models/node.js
index b6b6cc7ca..2d27144eb 100644
--- a/lib/models/node.js
+++ b/lib/models/node.js
@@ -459,8 +459,6 @@ const Node = {
 
   getInlinesAtRange(range) {
     range = range.normalize(this)
-    if (range.isUnset) return Inline.createList()
-
     return this
       .getTextsAtRange(range)
       .map(text => this.getClosestInline(text))
@@ -479,9 +477,6 @@ const Node = {
     const { startKey, startOffset } = range
     const marks = Mark.createSet()
 
-    // If the range isn't set, return an empty set.
-    if (range.isUnset) return marks
-
     // If the range is collapsed at the start of the node, check the previous.
     if (range.isCollapsed && startOffset == 0) {
       const text = this.getDescendant(startKey)
@@ -723,10 +718,6 @@ const Node = {
 
   getTextsAtRange(range) {
     range = range.normalize(this)
-
-    // If the selection is unset, return an empty list.
-    if (range.isUnset) return Block.createList()
-
     const { startKey, endKey } = range
     const texts = this.getTextNodes()
     const startText = this.getDescendant(startKey)
diff --git a/lib/models/selection.js b/lib/models/selection.js
index 12a6c9fb3..3eeff3dc9 100644
--- a/lib/models/selection.js
+++ b/lib/models/selection.js
@@ -85,16 +85,6 @@ class Selection extends new Record(DEFAULTS) {
     return !this.isCollapsed
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Get whether the range's anchor of focus keys are not set yet.
-   *
-   * @return {Boolean} isUnset
-   */
-
-  get isUnset() {
-    return this.anchorKey == null || this.focusKey == null
-  }
-
   /**
    * Get whether the selection is forward.
    *
@@ -282,12 +272,25 @@ class Selection extends new Record(DEFAULTS) {
     const { isCollapsed } = selection
     let { anchorKey, anchorOffset, focusKey, focusOffset, isBackward } = selection
 
-    // If the selection isn't formed yet, abort.
-    if (this.isUnset) return this
+    // If the selection isn't formed yet or is malformed, set it to the
+    // beginning of the node.
+    if (
+      anchorKey == null ||
+      focusKey == null ||
+      !node.hasDescendant(anchorKey) ||
+      !node.hasDescendant(focusKey)
+    ) {
+      const first = node.getTextNodes().first()
+      return selection.merge({
+        anchorKey: first.key,
+        anchorOffset: 0,
+        focusKey: first.key,
+        focusOffset: 0,
+        isBackward: false
+      })
+    }
 
-    // Asset that the anchor and focus nodes exist in the node tree.
-    node.assertHasDescendant(anchorKey)
-    node.assertHasDescendant(focusKey)
+    // Get the anchor and focus nodes.
     let anchorNode = node.getDescendant(anchorKey)
     let focusNode = node.getDescendant(focusKey)
 
diff --git a/lib/models/state.js b/lib/models/state.js
index 1376e1d40..f4a073b59 100644
--- a/lib/models/state.js
+++ b/lib/models/state.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ 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)
+    properties.selection = Selection.create(properties.selection).normalize(properties.document)
     return new State(properties)
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/models/transforms.js b/lib/models/transforms.js
index b3778f4a8..ec1e988fe 100644
--- a/lib/models/transforms.js
+++ b/lib/models/transforms.js
@@ -779,8 +779,8 @@ const Transforms = {
     data = Data.create(data)
     let node = this
 
-    // If collapsed or unset, there's nothing to wrap.
-    if (range.isCollapsed || range.isUnset) return node
+    // If collapsed, there's nothing to wrap.
+    if (range.isCollapsed) return node
 
     // Split at the start of the range.
     const start = range.collapseToStart()