diff --git a/extensions/vi-mode/README.md b/extensions/vi-mode/README.md
index 9430de968..8e91b9560 100644
--- a/extensions/vi-mode/README.md
+++ b/extensions/vi-mode/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,27 @@ To enable, add the following code to `~/.lem/init.lisp`:
 (define-key lem-vi-mode:*insert-keymap* ")" 'paredit-close-parenthesis)
 ```
 
+## User Settings
+
+### vi-operator-surrounding-blanks
+
+This is an editor variable that allows capturing the surround blanks (Space/Tab) in operator pending mode (eg da", ya", va"))
+This currently only works for double quotes. This feature is not in vanilla vi/vim.
+
+```common-lisp To enable this variable:
+(setf (variable-value 'lem-vi-mode/text-objects:vi-operator-surrounding-blanks :global) t)
+```
+
+#### Example
+
+```
+"cursor inside these quotes"    "but not inside these"
+```
+Here va" will select inside < >:
+```
+<"cursor inside these quotes"    >"but not inside these"
+```
+
 ## Options
 
 Vi-mode options are global settings, similarly to Vim.
diff --git a/extensions/vi-mode/tests/text-objects.lisp b/extensions/vi-mode/tests/text-objects.lisp
index c63190d30..20b6156fa 100644
--- a/extensions/vi-mode/tests/text-objects.lisp
+++ b/extensions/vi-mode/tests/text-objects.lisp
@@ -27,39 +27,52 @@
       )))
 
 (deftest double-quoted
+  (with-global-variable-value (lem-vi-mode/text-objects:vi-operator-surrounding-blanks t)
+    (with-fake-interface ()
+      (with-vi-buffer ("[ ]\"foo\" \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" [\"]foo\" \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"f[o]o\" \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo[\"] \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo\"[ ]\"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        ;; NOTE: This behavior is not same as Vim
+        (ok (buf= " \"foo\"< \"bar[\"]>")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo\" \"bar[\"]")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " \"foo\"< \"bar[\"]>")))
+
+      ;; Escape Character
+      ; v i
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \" f[o]o \\\" bar \"")
+        (cmd "vi\"")
+        (ok (buf= " \"< foo \\\" bar[ ]>\"")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \" foo \\\" b[a]r \"")
+        (cmd "vi\"")
+        (ok (buf= " \"< foo \\\" bar[ ]>\"")))
+      ; v a
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \" f[o]o \\\" bar \"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\" foo \\\" bar [\"]>")))
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \" foo \\\" b[a]r \"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\" foo \\\" bar [\"]>"))))))
+
+(deftest vi-operator-surrounding-blanks
   (with-fake-interface ()
-    (with-vi-buffer ("[ ]\"foo\" \"bar\"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" [\"]foo\" \"bar\"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \"f[o]o\" \"bar\"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo[\"] \"bar\"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"[ ]>\"bar\"")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo\"[ ]\"bar\"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      ;; NOTE: This behavior is not same as Vim
-      (ok (buf= " \"foo\"< \"bar[\"]>")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \"foo\" \"bar[\"]")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " \"foo\"< \"bar[\"]>")))
+    (with-global-variable-value (lem-vi-mode/text-objects:vi-operator-surrounding-blanks nil)
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"f[o]o\"   \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo[\"]>   \"bar\""))))
+    (with-global-variable-value (lem-vi-mode/text-objects:vi-operator-surrounding-blanks t)
+      (with-vi-buffer (" \"f[o]o\"   \"bar\"")
+        (cmd "va\"")
+        (ok (buf= " <\"foo\"  [ ]>\"bar\""))))))
 
-    ;; Escape Character 
-    ; v i
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \" f[o]o \\\" bar \"")
-      (cmd "vi\"")
-      (ok (buf= " \"< foo \\\" bar[ ]>\"")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \" foo \\\" b[a]r \"")
-      (cmd "vi\"")
-      (ok (buf= " \"< foo \\\" bar[ ]>\"")))
-    ; v a
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \" f[o]o \\\" bar \"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\" foo \\\" bar [\"]>")))
-    (with-vi-buffer (" \" foo \\\" b[a]r \"")
-      (cmd "va\"")
-      (ok (buf= " <\" foo \\\" bar [\"]>")))))
diff --git a/extensions/vi-mode/text-objects.lisp b/extensions/vi-mode/text-objects.lisp
index aab0ccc05..688b2dd61 100644
--- a/extensions/vi-mode/text-objects.lisp
+++ b/extensions/vi-mode/text-objects.lisp
@@ -25,9 +25,12 @@
            :word-object
            :broad-word-object
            :paren-object
-           :double-quoted-object))
+           :double-quoted-object
+           :vi-operator-surrounding-blanks))
 (in-package :lem-vi-mode/text-objects)
 
+(define-editor-variable vi-operator-surrounding-blanks nil)
+
 (defclass text-object () ())
 
 (defgeneric a-range-of (object state count)
@@ -328,8 +331,9 @@
     range))
 
 (defmethod include-surrounding-blanks ((object quoted-text-object) beg end direction on-object)
+  (when (variable-value 'vi-operator-surrounding-blanks)
   ;; Trailing first
-  (or (/= 0 (if (eq direction :backward)
+    (or (/= 0 (if (eq direction :backward)
                 (skip-chars-backward end '(#\Space #\Tab))
                 (skip-chars-forward end '(#\Space #\Tab))))
       ;; If no trailing spaces, delete leading spaces unless it's the beginning indentation
@@ -343,7 +347,7 @@
             (progn
               (skip-chars-backward p '(#\Space #\Tab))
               (unless (zerop (point-charpos p))
-                (move-point beg p)))))))
+                (move-point beg p))))))))
 
 ;;
 ;; word-object