diff --git a/dirutil.py b/dirutil.py
index 1b76d2f..4e03ca3 100644
--- a/dirutil.py
+++ b/dirutil.py
@@ -80,22 +80,14 @@ def path_fields(path, name):
     # - regular, b block, c character, d directory, l symlink, p fifo
     # s socket, ? unknown
     perm = [' '] * 10
-    if stat.S_ISREG(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = '-'
-    elif stat.S_ISBLK(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 'b'
-    elif stat.S_ISCHR(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 'c'
-    elif stat.S_ISDIR(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 'd'
-    elif stat.S_ISLNK(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 'l'
-    elif stat.S_ISFIFO(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 'p'
-    elif stat.S_ISSOCK(info.st_mode):
-        perm[0] = 's'
-    else:
-        perm[0] = '?'
+    if stat.S_ISREG(info.st_mode): perm[0] = '-'
+    elif stat.S_ISBLK(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 'b'
+    elif stat.S_ISCHR(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 'c'
+    elif stat.S_ISDIR(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 'd'
+    elif stat.S_ISLNK(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 'l'
+    elif stat.S_ISFIFO(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 'p'
+    elif stat.S_ISSOCK(info.st_mode): perm[0] = 's'
+    else: perm[0] = '?'
 
     i = 1
     symbols = ('r', 'w', 'x')
diff --git a/method/__init__.py b/method/__init__.py
index cf9472b..3483dce 100644
--- a/method/__init__.py
+++ b/method/__init__.py
@@ -644,8 +644,8 @@ class WrapLine(Method):
 class WrapParagraph(Method):
     '''Wrap contiguous lines of text based on a predefined margin'''
     limit    = 80
-    valid_re = re.compile('^( *)([^ ].*)$')
-    empty_re = regex.whitespace
+    valid_re = re.compile('^()( *)([^ ].*)$')
+    empty_re = re.compile('^ ')
     def _execute(self, w, **vargs):
         limit = util.get_margin_limit(w, self.limit)
 
@@ -654,11 +654,14 @@ class WrapParagraph(Method):
         p1 = oldc = w.logical_cursor()
         cur_offset = 0
 
+        if self.empty_re.match(w.buffer.lines[p1.y]):
+            return
+
         m = self.valid_re.match(w.buffer.lines[p1.y])
         if not m:
             # the line was empty
             return
-        elif m.group(1):
+        elif not m.group(1) and m.group(2):
             # the line had leading whitespace
             return
 
@@ -666,7 +669,8 @@ class WrapParagraph(Method):
         # let's find the actual begining, and update p1 accordingly.
         i = p1.y
         if i > 1 and w.buffer.lines[i] and not w.buffer.lines[i].startswith(' '):
-            while i > 1 and w.buffer.lines[i - 1] and not w.buffer.lines[i - 1].startswith(' '):
+            while (i > 1 and w.buffer.lines[i - 1] and
+                   not self.empty_re.match(w.buffer.lines[i - 1])):
                 i -= 1
         p1 = Point(0, i)
 
@@ -679,7 +683,8 @@ class WrapParagraph(Method):
 
         # ok, so now let's move forward and find the end of the paragraph.
         i = p1.y + 1
-        while i < len(w.buffer.lines) and w.buffer.lines[i] and not w.buffer.lines[i].startswith(' '):
+        while (i < len(w.buffer.lines) and w.buffer.lines[i] and
+               not self.empty_re.match(w.buffer.lines[i])):
             s1 = w.buffer.lines[i]
             s2 = s1.rstrip()
             if oldc.y == i:
@@ -697,8 +702,6 @@ class WrapParagraph(Method):
         # stringify our paragraph
         s = " ".join(lines)
 
-        #raise Exception, '%r %r' % (limit, s)
-
         # ok, so now we need to find the line breaks
         newlines = []
         while s:
@@ -727,8 +730,6 @@ class WrapParagraph(Method):
             y += 1
             k += 1
 
-        #assert len(newlines), 'fooga: %r %r' % (limit, s)
-
         # kill the old paragraph region, insert the new, and goto the new cursor
         w.delete(p1, Point(len(w.buffer.lines[i-1]), i-1))
         w.insert_lines(p1, newlines)
diff --git a/mode/mutt.py b/mode/mutt.py
index 879ac83..45a1f97 100644
--- a/mode/mutt.py
+++ b/mode/mutt.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ class MuttGrammar(Grammar):
 
 class MuttWrapParagraph(WrapParagraph):
     limit    = 72
-    empty_re = re.compile('^(?: *>.*| *)$')
+    valid_re = re.compile('^((?:>[> ]*)?)( *)([^> ].*)$')
+    empty_re = re.compile('^[> ]*$')
 class MuttInsertSpace(TextInsertSpace):
     wrapper = MuttWrapParagraph