diff --git a/examples/splitjoin.lua b/examples/splitjoin.lua
index 963e799..f326d00 100644
--- a/examples/splitjoin.lua
+++ b/examples/splitjoin.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-local CodeWriter = require 'u.codewriter'
 local Range = require 'u.range'
 local vim_repeat = require 'u.repeat'
 
@@ -8,8 +7,27 @@ local M = {}
 --- @param left string
 --- @param right string
 local function split(bracket_range, left, right)
-  local code = CodeWriter.from_pos(bracket_range.start)
-  code:write_raw(left)
+  local bufnr = bracket_range.start.bufnr
+  local first_line = Range.from_line(bufnr, bracket_range.start.lnum):text()
+  local ws = first_line:match '^%s*'
+  local expandtab = vim.bo[bufnr].expandtab
+  local shiftwidth = vim.bo[bufnr].shiftwidth
+
+  local indent_str, base_indent
+  if expandtab then
+    indent_str = string.rep(' ', shiftwidth)
+    base_indent = math.floor(#ws / shiftwidth)
+  else
+    indent_str = '\t'
+    base_indent = #ws
+  end
+
+  local lines = {}
+  local function write(line, indent_offset)
+    table.insert(lines, indent_str:rep(base_indent + (indent_offset or 0)) .. line)
+  end
+
+  table.insert(lines, left)
 
   local curr = bracket_range.start:next()
   if curr == nil then return end
@@ -27,7 +45,7 @@ local function split(bracket_range, left, right)
       if vim.tbl_contains({ ',', ';' }, curr:char()) then
         -- accumulate item:
         local item = vim.trim(Range.new(last_start, curr):text())
-        if item ~= '' then code:indent():write(item) end
+        if item ~= '' then write(item, 1) end
 
         local next_last_start = curr:next()
         if next_last_start == nil then break end
@@ -45,11 +63,11 @@ local function split(bracket_range, left, right)
   local pos_before_right = bracket_range.stop:must_next(-1)
   if last_start < pos_before_right then
     local item = vim.trim(Range.new(last_start, pos_before_right):text())
-    if item ~= '' then code:indent():write(item) end
+    if item ~= '' then write(item, 1) end
   end
 
-  code:write(right)
-  bracket_range:replace(code.lines)
+  write(right)
+  bracket_range:replace(lines)
 end
 
 --- @param bracket_range u.Range
diff --git a/examples/surround.lua b/examples/surround.lua
index f825dd8..e73b952 100644
--- a/examples/surround.lua
+++ b/examples/surround.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-local CodeWriter = require 'u.codewriter'
 local Range = require 'u.range'
 local vim_repeat = require 'u.repeat'
 
@@ -20,47 +19,37 @@ local surrounds = {
   ['`'] = { left = '`', right = '`' },
 }
 
---- @type { left: string, right: string } | nil
+--- @type { left: string; right: string } | nil
 local CACHED_BOUNDS = nil
 
---- @return { left: string, right: string }|nil
+--- @return { left: string; right: string }|nil
 local function prompt_for_bounds()
-  if vim_repeat.is_repeating() then
-    -- If we are repeating, we don't want to prompt for bounds, because
-    -- we want to reuse the last bounds:
-    return CACHED_BOUNDS
-  end
+  if vim_repeat.is_repeating() then return CACHED_BOUNDS end
 
   local cn = vim.fn.getchar()
-  -- Check for non-printable characters:
   if type(cn) ~= 'number' or cn < 32 or cn > 126 then return end
   local c = vim.fn.nr2char(cn)
 
   if c == '<' then
-    -- Surround with a tag:
     vim.keymap.set('c', '>', '><CR>')
     local tag = '<' .. vim.fn.input '<'
     if tag == '<' then return end
     vim.keymap.del('c', '>')
     local endtag = '</' .. tag:sub(2):match '[^ >]*' .. '>'
-    -- selene: allow(global_usage)
     CACHED_BOUNDS = { left = tag, right = endtag }
     return CACHED_BOUNDS
   else
-    -- Default surround:
-    CACHED_BOUNDS = (surrounds)[c] or { left = c, right = c }
+    CACHED_BOUNDS = surrounds[c] or { left = c, right = c }
     return CACHED_BOUNDS
   end
 end
 
 --- @param range u.Range
---- @param bounds { left: string, right: string }
+--- @param bounds { left: string; right: string }
 local function do_surround(range, bounds)
   local left = bounds.left
   local right = bounds.right
   if range.mode == 'V' then
-    -- If we are surrounding multiple lines, we don't care about
-    -- space-padding:
     left = vim.trim(left)
     right = vim.trim(right)
   end
@@ -69,28 +58,34 @@ local function do_surround(range, bounds)
     range:replace(left .. range:text() .. right)
   elseif range.mode == 'V' then
     local bufnr = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
-    local cw = CodeWriter.from_line(range.start:line(), bufnr)
+    local first_line = Range.from_line(bufnr, range.start.lnum):text()
+    local ws = first_line:match '^%s*'
+    local expandtab = vim.bo[bufnr].expandtab
+    local shiftwidth = vim.bo[bufnr].shiftwidth
 
