diff --git a/scribus/tests/testStoryText.cpp b/scribus/tests/testStoryText.cpp
index a6ede8bf5..b8ec351cf 100644
--- a/scribus/tests/testStoryText.cpp
+++ b/scribus/tests/testStoryText.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ void TestStoryText::initST()
 {
 	StoryText story;
 	QCOMPARE(story.length(), 0);
-	story.insertChars(0, "Hallo Welt");
+	story.insertChars(0, QString("Hallo Welt"));
 	QCOMPARE(story.nrOfParagraphs(), 1u);
 	QCOMPARE(story.nrOfRuns(), 1u);
 }
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ void TestStoryText::addText()
 	story.insertChars(0, QString("Hallo Welt"));
 	QCOMPARE(story.length(), 10);
 	QCOMPARE(story.text(0, story.length()), QString("Hallo Welt"));
-	story.insertChars(5, " schöne neue");
+	story.insertChars(5, QString(" schöne neue"));
 	QCOMPARE(story.text(0, story.length()), QString("Hallo schöne neue Welt"));
 }
 
@@ -127,3 +127,23 @@ void TestStoryText::removeCharStyle()
 	QCOMPARE(story.startOfRun(2), 5  + 26 + 1);
 	QCOMPARE(story.endOfRun(2), 11 + 26);
 }
+
+void TestStoryText::preserveCharStyleInEmptyParagraph()
+{
+	CharStyle charStyle;
+	charStyle.setFontSize(240);
+
+	StoryText trailingParagraph;
+	trailingParagraph.insertChars(0, QString("Styled"));
+	trailingParagraph.applyCharStyle(0, trailingParagraph.length(), charStyle);
+	trailingParagraph.insertChars(trailingParagraph.length(), SpecialChars::PARSEP, true);
+	trailingParagraph.insertChars(trailingParagraph.length(), QString("Text"), true);
+	QCOMPARE(trailingParagraph.charStyle(trailingParagraph.length() - 1).fontSize(), 240.0);
+
+	StoryText emptyParagraph;
+	emptyParagraph.insertChars(0, QString("Before") + SpecialChars::PARSEP + SpecialChars::PARSEP + QString("After"));
+	emptyParagraph.applyCharStyle(0, emptyParagraph.length(), charStyle);
+	const int emptyParagraphPosition = emptyParagraph.indexOf(SpecialChars::PARSEP, 0) + 1;
+	emptyParagraph.insertChars(emptyParagraphPosition, QString("Text"), true);
+	QCOMPARE(emptyParagraph.charStyle(emptyParagraphPosition).fontSize(), 240.0);
+}
diff --git a/scribus/tests/testStoryText.h b/scribus/tests/testStoryText.h
index 655875237..4a2ba28e1 100644
--- a/scribus/tests/testStoryText.h
+++ b/scribus/tests/testStoryText.h
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@ private slots:
 	void removePars();
 	void applyCharStyle();
 	void removeCharStyle();
+	void preserveCharStyleInEmptyParagraph();
 };
diff --git a/scribus/text/storytext.cpp b/scribus/text/storytext.cpp
index d8281d5e0..6fa17dac4 100644
--- a/scribus/text/storytext.cpp
+++ b/scribus/text/storytext.cpp
@@ -689,6 +689,14 @@ void StoryText::insertChars(const QString& txt, bool applyNeighbourStyle) //, co
 	insertChars(d->cursorPosition, txt, applyNeighbourStyle);
 }
 
+const CharStyle& StoryText::charStyleForInsertion(int pos) const
+{
+	int referenceChar = qMax(0, qMin(pos, length() - 1));
+	if (isNotEmpty() && text(referenceChar) == SpecialChars::PARSEP)
+		return *item(referenceChar);
+	return charStyle(referenceChar);
+}
+
 void StoryText::insertChars(int pos, const QString& txt, bool applyNeighbourStyle) //, const CharStyle & charstyle)
 {
 	if (pos < 0)
@@ -705,8 +713,7 @@ void StoryText::insertChars(int pos, const QString& txt, bool applyNeighbourStyl
 	ScText clone;
 	if (applyNeighbourStyle)
 	{
-		int referenceChar = qMax(0, qMin(pos, length()-1));
-		clone.applyCharStyle(charStyle(referenceChar));
+		clone.applyCharStyle(charStyleForInsertion(pos));
 		clone.setEffects(ScStyle_Default);
 	}
 
@@ -748,8 +755,7 @@ void StoryText::insertCharsWithSoftHyphens(int pos, const QString& txt, bool app
 	ScText clone;
 	if (applyNeighbourStyle)
 	{
-		int referenceChar = qMax(0, qMin(pos, length() - 1));
-		clone.applyCharStyle(charStyle(referenceChar));
+		clone.applyCharStyle(charStyleForInsertion(pos));
 		clone.setEffects(ScStyle_Default);
 	}
 
diff --git a/scribus/text/storytext.h b/scribus/text/storytext.h
index 4f2fee40d..86ef5df67 100644
--- a/scribus/text/storytext.h
+++ b/scribus/text/storytext.h
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ private:
 
 	QString textWithSoftHyphens (int pos, uint len) const;
 	void    insertCharsWithSoftHyphens(int pos, const QString& txt, bool applyNeighbourStyle = false);
+	const CharStyle& charStyleForInsertion(int pos) const;
 	
 	/// mark these runs as invalid, ie. need itemize and shaping
 	void invalidate(int firstRun, int lastRun);