diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/to-dom.js b/packages/rich-text/src/to-dom.js
index 1c34d8680dd2b3..c811bbc6180595 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/to-dom.js
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/to-dom.js
@@ -226,21 +226,17 @@ export function apply( {
 
 export function applyValue( future, current ) {
 	let i = 0;
+	let futureChild;
 
-	while ( future.firstChild ) {
+	while ( ( futureChild = future.firstChild ) ) {
 		const currentChild = current.childNodes[ i ];
-		const futureNodeType = future.firstChild.nodeType;
 
 		if ( ! currentChild ) {
-			current.appendChild( future.firstChild );
-		} else if (
-			futureNodeType !== currentChild.nodeType ||
-			futureNodeType !== TEXT_NODE ||
-			future.firstChild.nodeValue !== currentChild.nodeValue
-		) {
-			current.replaceChild( future.firstChild, currentChild );
+			current.appendChild( futureChild );
+		} else if ( ! currentChild.isEqualNode( futureChild ) ) {
+			current.replaceChild( futureChild, currentChild );
 		} else {
-			future.removeChild( future.firstChild );
+			future.removeChild( futureChild );
 		}
 
 		i++;
@@ -251,6 +247,25 @@ export function applyValue( future, current ) {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns true if two ranges are equal, or false otherwise. Ranges are
+ * considered equal if their start and end occur in the same container and
+ * offset.
+ *
+ * @param {Range} a First range object to test.
+ * @param {Range} b First range object to test.
+ *
+ * @return {boolean} Whether the two ranges are equal.
+ */
+function isRangeEqual( a, b ) {
+	return (
+		a.startContainer === b.startContainer &&
+		a.startOffset === b.startOffset &&
+		a.endContainer === b.endContainer &&
+		a.endOffset === b.endOffset
+	);
+}
+
 export function applySelection( selection, current ) {
 	const { node: startContainer, offset: startOffset } = getNodeByPath( current, selection.startPath );
 	const { node: endContainer, offset: endOffset } = getNodeByPath( current, selection.endPath );
@@ -283,6 +298,15 @@ export function applySelection( selection, current ) {
 		range.setEnd( endContainer, endOffset );
 	}
 
-	windowSelection.removeAllRanges();
+	if ( windowSelection.rangeCount > 0 ) {
+		// If the to be added range and the live range are the same, there's no
+		// need to remove the live range and add the equivalent range.
+		if ( isRangeEqual( range, windowSelection.getRangeAt( 0 ) ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		windowSelection.removeAllRanges();
+	}
+
 	windowSelection.addRange( range );
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/__snapshots__/rich-text.test.js.snap b/test/e2e/specs/__snapshots__/rich-text.test.js.snap
index e911f407edd680..275080b436f2da 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/__snapshots__/rich-text.test.js.snap
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/__snapshots__/rich-text.test.js.snap
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ exports[`RichText should handle change in tag name gracefully 1`] = `
 <!-- /wp:heading -->"
 `;
 
+exports[`RichText should only mutate text data on input 1`] = `
+"<!-- wp:paragraph -->
+<p>1<strong>2</strong>34</p>
+<!-- /wp:paragraph -->"
+`;
+
 exports[`RichText should transform backtick to code 1`] = `
 "<!-- wp:paragraph -->
 <p>A <code>backtick</code></p>
diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/rich-text.test.js b/test/e2e/specs/rich-text.test.js
index dca248c8289314..2f1012766444fd 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/rich-text.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/rich-text.test.js
@@ -67,4 +67,75 @@ describe( 'RichText', () => {
 
 		expect( await getEditedPostContent() ).toMatchSnapshot();
 	} );
+
+	it( 'should only mutate text data on input', async () => {
+		await clickBlockAppender();
+		await page.keyboard.type( '1' );
+		await pressWithModifier( 'primary', 'b' );
+		await page.keyboard.type( '2' );
+		await pressWithModifier( 'primary', 'b' );
+		await page.keyboard.type( '3' );
+
+		await page.evaluate( () => {
+			let called;
+			const { body } = document;
+			const config = {
+				attributes: true,
+				childList: true,
+				characterData: true,
+				subtree: true,
+			};
+
+			const mutationObserver = new MutationObserver( ( records ) => {
+				if ( called || records.length > 1 ) {
+					throw new Error( 'Typing should only mutate once.' );
+				}
+
+				records.forEach( ( record ) => {
+					if ( record.type !== 'characterData' ) {
+						throw new Error(
+							`Typing mutated more than character data: ${ record.type }`
+						);
+					}
+				} );
+
+				called = true;
+			} );
+
+			mutationObserver.observe( body, config );
+
+			window.unsubscribes = [ () => mutationObserver.disconnect() ];
+
+			document.addEventListener( 'selectionchange', () => {
+				function throwMultipleSelectionChange() {
+					throw new Error( 'Typing should only emit one selection change event.' );
+				}
+
+				document.addEventListener(
+					'selectionchange',
+					throwMultipleSelectionChange,
+					{ once: true }
+				);
+
+				window.unsubscribes.push( () => {
+					document.removeEventListener( 'selectionchange', throwMultipleSelectionChange );
+				} );
+			}, { once: true } );
+		} );
+
+		await page.keyboard.type( '4' );
+
+		await page.evaluate( () => {
+			// The selection change event should be called once. If there's only
+			// one item in `window.unsubscribes`, it means that only one
+			// function is present to disconnect the `mutationObserver`.
+			if ( window.unsubscribes.length === 1 ) {
+				throw new Error( 'The selection change event listener was never called.' );
+			}
+
+			window.unsubscribes.forEach( ( unsubscribe ) => unsubscribe() );
+		} );
+
+		expect( await getEditedPostContent() ).toMatchSnapshot();
+	} );
 } );