diff --git a/src/components/NewNote.vue b/src/components/NewNote.vue
index 96bc77a..b05a1d0 100644
--- a/src/components/NewNote.vue
+++ b/src/components/NewNote.vue
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
             ...mapState(useNotesStore, [
                 "notes",
                 "currentNotePath",
+                "createNoteMode",
             ]),
 
             currentNoteDirectory() {
@@ -78,12 +79,17 @@
                     "name-input": true,
                     "error": this.errors.name,
                 }
-            }
+            },
+
+            dialogTitle() {
+                return this.createNoteMode === "currentBlock" ? "New Note from Block" : "New Note"
+            },
         },
 
         methods: {
             ...mapActions(useNotesStore, [
                 "updateNotes",
+                "createNewNote",
                 "createNewNoteFromActiveBlock",
             ]),
 
@@ -141,7 +147,14 @@
                     return
                 }
                 console.log("Creating note", path)
-                this.createNewNoteFromActiveBlock(path, this.name)
+                if (this.createNoteMode === "currentBlock") {
+                    this.createNewNoteFromActiveBlock(path, this.name)
+                } else if (this.createNoteMode === "new") {
+                    this.createNewNote(path, this.name)
+                } else {
+                    throw new Error("Unknown createNoteMode: " + this.createNoteMode)
+                }
+
                 this.$emit("close")
                 //this.$emit("create", this.$refs.input.value)
             },
@@ -153,7 +166,7 @@
     <div class="fader" @keydown="onKeydown" tabindex="-1">
         <form class="new-note" tabindex="-1" @focusout="onFocusOut" ref="container" @submit.prevent="submit">
             <div class="container">
-                <h1>New Note from Block</h1>
+                <h1>{{ dialogTitle }}</h1>
                 <input 
                     placeholder="Name"
                     type="text" 
diff --git a/src/editor/editor.js b/src/editor/editor.js
index 0199c14..10a6d2b 100644
--- a/src/editor/editor.js
+++ b/src/editor/editor.js
@@ -273,8 +273,20 @@ export class HeynoteEditor {
         this.notesStore.openNoteSelector()
     }
 
-    openCreateNote() {
-        this.notesStore.openCreateNote(this)
+    openCreateNote(createMode) {
+        this.notesStore.openCreateNote(createMode)
+    }
+
+    async createNewNote(path, name) {
+        const data = getBlockDelimiter(this.defaultBlockToken, this.defaultBlockAutoDetect)
+        await this.notesStore.saveNewNote(path, name, data)
+
+        // by using requestAnimationFrame we avoid a race condition where rendering the block backgrounds
+        // would fail if we immediately opened the new note (since the block UI wouldn't have time to update 
+        // after the block was deleted)
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            this.notesStore.openNote(path)
+        })
     }
 
     async createNewNoteFromActiveBlock(path, name) {
diff --git a/src/editor/keymap.js b/src/editor/keymap.js
index 9b077b1..eb7a229 100644
--- a/src/editor/keymap.js
+++ b/src/editor/keymap.js
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ export function heynoteKeymap(editor) {
         ["Alt-ArrowDown", moveLineDown],
         ["Mod-l", () => editor.openLanguageSelector()],
         ["Mod-p", () => editor.openNoteSelector()],
-        ["Mod-s", () => editor.openCreateNote()],
+        ["Mod-s", () => editor.openCreateNote("currentBlock")],
+        ["Mod-n", () => editor.openCreateNote("new")],
         ["Mod-Shift-d", deleteBlock(editor)],
         ["Alt-Shift-f", formatBlockContent],
         ["Mod-Alt-ArrowDown", newCursorBelow],
diff --git a/src/stores/notes-store.js b/src/stores/notes-store.js
index 5f815d8..4f46437 100644
--- a/src/stores/notes-store.js
+++ b/src/stores/notes-store.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export const useNotesStore = defineStore("notes", {
         currentCursorLine: null,
         currentSelectionSize: null,
         libraryId: 0,
+        createNoteMode: "new",
 
         showNoteSelector: false,
         showLanguageSelector: false,
@@ -51,8 +52,10 @@ export const useNotesStore = defineStore("notes", {
             this.closeDialog()
             this.showNoteSelector = true
         },
-        openCreateNote() {
+        openCreateNote(createMode) {
+            createMode = createMode || "new"
             this.closeDialog()
+            this.createNoteMode = createMode
             this.showCreateNote = true
         },
         closeDialog() {
@@ -75,12 +78,20 @@ export const useNotesStore = defineStore("notes", {
         },
 
         /**
-         * Create a new note file at `path` with name `name` from the current block of the current open editor
+         * Create a new note file at `path` with name `name` from the current block of the current open editor, 
+         * and switch to it
          */
         async createNewNoteFromActiveBlock(path, name) {
             await toRaw(this.currentEditor).createNewNoteFromActiveBlock(path, name)
         },
 
+        /**
+         * Create a new empty note file at `path` with name `name`, and switch to it
+         */
+        async createNewNote(path, name) {
+            await toRaw(this.currentEditor).createNewNote(path, name)
+        },
+
         /**
          * Create a new note file at path, with name `name`, and content content
          * @param {*} path: File path relative to Heynote root 
diff --git a/tests/buffer-creation.spec.js b/tests/buffer-creation.spec.js
index a42705c..61b94b6 100644
--- a/tests/buffer-creation.spec.js
+++ b/tests/buffer-creation.spec.js
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ test("create new buffer from block", async ({page}) => {
     const defaultBuffer = NoteFormat.load(await heynotePage.getStoredBuffer("scratch.txt"))
     const newBuffer = NoteFormat.load(await heynotePage.getStoredBuffer("my-new-buffer.txt"))
 
-
     expect(defaultBuffer.content).toBe(`
 ∞∞∞text
 Block A
@@ -67,3 +66,32 @@ Block C
 New buffer content`)
 
 })
+
+
+test("create new empty note", async ({page}) => {
+    await page.locator("body").press("Enter")
+    await page.locator("body").press("Backspace")
+    await page.locator("body").press(heynotePage.agnosticKey("Mod+N"))
+    await page.locator("body").pressSequentially("New Empty Buffer")
+    await page.locator("body").press("Enter")
+    await page.waitForTimeout(AUTO_SAVE_INTERVAL + 50);
+
+    const buffers = Object.keys(await heynotePage.getStoredBufferList())
+    expect(buffers).toContain("scratch.txt")
+    expect(buffers).toContain("new-empty-buffer.txt")
+
+    const defaultBuffer = NoteFormat.load(await heynotePage.getStoredBuffer("scratch.txt"))
+    const newBuffer = NoteFormat.load(await heynotePage.getStoredBuffer("new-empty-buffer.txt"))
+
+    expect(defaultBuffer.content).toBe(`
+∞∞∞text
+Block A
+∞∞∞text
+Block B
+∞∞∞text
+Block C`)
+
+    expect(newBuffer.content).toBe(`
+∞∞∞text-a
+`)
+})