diff --git a/helix-core/src/commands.rs b/helix-core/src/commands.rs
index 2c420b6ec..3bebd7b46 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/commands.rs
@@ -62,10 +62,7 @@ pub fn append_mode(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
 
 // TODO: I, A, o and O can share a lot of the primitives.
 
-// I inserts at the start of each line with a selection
-pub fn prepend_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
-    state.mode = Mode::Insert;
-
+fn selection_lines(state: &State) -> Vec<usize> {
     // calculate line numbers for each selection range
     let mut lines = state
         .selection
@@ -77,22 +74,24 @@ pub fn prepend_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
     lines.sort();
     lines.dedup();
 
-    let positions: Vec<_> = lines
+    lines
+}
+
+// I inserts at the start of each line with a selection
+pub fn prepend_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
+    state.mode = Mode::Insert;
+
+    let lines = selection_lines(state);
+
+    let positions = lines
         .into_iter()
         .map(|index| {
             // adjust all positions to the start of the line.
             state.doc.line_to_char(index)
         })
-        .collect();
+        .map(|pos| Range::new(pos, pos));
 
-    let selection = Selection::new(
-        positions
-            .iter()
-            .copied()
-            .map(|pos| Range::new(pos, pos))
-            .collect(),
-        0,
-    );
+    let selection = Selection::new(positions.collect(), 0);
 
     let transaction = Transaction::new(state).with_selection(selection);
 
@@ -104,18 +103,9 @@ pub fn prepend_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
 pub fn append_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
     state.mode = Mode::Insert;
 
-    // calculate line numbers for each selection range
-    let mut lines = state
-        .selection
-        .ranges()
-        .iter()
-        .map(|range| state.doc.char_to_line(range.head))
-        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let lines = selection_lines(state);
 
-    lines.sort();
-    lines.dedup();
-
-    let positions: Vec<_> = lines
+    let positions = lines
         .into_iter()
         .map(|index| {
             // adjust all positions to the end of the line.
@@ -123,16 +113,9 @@ pub fn append_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
             let line_start = state.doc.line_to_char(index);
             line_start + line.len_chars() - 1
         })
-        .collect();
+        .map(|pos| Range::new(pos, pos));
 
-    let selection = Selection::new(
-        positions
-            .iter()
-            .copied()
-            .map(|pos| Range::new(pos, pos))
-            .collect(),
-        0,
-    );
+    let selection = Selection::new(positions.collect(), 0);
 
     let transaction = Transaction::new(state).with_selection(selection);
 
@@ -144,16 +127,7 @@ pub fn append_to_line(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
 pub fn open_below(state: &mut State, _count: usize) {
     state.mode = Mode::Insert;
 
-    // calculate line numbers for each selection range
-    let mut lines = state
-        .selection
-        .ranges()
-        .iter()
-        .map(|range| state.doc.char_to_line(range.head))
-        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-
-    lines.sort();
-    lines.dedup();
+    let lines = selection_lines(state);
 
     let positions: Vec<_> = lines
         .into_iter()