diff --git a/escher/include/escher/text_input.h b/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
index 78565df97..8fbffe151 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public:
   bool setCursorLocation(const char * location);
   virtual void scrollToCursor();
   void resetSelection() { contentView()->resetSelection(); }
+  void deleteSelectedText();
 protected:
   class ContentView : public View {
   public:
@@ -41,12 +42,12 @@ protected:
     void addSelection(const char * left, const char * right);
     bool resetSelection(); // returns true if the selection was indeed reset
     bool selectionIsEmpty() const;
-    virtual size_t deleteSelectedText() {return 0;} //TODO LEA
+    virtual size_t deleteSelectedText() { return 0;} //TODO LEA
+    void reloadRectFromPosition(const char * position, bool includeFollowingLines = false);
     const char * m_selectionStart;
     const char * m_selectionEnd;
   protected:
     virtual void layoutSubviews(bool force = false) override;
-    void reloadRectFromPosition(const char * position, bool includeFollowingLines = false);
     void reloadRectFromAndToPositions(const char * start, const char * end);
     virtual KDRect glyphFrameAtPosition(const char * buffer, const char * position) const = 0;
     virtual KDRect dirtyRectFromPosition(const char * position, bool includeFollowingLines) const;
diff --git a/escher/src/text_area.cpp b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
index 765f87f37..6c82056c9 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_area.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
@@ -42,11 +42,7 @@ bool TextArea::handleEventWithText(const char * text, bool indentation, bool for
 
   // Delete the selected text if needed
   if (!contentView()->selectionIsEmpty()) {
-    size_t removedLength = contentView()->deleteSelectedText();
-    if (contentView()->selectionEnd() == cursorLocation()) {
-      setCursorLocation(cursorLocation() - removedLength);
-    }
-    contentView()->resetSelection();
+    deleteSelectedText();
   }
 
   /* Compute the indentation. If the text cannot be inserted with the
@@ -132,13 +128,7 @@ bool TextArea::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
     }
     return TextInput::moveCursorRight();
   }
-  if (event == Ion::Events::Backspace) {
-    if (contentView()->selectionIsEmpty()) {
-      return removePreviousGlyph();
-    }
-    contentView()->deleteSelectedText();
-    return true;
-  }
+
   if (event.hasText()) {
     return handleEventWithText(event.text());
   }
@@ -156,7 +146,18 @@ bool TextArea::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
   if (event == Ion::Events::Paste) {
     return handleEventWithText(Clipboard::sharedClipboard()->storedText());
   }
-  if (event == Ion::Events::Up) {
+
+  // The following events need a scrollToCursor and return true
+  if (event == Ion::Events::Backspace) {
+    if (contentView()->selectionIsEmpty()) {
+      if (!removePreviousGlyph()) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    } else {
+      deleteSelectedText();
+      return true;
+    }
+  } else if (event == Ion::Events::Up) {
     contentView()->resetSelection();
     contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, -1);
   } else if (event == Ion::Events::Down) {
@@ -164,10 +165,9 @@ bool TextArea::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
     contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, 1);
   } else if (event == Ion::Events::Clear) {
     if (!contentView()->selectionIsEmpty()) {
-      contentView()->deleteSelectedText();
+      deleteSelectedText();
       return true;
-    }
-    if (!contentView()->removeEndOfLine()) {
+    } else if (!contentView()->removeEndOfLine()) {
       contentView()->removeStartOfLine();
     }
   } else {
@@ -517,7 +517,12 @@ bool TextArea::ContentView::removeStartOfLine() {
 
 size_t TextArea::ContentView::deleteSelectedText() {
   assert(!selectionIsEmpty());
-  return m_text.removeText(m_selectionStart, m_selectionEnd);
+  size_t removedLength = m_text.removeText(m_selectionStart, m_selectionEnd);
+  /* We cannot call resetSelection() because m_selectionStart and m_selectionEnd
+   * are invalid */
+  m_selectionStart = nullptr;
+  m_selectionEnd = nullptr;
+  return removedLength;
 }
 
 KDRect TextArea::ContentView::glyphFrameAtPosition(const char * text, const char * position) const {
diff --git a/escher/src/text_input.cpp b/escher/src/text_input.cpp
index 8bf2ce60e..c76b57997 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_input.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_input.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ void TextInput::ContentView::reloadRectFromPosition(const char * position, bool
 }
 
 void TextInput::ContentView::reloadRectFromAndToPositions(const char * start, const char * end) {
+  if (start == end) {
+    return;
+  }
   KDRect startFrame = glyphFrameAtPosition(text(), start);
   KDRect endFrame = glyphFrameAtPosition(text(), end);
   bool onSameLine = startFrame.y() == endFrame.y();
@@ -132,6 +135,17 @@ void TextInput::scrollToCursor() {
   scrollToContentRect(contentView()->cursorRect(), true);
 }
 
+void TextInput::deleteSelectedText() {
+  assert(!contentView()->selectionIsEmpty());
+  const char * previousSelectionStart = contentView()->selectionStart();
+  const char * previousSelectionEnd = contentView()->selectionEnd();
+  size_t removedLength = contentView()->deleteSelectedText();
+  if (previousSelectionEnd == contentView()->cursorLocation()) {
+    setCursorLocation(contentView()->cursorLocation() - removedLength);
+  }
+  contentView()->reloadRectFromPosition(previousSelectionStart, true);
+}
+
 bool TextInput::setCursorLocation(const char * location) {
   assert(location != nullptr);
   const char * adjustedLocation = maxCharPointer(location, text());