-    -- write the left bound at the current indent level:
-    cw:write(left)
+    local indent_str, base_indent
+    if expandtab then
+      indent_str = string.rep(' ', shiftwidth)
+      base_indent = math.floor(#ws / shiftwidth)
+    else
+      indent_str = '\t'
+      base_indent = #ws
+    end
 
-    local curr_ident_prefix = cw.indent_str:rep(cw.indent_level)
-    cw:indent(function(cw2)
-      for _, line in ipairs(range:lines()) do
-        -- trim the current indent prefix from the line:
-        if line:sub(1, #curr_ident_prefix) == curr_ident_prefix then
-          --
-          line = line:sub(#curr_ident_prefix + 1)
-        end
+    local lines = {}
+    local function write(line, indent_offset)
+      table.insert(lines, indent_str:rep(base_indent + (indent_offset or 0)) .. line)
+    end
 
-        cw2:write(line)
-      end
-    end)
+    write(left)
+    local indent_prefix = indent_str:rep(base_indent)
+    for _, line in ipairs(range:lines()) do
+      if line:sub(1, #indent_prefix) == indent_prefix then line = line:sub(#indent_prefix + 1) end
+      write(line, 1)
+    end
+    write(right)
 
-    -- write the right bound at the current indent level:
-    cw:write(right)
-
-    range:replace(cw.lines)
+    range:replace(lines)
   end
 
   range.start:save_to_pos '.'
@@ -193,6 +188,7 @@ function M.setup()
       local txt_obj = vim_repeat.is_repeating() and CACHED_DELETE_FROM or vim.fn.getcharstr()
       CACHED_DELETE_FROM = txt_obj
 
+      local bufnr = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
       local irange = Range.from_motion('i' .. txt_obj)
       local arange = Range.from_motion('a' .. txt_obj)
       if arange == nil or irange == nil then return end
diff --git a/lua/u/codewriter.lua b/lua/u/codewriter.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index d3362cb..0000000
--- a/lua/u/codewriter.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,77 +0,0 @@
---- @class u.CodeWriter
---- @field lines string[]
---- @field indent_level number
---- @field indent_str string
-local CodeWriter = {}
-CodeWriter.__index = CodeWriter
-
---- @param indent_level? number
---- @param indent_str? string
---- @return u.CodeWriter
-function CodeWriter.new(indent_level, indent_str)
-  if indent_level == nil then indent_level = 0 end
-  if indent_str == nil then indent_str = '  ' end
-
-  local cw = {
-    lines = {},
-    indent_level = indent_level,
-    indent_str = indent_str,
-  }
-  setmetatable(cw, CodeWriter)
-  return cw
-end
-
---- @param p u.Pos
-function CodeWriter.from_pos(p)
-  local Range = require 'u.range'
-  local line = Range.from_line(p.bufnr, p.lnum):text()
-  return CodeWriter.from_line(line, p.bufnr)
-end
-
---- @param line string
---- @param bufnr? number
-function CodeWriter.from_line(line, bufnr)
-  if bufnr == nil or bufnr == 0 then bufnr = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf() end
-
-  local ws = line:match '^%s*'
-  local expandtab = vim.api.nvim_get_option_value('expandtab', { buf = bufnr })
-  local shiftwidth = vim.api.nvim_get_option_value('shiftwidth', { buf = bufnr })
-
-  --- @type number
-  local indent_level
-  local indent_str = ''
-  if expandtab then
-    while #indent_str < shiftwidth do
-      indent_str = indent_str .. ' '
-    end
-    indent_level = #ws / shiftwidth
-  else
-    indent_str = '\t'
-    indent_level = #ws
-  end
-
-  return CodeWriter.new(indent_level, indent_str)
-end
-
---- @param line string
-function CodeWriter:write_raw(line)
-  if line:find '\n' then error 'line contains newline character' end
-  table.insert(self.lines, line)
-end
-
---- @param line string
-function CodeWriter:write(line) self:write_raw(self.indent_str:rep(self.indent_level) .. line) end
-
---- @param f? fun(cw: u.CodeWriter):any
-function CodeWriter:indent(f)
-  local cw = {
-    lines = self.lines,
-    indent_level = self.indent_level + 1,
-    indent_str = self.indent_str,
-  }
-  setmetatable(cw, { __index = CodeWriter })
-  if f ~= nil then f(cw) end
-  return cw
-end
-
-return CodeWriter
diff --git a/spec/codewriter_spec.lua b/spec/codewriter_spec.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index ddfc63a..0000000
--- a/spec/codewriter_spec.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
---- @diagnostic disable: undefined-field, need-check-nil, need-check-nil
-local CodeWriter = require 'u.codewriter'
-
-describe('CodeWriter', function()
-  it('should write with indentation', function()
-    local cw = CodeWriter.new()
-    cw:write '{'
-    cw:indent(function(cw2) cw2:write 'x: 123' end)
-    cw:write '}'
-
-    assert.are.same(cw.lines, { '{', '  x: 123', '}' })
-  end)
-
-  it('should keep relative indentation', function()
-    local cw = CodeWriter.new()
-    cw:write '{'
-    cw:indent(function(cw2)
-      cw2:write 'x: 123'
-      cw2:write '  y: 123'
-    end)
-    cw:write '}'
-
-    assert.are.same(cw.lines, {
-      '{',
-      '  x: 123',
-      '    y: 123',
-      '}',
-    })
-  end)
-end)