diff --git a/autoload/easy_align.vim b/autoload/easy_align.vim
index 2028ffb..0e47e77 100644
--- a/autoload/easy_align.vim
+++ b/autoload/easy_align.vim
@@ -1045,7 +1045,7 @@ function! s:align(bang, live, visualmode, first_line, last_line, expr)
   " Heuristically determine if the user was in visual mode
   if empty(a:visualmode)
     let vis  = a:first_line == line("'<") && a:last_line == line("'>")
-    let bvis = vis && char2nr(visualmode()) == 22 " ^V
+    let bvis = vis && visualmode() == "\<C-V>"
   " Visual-mode explicitly given
   else
     let vis  = 1