diff --git a/src/ops.c b/src/ops.c
index 3fefbc8..e66b4b5 100644
--- a/src/ops.c
+++ b/src/ops.c
@@ -2415,6 +2415,84 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * Get block text from "start" to "end"
+ */
+    void
+charwise_block_prep(
+    pos_T		start,
+    pos_T		end,
+    struct block_def	*bdp,
+    linenr_T		lnum,
+    int			inclusive)
+{
+    colnr_T startcol = 0, endcol = MAXCOL;
+    int	    is_oneChar = FALSE;
+    colnr_T cs, ce;
+    char_u *p;
+
+    p = ml_get(lnum);
+    bdp->startspaces = 0;
+    bdp->endspaces = 0;
+
+    if (lnum == start.lnum)
+    {
+	startcol = start.col;
+	if (virtual_op)
+	{
+	    getvcol(curwin, &start, &cs, NULL, &ce);
+	    if (ce != cs && start.coladd > 0)
+	    {
+		// Part of a tab selected -- but don't
+		// double-count it.
+		bdp->startspaces = (ce - cs + 1)
+		    - start.coladd;
+		if (bdp->startspaces < 0)
+		    bdp->startspaces = 0;
+		startcol++;
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+
+    if (lnum == end.lnum)
+    {
+	endcol = end.col;
+	if (virtual_op)
+	{
+	    getvcol(curwin, &end, &cs, NULL, &ce);
+	    if (p[endcol] == NUL || (cs + end.coladd < ce
+			// Don't add space for double-wide
+			// char; endcol will be on last byte
+			// of multi-byte char.
+			&& (*mb_head_off)(p, p + endcol) == 0))
+	    {
+		if (start.lnum == end.lnum
+			&& start.col == end.col)
+		{
+		    // Special case: inside a single char
+		    is_oneChar = TRUE;
+		    bdp->startspaces = end.coladd
+			- start.coladd + inclusive;
+		    endcol = startcol;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+		    bdp->endspaces = end.coladd
+			+ inclusive;
+		    endcol -= inclusive;
+		}
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+    if (endcol == MAXCOL)
+	endcol = (colnr_T)STRLEN(p);
+    if (startcol > endcol || is_oneChar)
+	bdp->textlen = 0;
+    else
+	bdp->textlen = endcol - startcol + inclusive;
+    bdp->textstart = p + startcol;
+}
+
+/*
  * Handle the add/subtract operator.
  */
     void