diff --git a/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.css b/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.css
index 82f8e5fba7262..5cbafc2629e39 100644
--- a/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.css
+++ b/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.css
@@ -385,4 +385,5 @@ div.mce-inline-toolbar-grp.block-toolbar > div.mce-stack-layout {
 	content: attr(data-wp-placeholder);
 	position: absolute;
 	opacity: 0.5;
+	pointer-events: none;
 }
diff --git a/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.js b/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.js
index 8badd89e3a1f5..a9ebcd2ab0b1d 100644
--- a/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.js
+++ b/tinymce-single/tinymce/block.js
@@ -207,12 +207,14 @@
 
 		editor.on( 'keyup', function( event ) {
 			if ( event.keyCode === tinymce.util.VK.BACKSPACE ) {
-				var $empty = editor.$( editor.selection.getNode() ).find( ':empty' );
+				var block = getSelectedBlock();
 
-				$empty.append( '<br>' );
+				if ( ! block.textContent ) {
+					var p = editor.$( '<p><br></p>' );
 
-				if ( $empty.length ) {
-					editor.selection.setCursorLocation( $empty[0], 0 );
+					editor.$( block ).before( p );
+					editor.selection.setCursorLocation( p[0], 0 );
+					editor.$( block ).remove();
 				}
 			}
 		} );