diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index ec3f072..b8b5e5a 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -240,14 +240,14 @@ reasons) the textwidth will still be set by this plugin.
 ### Detect via sampling
 
 If no modeline with a textwidth is found, _pencil_ will sample the initial
-lines from the file looking for excessively-long lines.
+lines from the file, looking for those excessively-long.
 
 There are two settings you can add to your `.vimrc` to tweak this behavior.
 
 The maximum number of lines to sample from the start of the file:
 
 ```vim
-let g:pencil#softDetectSample = 10
+let g:pencil#softDetectSample = 20
 ```
 
 Set that value to `0` to disable detection via line sampling.
diff --git a/autoload/pencil.vim b/autoload/pencil.vim
index dbed902..56ec2e7 100644
--- a/autoload/pencil.vim
+++ b/autoload/pencil.vim
@@ -17,21 +17,23 @@ let s:WRAP_MODE_SOFT    = 2
 " Wrap-mode detector
 " Scan lines at end and beginning of file to determine the wrap mode.
 " Modelines has priority over long lines found.
-function! s:detect_mode() abort
+function! s:detect_wrap_mode() abort
 
   let b:max_textwidth = -1      " assume no relevant modeline
   call s:doModelines()
 
-  if b:max_textwidth == 0
-    " modeline(s) found only with zero textwidth, so it's soft wrapped
-    return s:WRAP_MODE_SOFT
-  endif
-
   if b:max_textwidth > 0
     " modelines(s) found with positive textwidth, so hard line breaks
     return s:WRAP_MODE_HARD
   endif
 
+  if b:max_textwidth == 0 || g:pencil#wrapModeDefault ==# 'soft'
+    " modeline(s) found only with zero textwidth, so it's soft line wrap
+    " or, the user wants to default to soft line wrap
+    return s:WRAP_MODE_SOFT
+  endif
+
+  " attempt to rule out soft line wrap
   " scan initial lines in an attempt to detect long lines
   for l:line in getline(1, g:pencil#softDetectSample)
     if len(l:line) > g:pencil#softDetectThreshold
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ function! pencil#init(...) abort
     let b:wrap_mode = s:WRAP_MODE_DEFAULT
   else
     " this can return s:WRAP_MODE_ for soft, hard or default
-    let b:wrap_mode = s:detect_mode()
+    let b:wrap_mode = s:detect_wrap_mode()
   endif
 
   " translate default(-1) to soft(1) or hard(2) or off(0)
diff --git a/plugin/pencil.vim b/plugin/pencil.vim
index 64dd06c..87d5df0 100644
--- a/plugin/pencil.vim
+++ b/plugin/pencil.vim
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ if !exists('g:pencil#softDetectSample')
   " if no modeline, read as many as this many lines at
   " start of file in attempt to detect at least one line
   " whose byte count exceeds g:pencil#softDetectThreshold
-  let g:pencil#softDetectSample = 10
+  let g:pencil#softDetectSample = 20
 endif
 
 if !exists('g:pencil#softDetectThreshold')