diff --git a/indigo_app/static/javascript/indigo/views/document_editor.js b/indigo_app/static/javascript/indigo/views/document_editor.js
index 32a955729..952a3bdd3 100644
--- a/indigo_app/static/javascript/indigo/views/document_editor.js
+++ b/indigo_app/static/javascript/indigo/views/document_editor.js
@@ -68,9 +68,13 @@
 
     setupTextEditor: function() {
       if (!this.textEditor) {
+        var opts = this.grammarModel.monacoOptions();
+        // hack to work around pasting not working in monaco >= 0.39
+        // see https://github.com/laws-africa/indigo/issues/2196
+        opts.pasteAs = {enabled: false};
         this.textEditor = window.monaco.editor.create(
           this.el.querySelector('.document-text-editor .monaco-editor'),
-          this.grammarModel.monacoOptions()
+          opts,
         );
         new ResizeObserver(() => { this.textEditor.layout(); }).observe(this.textEditor.getContainerDomNode());
         this.grammarModel.setupEditor(this.textEditor);