diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index 69d25e5b..6139819f 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -560,20 +560,33 @@ static bool cmd_cut(EditorState *e, const CommandArgs *a)
 {
     BUG_ON(a->nr_args);
     View *view = e->view;
-    const long x = view_get_preferred_x(view);
+    long preferred_x = view_get_preferred_x(view);
+    size_t size;
+    bool line_copy;
+
     if (view->selection) {
-        bool is_lines = view->selection == SELECT_LINES;
-        cut(&e->clipboard, view, prepare_selection(view), is_lines);
-        if (view->selection == SELECT_LINES) {
-            move_to_preferred_x(view, x);
-        }
+        line_copy = (view->selection == SELECT_LINES);
+        size = prepare_selection(view);
         unselect(view);
     } else {
+        line_copy = true;
         block_iter_bol(&view->cursor);
         BlockIter tmp = view->cursor;
-        cut(&e->clipboard, view, block_iter_eat_line(&tmp), true);
-        move_to_preferred_x(view, x);
+        size = block_iter_eat_line(&tmp);
     }
+
+    if (size == 0) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    char *buf = block_iter_get_bytes(&view->cursor, size);
+    record_copy(&e->clipboard, buf, size, line_copy);
+    buffer_delete_bytes(view, size);
+
+    if (line_copy) {
+        move_to_preferred_x(view, preferred_x);
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/copy.c b/src/copy.c
index 69f81d71..b8644a81 100644
--- a/src/copy.c
+++ b/src/copy.c
@@ -1,29 +1,9 @@
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "copy.h"
 #include "block-iter.h"
 #include "change.h"
 #include "insert.h"
 #include "move.h"
 #include "selection.h"
-#include "util/debug.h"
-
-void record_copy(Clipboard *clip, char *buf, size_t len, bool is_lines)
-{
-    BUG_ON(len && !buf);
-    free(clip->buf);
-    clip->buf = buf;
-    clip->len = len;
-    clip->is_lines = is_lines;
-}
-
-void cut(Clipboard *clip, View *view, size_t len, bool is_lines)
-{
-    if (len) {
-        char *buf = block_iter_get_bytes(&view->cursor, len);
-        record_copy(clip, buf, len, is_lines);
-        buffer_delete_bytes(view, len);
-    }
-}
 
 void paste(Clipboard *clip, View *view, PasteLinesType type, bool move_after)
 {
diff --git a/src/copy.h b/src/copy.h
index 2a37f6a1..72bda2be 100644
--- a/src/copy.h
+++ b/src/copy.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "util/debug.h"
 #include "util/macros.h"
 #include "view.h"
 
@@ -18,8 +20,15 @@ typedef enum {
     PASTE_LINES_INLINE,
 } PasteLinesType;
 
-void record_copy(Clipboard *clip, char *buf, size_t len, bool is_lines);
-void cut(Clipboard *clip, View *view, size_t len, bool is_lines);
+static inline void record_copy(Clipboard *clip, char *buf, size_t len, bool is_lines)
+{
+    BUG_ON(len && !buf);
+    free(clip->buf);
+    clip->buf = buf; // Takes ownership
+    clip->len = len;
+    clip->is_lines = is_lines;
+}
+
 void paste(Clipboard *clip, View *view, PasteLinesType type, bool move_after);
 
 #endif