diff --git a/classes/book.lua b/classes/book.lua
index 882580f1e..20a0290d2 100644
--- a/classes/book.lua
+++ b/classes/book.lua
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ function class:registerCommands ()
 
   self:registerCommand("book:chapter:post", function (_, _)
     SILE.call("par")
+    SILE.call("noindent")
   end)
 
   self:registerCommand("book:section:post", function (_, _)
@@ -164,6 +165,9 @@ function class:registerCommands ()
     end)
     SILE.call("bigskip")
     SILE.call("nofoliothispage")
+    -- English typography (notably) expects the first paragraph under a section
+    -- not to be indented. Frenchies, don't use this class :)
+    SILE.call("noindent")
   end, "Begin a new chapter")
 
   self:registerCommand("section", function (options, content)
@@ -203,6 +207,9 @@ function class:registerCommands ()
     SILE.call("novbreak")
     SILE.call("bigskip")
     SILE.call("novbreak")
+    -- English typography (notably) expects the first paragraph under a section
+    -- not to be indented. Frenchies, don't use this class :)
+    SILE.call("noindent")
     SILE.typesetter:inhibitLeading()
   end, "Begin a new section")
 
@@ -229,6 +236,9 @@ function class:registerCommands ()
     SILE.call("novbreak")
     SILE.call("medskip")
     SILE.call("novbreak")
+    -- English typography (notably) expects the first paragraph under a section
+    -- not to be indented. Frenchies, don't use this class :)
+    SILE.call("noindent")
     SILE.typesetter:inhibitLeading()
   end, "Begin a new subsection")
 
diff --git a/classes/plain.lua b/classes/plain.lua
index d69860f0a..876f2abe0 100644
--- a/classes/plain.lua
+++ b/classes/plain.lua
@@ -335,16 +335,7 @@ function class:registerCommands ()
 
   self:registerCommand("hbox", function (_, content)
     local hbox, hlist = SILE.typesetter:makeHbox(content)
-    -- HACK
-    -- Direct insertion in the typesetter node queue comes from
-    -- the original implementation.
-    -- It would likely be clearer to use: SILE.typesetter:pushHbox(hbox)
-    -- but the latter adds a zerohbox sometimes (on initline), so it will
-    -- break some non-regression test and possibly have some effect at
-    -- places... For now, therefore, keep that unchanged, but it should
-    -- be investigated.
-    table.insert(SILE.typesetter.state.nodes, hbox)
-
+    SILE.typesetter:pushHbox(hbox)
     if #hlist > 0 then
       SU.warn("Hbox has migrating content (ignored for now, but likely to break in future versions)")
       -- Ugly shim:
diff --git a/core/settings.lua b/core/settings.lua
index ad8ba4d0a..4db053fdc 100644
--- a/core/settings.lua
+++ b/core/settings.lua
@@ -143,6 +143,11 @@ function settings:toplevelState ()
 end
 
 function settings:get (parameter)
+  -- HACK FIXME https://github.com/sile-typesetter/sile/issues/1699
+  -- See comment on set() below.
+  if parameter == "current.parindent" then
+    return SILE.typesetter and SILE.typesetter.state.parindent
+  end
   if not parameter then self, parameter = deprecator(), self end
   if not self.declarations[parameter] then
     SU.error("Undefined setting '"..parameter.."'")
@@ -155,6 +160,30 @@ function settings:get (parameter)
 end
 
