diff --git a/lib/ace/document.js b/lib/ace/document.js
index a60ed0e9..0fb91209 100644
--- a/lib/ace/document.js
+++ b/lib/ace/document.js
@@ -231,15 +231,15 @@ var Document = function(text) {
     **/
     this.getTextRange = function(range) {
         if (range.start.row == range.end.row) {
-            return this.$lines[range.start.row].substring(range.start.column,
-                                                         range.end.column);
-        }
-        else {
-            var lines = this.getLines(range.start.row+1, range.end.row-1);
-            lines.unshift((this.$lines[range.start.row] || "").substring(range.start.column));
-            lines.push((this.$lines[range.end.row] || "").substring(0, range.end.column));
-            return lines.join(this.getNewLineCharacter());
+            return this.$lines[range.start.row]
+                .substring(range.start.column, range.end.column);
         }
+        var lines = this.getLines(range.start.row, range.end.row);
+        lines[0] = (lines[0] || "").substring(range.start.column);
+        var l = lines.length - 1;
+        if (range.end.row - range.start.row == l)
+            lines[l] = lines[l].substring(0, range.end.column);
+        return lines.join(this.getNewLineCharacter());
     };
 
     this.$clipPosition = function(position) {