diff --git a/escher/include/escher/text_area.h b/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
index 9b9386080..5a82295f8 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef ESCHER_TEXT_AREA_H
 #define ESCHER_TEXT_AREA_H
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <escher/scrollable_view.h>
 #include <escher/text_area_delegate.h>
@@ -61,7 +62,10 @@ private:
 
     void insertChar(char c, size_t index);
     char removeChar(size_t index);
-    size_t bufferLength() const;
+    char operator[](int index) {
+      assert(index >= 0 && index < m_bufferSize);
+      return m_buffer[index];
+    }
   private:
     char * m_buffer;
     size_t m_bufferSize;
diff --git a/escher/src/text_area.cpp b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
index 763d11f27..20be36936 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_area.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
@@ -109,11 +109,6 @@ TextArea::Text::Position TextArea::Text::span() const {
   return Position(width, height);
 }
 
-size_t TextArea::Text::bufferLength() const {
-  return strlen(m_buffer);
-}
-
-
 /* TextArea::ContentView */
 
 TextArea::ContentView::ContentView(char * textBuffer, size_t textBufferSize, KDText::FontSize fontSize, KDColor textColor, KDColor backgroundColor) :
@@ -226,10 +221,13 @@ void TextArea::TextArea::ContentView::moveCursorGeo(int deltaX, int deltaY) {
 }
 
 void TextArea::TextArea::ContentView::moveCursorIndex(int deltaX) {
-  if ((deltaX < 0 && m_cursorIndex <= 0) || (deltaX > 0 && m_cursorIndex >= m_text.bufferLength())) {
-    return;
+  assert(deltaX == -1 || deltaX == 1);
+  if (deltaX == -1 && m_cursorIndex>0) {
+    m_cursorIndex--;
+  }
+  if (deltaX == 1 && m_text[m_cursorIndex] != 0) {
+    m_cursorIndex++;
   }
-  m_cursorIndex += deltaX;
   layoutSubviews();
 }