diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index bd3ec241..78f77f2c 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 2007-xx-xx:
 	* version 0.6
 	* new gi browser command to focus last used input box
-	* edit TEXTAREAs with many vim commands in a vim and even visual mode
+	* edit TEXTAREAs with many vim commands in a vim and even visual mode if you :set noinsertmode
 	* support for emacs/bash-like ctrl-e/a/u/k/h keys in single line text fields
 	* support for * and # mappings to search for the text selection or the text under the cursor
 	* Escape finally clears any selection made in the document
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/events.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/events.js
index 0d9e67dc..b2aab836 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/events.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/events.js
@@ -388,7 +388,9 @@ function Events() //{{{
         }
         else if (elem && elem instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement)
         {
-            if (elem.selectionEnd - elem.selectionStart > 0)
+            if (vimperator.options["insertmode"])
+                vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.INSERT, vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA);
+            else if (elem.selectionEnd - elem.selectionStart > 0)
                 vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL, vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA);
             else
                 vimperator.editor.startNormal();
@@ -408,24 +410,17 @@ function Events() //{{{
         if (controller && controller.isCommandEnabled("cmd_copy"))
             could_copy = true;
 
-        var extended = vimperator.modes.NONE;
-        if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA))
-            extended = vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA;
-        else if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.CARET))
-            extended = vimperator.modes.CARET;
-
-        if (could_copy && !vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL) &&
-                          (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.NORMAL) ||
-                           vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA) ||
-                           vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.CARET)))
+        if (could_copy && !vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL))
         {
-            vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL, extended);
+            if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA) && !vimperator.options["insertmode"])
+                vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL, vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA);
+            else if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.CARET))
+                vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL, vimperator.modes.CARET);
         }
         else if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.VISUAL))
         {
-            if (!could_copy && !vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.CARET) &&
-                               !vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA))
-                vimperator.setMode(extended || vimperator.modes.NORMAL);
+            if (!could_copy && vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.CARET))
+                vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.CARET);
         }
     }
 
@@ -461,7 +456,7 @@ function Events() //{{{
             }
             else if (vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.INSERT))
             {
-                if(vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA))
+                if(vimperator.hasMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA) && !vimperator.options["insertmode"])
                     vimperator.setMode(vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA);
                 else
                 {
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/mappings.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/mappings.js
index 55b00d35..aa166c3b 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/mappings.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/mappings.js
@@ -1832,7 +1832,13 @@ function Mappings() //{{{
         { }
     ));
     addDefaultMap(new Map([vimperator.modes.INSERT, vimperator.modes.COMMAND_LINE], ["<C-u>"],
-        function() { vimperator.editor.executeCommand("cmd_deleteToBeginningOfLine", 1); },
+        function()
+        {
+            // broken in FF3, deletes the wohle line:
+            // vimperator.editor.executeCommand("cmd_deleteToBeginningOfLine", 1);
+            vimperator.editor.executeCommand("cmd_selectBeginLine", 1);
+            vimperator.editor.executeCommand("cmd_delete", 1);
+        },
         { }
     ));
     addDefaultMap(new Map([vimperator.modes.INSERT, vimperator.modes.COMMAND_LINE], ["<C-k>"],
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/options.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/options.js
index 1a39caf9..398bd0e7 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/options.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/options.js
@@ -452,6 +452,14 @@ function Options() //{{{
             default_value: true
         }
     ));
+    addOption(new Option(["insertmode", "im"], "boolean",
+        {
+            short_help: "Use Insert mode as the default for text areas",
+            help: "Makes Vimperator work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode for text areas. " +
+                  "Useful if you want to use Vimperator as a modeless editor, keeping the known Firefox interface for editing text areas.",
+            default_value: true
+        }
+    ));
     addOption(new Option(["maxhints", "mh"], "number",
         {
             short_help: "Maximum number of simultaneously shown hints",
diff --git a/vimperator.vim b/vimperator.vim
index 79794c43..766c26f8 100644
--- a/vimperator.vim
+++ b/vimperator.vim
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ syn match vimperatorCommandWrapper "\<\h\w*\>" contains=vimperatorCommand
 syn region vimperatorSet matchgroup=vimperatorCommand start="\<set\=\>" end="$" keepend oneline contains=vimperatorOption
 syn keyword vimperatorOption activate act complete cpt defsearch ds extendedhinttags eht focusedhintstyle fhs fullscreen fs
 	\ nofullscreen nofs guioptions go hintchars hc hintstyle hs hinttags incsearch is noincsearch nois ignorecase ic
-	\ noignorecase noic maxhints mh popups pps preload nopreload previewheight pvh showmode smd noshowmode nosmd showstatuslinks ssli
-	\ showtabline stal smartcase scs nosmartcase noscs titlestring usermode um nousermode noum verbose vbs visualbell vb
-	\ wildmode wim wildoptions wop
+	\ noignorecase noic insertmode im noinsertmode noim maxhints mh popups pps preload nopreload previewheight pvh showmode smd
+    \ noshowmode nosmd showstatuslinks ssli \ showtabline stal smartcase scs nosmartcase noscs titlestring usermode um nousermode noum
+    \ verbose vbs visualbell vb wildmode wim wildoptions wop
 	\ contained
 
 syn region vimperatorJavascript start="\%(^\s*\%(javascript\|js\)\s\+\)\@<=" end="$" contains=@javascriptTop keepend oneline