So I created a mapping that deletes all single newlines from a selected area but keeps multiple ones. Here it is: vmap "+y:let @+ = substitute(@+, " *", "±", "g") \\|:let @+ = substitute(@+, " ", " ", "g") \\|:let @+ = substitute(@+, "±", "\ ", "g") \\|'< This is what it does: Copy the visual area into the selection register +, subsitute two and more newlines but a strange symbol hopefully not contained in the area (±), substitute single newlines by a blank and resubstitute the strange symbol by one newline, then go back to the beginning of the selected area.