diff --git a/libaegisub/common/character_count.cpp b/libaegisub/common/character_count.cpp
index 9a776e551..285ae1433 100644
--- a/libaegisub/common/character_count.cpp
+++ b/libaegisub/common/character_count.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ int ignore_mask_to_icu_mask(int mask) {
 namespace agi {
 size_t CharacterCount(std::string::const_iterator begin, std::string::const_iterator end, int mask) {
 	mask = ignore_mask_to_icu_mask(mask);
+	if ((mask & agi::IGNORE_BLOCKS) == 0)
+		return count_in_range(begin, end, mask);
+
 	size_t characters = 0;
 	auto pos = begin;
 	do {
diff --git a/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/character_count.h b/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/character_count.h
index c45ab81a3..511f52d91 100644
--- a/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/character_count.h
+++ b/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/character_count.h
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ namespace agi {
 	enum {
 		IGNORE_NONE = 0,
 		IGNORE_WHITESPACE = 1,
-		IGNORE_PUNCTUATION = 2
+		IGNORE_PUNCTUATION = 2,
+		IGNORE_BLOCKS = 4
 	};
 
 	/// Get the length in characters of the longest line in the given text
diff --git a/src/grid_column.cpp b/src/grid_column.cpp
index 67c1866bc..f12f42048 100644
--- a/src/grid_column.cpp
+++ b/src/grid_column.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ public:
 		if (duration <= 100 || text.size() > static_cast<size_t>(duration))
 			return -1;
 
-		int ignore = agi::IGNORE_NONE;
+		int ignore = agi::IGNORE_BLOCKS;
 		if (ignore_whitespace->GetBool())
 			ignore |= agi::IGNORE_WHITESPACE;
 		if (ignore_punctuation->GetBool())
diff --git a/src/subs_edit_box.cpp b/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
index 6bde5d8de..3e06730e9 100644
--- a/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
+++ b/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ void SubsEditBox::CallCommand(const char *cmd_name) {
 }
 
 void SubsEditBox::UpdateCharacterCount(std::string const& text) {
-	int ignore = agi::IGNORE_NONE;
+	int ignore = agi::IGNORE_BLOCKS;
 	if (OPT_GET("Subtitle/Character Counter/Ignore Whitespace")->GetBool())
 		ignore |= agi::IGNORE_WHITESPACE;
 	if (OPT_GET("Subtitle/Character Counter/Ignore Punctuation")->GetBool())