diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer.go b/cmd/micro/buffer.go
index 0a044341..8fa620f0 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type Buffer struct {
 	// Provide efficient and easy access to text and lines so the rope String does not
 	// need to be constantly recalculated
 	// These variables are updated in the update() function
+	Text     string
 	Lines    []string
 	NumLines int
 
@@ -61,16 +62,17 @@ func (b *Buffer) UpdateRules() {
 }
 
 func (b *Buffer) String() string {
-	text := ""
-	if b.r.Len() != 0 {
-		text = b.r.String()
-	}
-	return text
+	return b.Text
 }
 
 // Update fetches the string from the rope and updates the `text` and `lines` in the buffer
 func (b *Buffer) Update() {
-	b.Lines = strings.Split(b.String(), "\n")
+	if b.r.Len() != 0 {
+		b.Text = b.r.String()
+	} else {
+		b.Text = ""
+	}
+	b.Lines = strings.Split(b.Text, "\n")
 	b.NumLines = len(b.Lines)
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ func (b *Buffer) Remove(start, end int) string {
 	if end > b.Len() {
 		end = b.Len()
 	}
-	removed := b.r.Report(start+1, end-start)
+	removed := b.Text[start:end]
 	// The rope implenentation I am using wants indicies starting at 1 instead of 0
 	start++
 	end++
diff --git a/cmd/micro/command.go b/cmd/micro/command.go
index 1e41a7b2..e5565a37 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/command.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/command.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func HandleCommand(input string, view *View) {
 
 		found := false
 		for {
-			match := regex.FindStringIndex(view.Buf.String())
+			match := regex.FindStringIndex(view.Buf.Text)
 			if match == nil {
 				break
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/cursor.go b/cmd/micro/cursor.go
index e48abb7f..bba0f2ff 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/cursor.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/cursor.go
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ func (c *Cursor) DeleteSelection() {
 // GetSelection returns the cursor's selection
 func (c *Cursor) GetSelection() string {
 	if c.curSelection[0] > c.curSelection[1] {
-		return c.v.Buf.r.Report(c.curSelection[1]+1, c.curSelection[0]-c.curSelection[1])
+		return string([]rune(c.v.Buf.Text)[c.curSelection[1]:c.curSelection[0]])
 	}
-	return c.v.Buf.r.Report(c.curSelection[0]+1, c.curSelection[1]-c.curSelection[0])
+	return string([]rune(c.v.Buf.Text)[c.curSelection[0]:c.curSelection[1]])
 }
 
 // SelectLine selects the current line
diff --git a/cmd/micro/search.go b/cmd/micro/search.go
index 4253a316..041718ac 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/search.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/search.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func Search(searchStr string, v *View, down bool) {
 	}
 	var str string
 	var charPos int
-	text := v.Buf.String()
+	text := v.Buf.Text
 	if down {
 		str = text[searchStart:]
 		charPos = searchStart