diff --git a/src/emitter.cpp b/src/emitter.cpp
index bec348c..176a21c 100644
--- a/src/emitter.cpp
+++ b/src/emitter.cpp
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ namespace YAML
             case EmitterNodeType::FlowMap:
                 // TODO: if we were writing null, and
                 // we wanted it blank, we wouldn't want a space
-                if(m_pState->HasBegunNode())
+                if(m_pState->HasBegunContent())
                     m_stream << " ";
                 break;
             case EmitterNodeType::BlockSeq:
@@ -332,16 +332,16 @@ namespace YAML
             case EmitterNodeType::Scalar:
             case EmitterNodeType::FlowSeq:
             case EmitterNodeType::FlowMap:
-                if(m_stream.col() < nextIndent)
-                    m_stream << IndentTo(nextIndent);
-                else
+                if(m_pState->HasBegunContent())
                     m_stream << " ";
+                else
+                    m_stream << IndentTo(nextIndent);
                 break;
             case EmitterNodeType::BlockSeq:
                 m_stream << "\n";
                 break;
             case EmitterNodeType::BlockMap:
-                if(m_pState->HasBegunNode())
+                if(m_pState->HasBegunContent())
                     m_stream << "\n";
                 break;
         }
@@ -381,10 +381,10 @@ namespace YAML
                 case EmitterNodeType::Scalar:
                 case EmitterNodeType::FlowSeq:
                 case EmitterNodeType::FlowMap:
-                    if(m_stream.col() < curIndent)
-                        m_stream << IndentTo(curIndent);
-                    else
+                    if(m_pState->HasBegunContent())
                         m_stream << " ";
+                    else
+                        m_stream << IndentTo(curIndent);
                     break;
                 case EmitterNodeType::BlockSeq:
                 case EmitterNodeType::BlockMap:
@@ -397,10 +397,7 @@ namespace YAML
                 case EmitterNodeType::Scalar:
                 case EmitterNodeType::FlowSeq:
                 case EmitterNodeType::FlowMap:
-                    if(m_stream.col() < nextIndent)
-                        m_stream << IndentTo(nextIndent);
-                    else
-                        m_stream << " ";
+                    m_stream << " ";
                     break;
                 case EmitterNodeType::BlockSeq:
                 case EmitterNodeType::BlockMap:
diff --git a/src/emitterstate.h b/src/emitterstate.h
index 8305b3d..6c630f2 100644
--- a/src/emitterstate.h
+++ b/src/emitterstate.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace YAML
 		// basic state checking
 		bool good() const { return m_isGood; }
 		const std::string GetLastError() const { return m_lastError; }
-		void SetError(const std::string& error) { throw std::runtime_error(error); m_isGood = false; m_lastError = error; }
+		void SetError(const std::string& error) { m_isGood = false; m_lastError = error; }
 		
 		// node handling
         void SetAnchor();
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ namespace YAML
         bool HasAnchor() const { return m_hasAnchor; }
         bool HasTag() const { return m_hasTag; }
         bool HasBegunNode() const { return m_hasAnchor || m_hasTag || m_hasNonContent; }
+        bool HasBegunContent() const { return m_hasAnchor || m_hasTag; }
 
 		void ClearModifiedSettings();
 
diff --git a/util/sandbox.cpp b/util/sandbox.cpp
index e40504f..8c3ccd2 100644
--- a/util/sandbox.cpp
+++ b/util/sandbox.cpp
@@ -4,19 +4,13 @@
 int main()
 {
     YAML::Emitter out;
-    out << YAML::Anchor("monkey") << YAML::LocalTag("a");
     out << YAML::BeginSeq;
-    out << "foo";
-    out << YAML::LocalTag("hi") << "bar";
-    out << YAML::Anchor("asdf") << YAML::BeginMap;
-    out << "a" << "b" << "c";
-    out << YAML::Anchor("a") << YAML::BeginMap;
-    out << YAML::Anchor("d") << "a" << "b";
+    out << "item 1";
+    out << YAML::BeginMap;
+    out << "pens" << "a";
+    out << "pencils" << "b";
     out << YAML::EndMap;
-    out << YAML::EndMap;
-    out << YAML::LocalTag("hi") << YAML::BeginSeq;
-    out << "a" << "b" << YAML::Alias("monkey");
-    out << YAML::EndSeq;
+    out << "item 2";
     out << YAML::EndSeq;
     
     std::cout << out.c_str() << "\n";