diff --git a/src/exec/context.rs b/src/exec/context.rs
index 6101047e1..987f9f7f0 100644
--- a/src/exec/context.rs
+++ b/src/exec/context.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ use crate::geom::{Align, Dir, Gen, GenAxis, Length, Linear, Sides, Size};
 use crate::layout::{
     AnyNode, PadNode, PageRun, ParChild, ParNode, StackChild, StackNode, TextNode, Tree,
 };
-use crate::parse::{is_newline, Scanner};
 use crate::syntax::Span;
 
 /// The context for execution.
@@ -73,28 +72,14 @@ impl<'a> ExecContext<'a> {
 
     /// Push a word space into the active paragraph.
     pub fn push_word_space(&mut self) {
-        let em = self.state.font.resolve_size();
-        let amount = self.state.par.word_spacing.resolve(em);
-        self.stack.par.push_soft(ParChild::Spacing(amount));
+        self.stack.par.push_soft(self.make_text_node(" "));
     }
 
     /// Push text into the active paragraph.
     ///
     /// The text is split into lines at newlines.
-    pub fn push_text(&mut self, text: &str) {
-        let mut scanner = Scanner::new(text);
-        let mut text = String::new();
-
-        while let Some(c) = scanner.eat_merging_crlf() {
-            if is_newline(c) {
-                self.stack.par.push_text(mem::take(&mut text), &self.state);
-                self.linebreak();
-            } else {
-                text.push(c);
-            }
-        }
-
-        self.stack.par.push_text(text, &self.state);
+    pub fn push_text(&mut self, text: impl Into<String>) {
+        self.stack.par.push(self.make_text_node(text));
     }
 
     /// Push spacing into paragraph or stack depending on `axis`.
@@ -112,7 +97,7 @@ impl<'a> ExecContext<'a> {
 
     /// Apply a forced line break.
     pub fn linebreak(&mut self) {
-        self.stack.par.push_hard(ParChild::Linebreak);
+        self.stack.par.push_hard(self.make_text_node("\n"));
     }
 
     /// Apply a forced paragraph break.
@@ -140,6 +125,12 @@ impl<'a> ExecContext<'a> {
         self.pagebreak(true, false, Span::default());
         Pass::new(self.tree, self.diags)
     }
+
+    fn make_text_node(&self, text: impl Into<String>) -> ParChild {
+        let align = self.state.aligns.cross;
+        let props = self.state.font.resolve_props();
+        ParChild::Text(TextNode { text: text.into(), props }, align)
+    }
 }
 
 struct PageBuilder {
@@ -231,24 +222,10 @@ impl ParBuilder {
     }
 
     fn push(&mut self, child: ParChild) {
-        self.children.extend(self.last.any());
-        self.children.push(child);
-    }
-
-    fn push_text(&mut self, text: String, state: &State) {
-        self.children.extend(self.last.any());
-
-        let align = state.aligns.cross;
-        let props = state.font.resolve_props();
-
-        if let Some(ParChild::Text(prev, prev_align)) = self.children.last_mut() {
-            if *prev_align == align && prev.props == props {
-                prev.text.push_str(&text);
-                return;
-            }
+        if let Some(soft) = self.last.any() {
+            self.push_inner(soft);
         }
-
-        self.children.push(ParChild::Text(TextNode { text, props }, align));
+        self.push_inner(child);
     }
 
     fn push_soft(&mut self, child: ParChild) {
@@ -257,6 +234,19 @@ impl ParBuilder {
 
     fn push_hard(&mut self, child: ParChild) {
         self.last.hard();
+        self.push_inner(child);
+    }
+
+    fn push_inner(&mut self, child: ParChild) {
+        if let ParChild::Text(curr, curr_align) = &child {
+            if let Some(ParChild::Text(prev, prev_align)) = self.children.last_mut() {
+                if prev_align == curr_align && prev.props == curr.props {
+                    prev.text.push_str(&curr.text);
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         self.children.push(child);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/exec/mod.rs b/src/exec/mod.rs
index 69a41beb0..b6765d1e6 100644
--- a/src/exec/mod.rs
+++ b/src/exec/mod.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ impl ExecWithMap for Tree {
 impl ExecWithMap for Node {
     fn exec_with_map(&self, ctx: &mut ExecContext, map: &NodeMap) {
         match self {
-            Node::Text(text) => ctx.push_text(text),
+            Node::Text(text) => ctx.push_text(text.clone()),
             Node::Space => ctx.push_word_space(),
             _ => map[&(self as *const _)].exec(ctx),
         }
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ impl Exec for Value {
     fn exec(&self, ctx: &mut ExecContext) {
         match self {
             Value::None => {}
-            Value::Int(v) => ctx.push_text(&pretty(v)),
-            Value::Float(v) => ctx.push_text(&pretty(v)),
-            Value::Str(v) => ctx.push_text(v),
+            Value::Int(v) => ctx.push_text(pretty(v)),
+            Value::Float(v) => ctx.push_text(pretty(v)),
+            Value::Str(v) => ctx.push_text(v.clone()),
             Value::Template(v) => v.exec(ctx),
             Value::Error => {}
             other => {
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ impl Exec for Value {
                 // the representation in monospace.
                 let prev = Rc::clone(&ctx.state.font.families);
                 ctx.set_monospace();
-                ctx.push_text(&pretty(other));
+                ctx.push_text(pretty(other));
                 ctx.state.font.families = prev;
             }
         }
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ impl Exec for TemplateNode {
     fn exec(&self, ctx: &mut ExecContext) {
         match self {
             Self::Tree { tree, map } => tree.exec_with_map(ctx, &map),
-            Self::Str(v) => ctx.push_text(v),
+            Self::Str(v) => ctx.push_text(v.clone()),
             Self::Func(v) => v.exec(ctx),
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/layout/par.rs b/src/layout/par.rs
index e0b428216..4077e74b3 100644
--- a/src/layout/par.rs
+++ b/src/layout/par.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub struct ParNode {
 }
 
 /// A child of a paragraph node.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum ParChild {
     /// Spacing between other nodes.
     Spacing(Length),
@@ -23,8 +23,18 @@ pub enum ParChild {
     Text(TextNode, Align),
     /// Any child node and how to align it in its line.
     Any(AnyNode, Align),
-    /// A forced linebreak.
-    Linebreak,
+}
+
+impl Debug for ParChild {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::Spacing(amount) => write!(f, "Spacing({:?})", amount),
+            Self::Text(node, align) => write!(f, "Text({:?}, {:?})", node.text, align),
+            Self::Any(any, align) => {
+                f.debug_tuple("Any").field(any).field(align).finish()
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// A consecutive, styled run of text.
@@ -38,7 +48,7 @@ pub struct TextNode {
 
 impl Debug for TextNode {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
-        write!(f, "Text({})", self.text)
+        write!(f, "Text({:?})", self.text)
     }
 }
 
@@ -57,7 +67,6 @@ impl Layout for ParNode {
                         layouter.push_frame(frame, align);
                     }
                 }
-                ParChild::Linebreak => layouter.finish_line(),
             }
         }
         layouter.finish()
diff --git a/src/library/markup.rs b/src/library/markup.rs
index ac2356a9c..0ace43b6f 100644
--- a/src/library/markup.rs
+++ b/src/library/markup.rs
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ pub fn raw(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut FuncArgs) -> Value {
 
         let snapshot = ctx.state.clone();
         ctx.set_monospace();
-        ctx.push_text(&text);
+        ctx.push_text(text.clone());
         ctx.state = snapshot;
 
         if block {