 function settings:set (parameter, value, makedefault, reset)
+  -- HACK FIXME https://github.com/sile-typesetter/sile/issues/1699
+  -- Anything dubbed current.xxx should likely NOT be a "setting" (subject
+  -- to being pushed/popped via temporary stacking) and actually has its
+  -- own lifecycle (e.g. reset for the next paragraph).
+  -- These should be rather typesetter states, or something to that extent
+  -- yet to clarify. Notably, current.parindent falls in that category,
+  -- BUT probably current.hangAfter and current.hangIndent too.
+  -- To avoid breaking too much code yet without being sure of the solution,
+  -- we implement a hack of sorts for current.parindent only.
+  -- Note moreover that current.parindent is currently probably a bad concept
+  -- anyway:
+  --   - It can be nil (= document.parindent applies)
+  --   - It can be a zero-glue (\noindent, ragged environments, etc.)
+  --   - It can be a valued glue set to document.parindent
+  --     (e.g. from \indent, and document.parindent thus applies)
+  --   - It could be another valued glue (uh, use case to ascertain)
+  -- What we would _likely_ only need to track is whether document.parindent
+  -- applies or not on the paragraph just composed afterwards...
+  if parameter == "current.parindent" then
+    if SILE.typesetter and not SILE.typesetter.state.hmodeOnly then
+      SILE.typesetter.state.parindent = SU.cast("glue or nil", value)
+    end
+    return
+  end
   if type(self) ~= "table" then self, parameter, value, makedefault, reset = deprecator(), self, parameter, value, makedefault end
   if not self.declarations[parameter] then
     SU.error("Undefined setting '"..parameter.."'")
diff --git a/tests/bug-1699.expected b/tests/bug-1699.expected
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3c6ab1de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bug-1699.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Set paper size 	209.7637818	297.6377985
+Begin page
+Mx 	10.4882
+My 	22.3038
+Set font 	Gentium Plus;10;400;Italic;normal;;;LTR
+T	73 82 82 w=11.1670	(foo)
+Mx 	30.4882
+My 	34.3038
+Set font 	Gentium Plus;10;400;;normal;;;LTR
+T	69 68 85 w=13.6279	(bar)
+Mx 	10.4882
+My 	46.3038
+T	73 82 82 w=13.1689	(foo)
+Mx 	30.4882
+My 	58.3038
+T	69 68 85 w=13.6279	(bar)
+End page
+Finish
diff --git a/tests/bug-1699.sil b/tests/bug-1699.sil
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..32f3f4474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bug-1699.sil
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+\begin[class=plain,papersize=a7]{document}
+\nofolios
+% Both "bar" entries should have parindent applied
+\noindent
+\em{foo}
+
+bar
+
+\noindent
+foo
+
+bar
+\end{document}
diff --git a/tests/bug-192.expected b/tests/bug-192.expected
index 6c3b76a43..3d2eaff63 100644
--- a/tests/bug-192.expected
+++ b/tests/bug-192.expected
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 Set paper size 	297.6377985	419.5275636
 Begin page
-Mx 	14.8819
-My 	20.9764
 Mx 	34.8819
+My 	20.9764
 My 	381.3449
 Set font 	Noto Naskh Arabic;18;400;;normal;;;RTL
 T	35 3 w=18.1800	(اب)
diff --git a/tests/bug-262.expected b/tests/bug-262.expected
index 265ad6c11..b399b878a 100644
--- a/tests/bug-262.expected
+++ b/tests/bug-262.expected
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 Set paper size 	419.5275636	595.275597
 Begin page
-Mx 	8.3906
-My 	11.9055
 Mx 	28.3906
+My 	11.9055
 My 	454.9055
 Set font 	Gentium Plus;10;400;;normal;;;LTR
 T	79 82 85 72 80 w=24.3506	(lorem)
diff --git a/tests/bug-39.expected b/tests/bug-39.expected
index 7810aebe3..0ffb28426 100644
--- a/tests/bug-39.expected
+++ b/tests/bug-39.expected
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ Mx 	76.2453
 T	83 68 74 72 w=19.3848	(page)
 Mx 	98.2998
 T	87 72 91 87 w=16.5332	(text)
-Mx 	54.8208
+Mx 	34.8208
 My 	28.9983
 T	41 76 85 86 87 w=18.7549	(First)
-Mx 	76.2429
+Mx 	56.2451
 T	47 76 81 72 w=17.6074	(Line)
-Mx 	96.5176
+Mx 	76.5220
 T	82 73 w=8.1396	(of)
-Mx 	107.3244
+Mx 	87.3311
 T	43 72 68 71 72 85 w=29.5264	(Header)
 Mx 	54.8208
 My 	63.6754
diff --git a/tests/chapterverse.expected b/tests/chapterverse.expected
index f18981838..6ecdaab62 100644
--- a/tests/chapterverse.expected
+++ b/tests/chapterverse.expected
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ New page
 Mx 	32.0256
 My 	42.0943
 T	69 68 93 w=13.9111	(baz)
-Mx 	49.3669
+Mx 	29.3669
 My 	17.0138
 T	42 81 w=11.3477	(Gn)
-Mx 	63.3572
+Mx 	43.3572
 T	20 w=4.6924	(1)
-Mx 	68.0495
+Mx 	48.0495
 T	15 w=2.2900	(,)
-Mx 	72.9822
+Mx 	52.9822
 T	22 w=4.6924	(3)
 End page
 Finish
diff --git a/tests/disappearing-skip.expected b/tests/disappearing-skip.expected
index 99af405cf..c048fea84 100644
--- a/tests/disappearing-skip.expected
+++ b/tests/disappearing-skip.expected
@@ -29,21 +29,21 @@ Mx 	69.1579
 T	58 82 81 71 72 85 79 68 81 71 w=76.2671	(Wonderland)
 Mx 	145.4250
 T	171 w=10.0342	(…)
-Mx 	18.2835
+Mx 	38.2835
 My 	63.4155
 Set font 	Gentium Plus;10;400;;normal;;;LTR
 T	58 75 72 85 72 w=27.2168	(Where)
-Mx 	48.1667
+Mx 	68.1645
 T	71 76 71 w=13.1104	(did)
-Mx 	63.9434
+Mx 	83.9390
 T	80 92 w=12.9639	(my)
-Mx 	79.5737
+Mx 	99.5671
 T	86 78 76 83 w=16.7480	(skip)
-Mx 	98.9881
+Mx 	118.9793
 T	77 88 86 87 w=15.1904	(just)
-Mx 	116.8449
+Mx 	136.8339
 T	74 82 w=9.9072	(go)
-Mx 	126.7522
+Mx 	146.7412
 T	34 w=4.3311	(?)
 Mx 	180.4885
 My 	522.3893
diff --git a/typesetters/base.lua b/typesetters/base.lua
index 2fa06ba85..6c6584884 100644
--- a/typesetters/base.lua
+++ b/typesetters/base.lua
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ function typesetter:typeset (text)
 end
 
 function typesetter:initline ()
-  if self.state.hmodeOnly then return end
+  if self.state.hmodeOnly then return end -- https://github.com/sile-typesetter/sile/issues/1718
   if (#self.state.nodes == 0) then
     self.state.nodes[#self.state.nodes+1] = SILE.nodefactory.zerohbox()
     SILE.documentState.documentClass.newPar(self)