diff --git a/escher/include/escher/text_area.h b/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
index 41c177a41..51881daeb 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/text_area.h
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ protected:
 
   ContentView * contentView() { return static_cast<ContentView *>(TextInput::contentView()); }
 private:
-  void selectUpDown(bool up);
+  void selectUpDown(bool up, int step);
   TextAreaDelegate * m_delegate;
 };
 
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/text_input.h b/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
index 34c75dcd8..0de69538c 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/text_input.h
@@ -98,9 +98,10 @@ protected:
     return const_cast<ContentView *>(nonEditableContentView());
   }
   virtual const ContentView * nonEditableContentView() const = 0;
-  bool moveCursorLeft();
-  bool moveCursorRight();
-  bool selectLeftRight(bool left, bool all); // While indicates if all the text on the left/right should be selected
+  bool moveCursorLeft(int step = 1);
+  bool moveCursorRight(int step = 1);
+  // all indicates if all the text on the left/right should be selected
+  bool selectLeftRight(bool left, bool all, int step = 1);
 private:
   virtual void willSetCursorLocation(const char * * location) {}
   virtual bool privateRemoveEndOfLine();
diff --git a/escher/src/text_area.cpp b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
index ab2162a63..2e24fdaad 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_area.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_area.cpp
@@ -106,25 +106,22 @@ bool TextArea::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
   if (handleBoxEvent(event)) {
     return true;
   }
+  int step = Ion::Events::longRepetitionScrollSpeed();
   if (event == Ion::Events::ShiftLeft || event == Ion::Events::ShiftRight) {
-    selectLeftRight(event == Ion::Events::ShiftLeft, false);
+    selectLeftRight(event == Ion::Events::ShiftLeft, false, step);
     return true;
   }
-  if (event == Ion::Events::ShiftUp ||event == Ion::Events::ShiftDown) {
-    selectUpDown(event == Ion::Events::ShiftUp);
+  if (event == Ion::Events::ShiftUp || event == Ion::Events::ShiftDown) {
+    selectUpDown(event == Ion::Events::ShiftUp, step);
     return true;
   }
-  if (event == Ion::Events::Left) {
+  if (event == Ion::Events::Left || event == Ion::Events::Right) {
     if (contentView()->resetSelection()) {
       return true;
     }
-    return TextInput::moveCursorLeft();
-  }
-  if (event == Ion::Events::Right) {
-    if (contentView()->resetSelection()) {
-      return true;
-    }
-    return TextInput::moveCursorRight();
+    return (event == Ion::Events::Left) ?
+      TextInput::moveCursorLeft(step) :
+      TextInput::moveCursorRight(step);
   }
 
   if (event.hasText()) {
@@ -158,12 +155,9 @@ bool TextArea::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
       deleteSelection();
       return true;
     }
-  } else if (event == Ion::Events::Up) {
+  } else if (event == Ion::Events::Up || event == Ion::Events::Down) {
     contentView()->resetSelection();
-    contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, -1);
-  } else if (event == Ion::Events::Down) {
-    contentView()->resetSelection();
-    contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, 1);
+    contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, event == Ion::Events::Up ? -step : step);
   } else if (event == Ion::Events::Clear) {
     if (!contentView()->selectionIsEmpty()) {
       deleteSelection();
@@ -565,9 +559,9 @@ void TextArea::ContentView::moveCursorGeo(int deltaX, int deltaY) {
   setCursorLocation(m_text.pointerAtPosition(Text::Position(p.column() + deltaX, p.line() + deltaY)));
 }
 
-void TextArea::selectUpDown(bool up) {
+void TextArea::selectUpDown(bool up, int step) {
   const char * previousCursorLocation = contentView()->cursorLocation();
-  contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, up ? -1 : 1);
+  contentView()->moveCursorGeo(0, up ? -step : step);
   const char * newCursorLocation = contentView()->cursorLocation();
   contentView()->addSelection(up ? newCursorLocation : previousCursorLocation, up ? previousCursorLocation : newCursorLocation);
   scrollToCursor();
diff --git a/escher/src/text_input.cpp b/escher/src/text_input.cpp
index 6e573a045..ccf943ddd 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_input.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_input.cpp
@@ -187,28 +187,46 @@ bool TextInput::removeEndOfLine() {
   return false;
 }
 
-bool TextInput::moveCursorLeft() {
-  if (cursorLocation() <= text()) {
-    assert(cursorLocation() == text());
-    return false;
+bool TextInput::moveCursorLeft(int step) {
+  // Move the cursor to the left step times, or until limit is reached.
+  int i = 0;
+  bool canMove = true;
+  while (canMove && i < step) {
+    if (cursorLocation() <= text()) {
+      assert(cursorLocation() == text());
+      canMove = false;
+    } else {
+      UTF8Decoder decoder(text(), cursorLocation());
+      canMove = setCursorLocation(decoder.previousGlyphPosition());
+    }
+    i++;
   }
-  UTF8Decoder decoder(text(), cursorLocation());
-  return setCursorLocation(decoder.previousGlyphPosition());
+  // true is returned if there was at least one successful cursor mouvement
+  return (i > 1 || canMove);
 }
 
-bool TextInput::moveCursorRight() {
-  if (UTF8Helper::CodePointIs(cursorLocation(), UCodePointNull)) {
-    return false;
+bool TextInput::moveCursorRight(int step) {
+  // Move the cursor to the right step times, or until limit is reached.
+  int i = 0;
+  bool canMove = true;
+  while (canMove && i < step) {
+    if (UTF8Helper::CodePointIs(cursorLocation(), UCodePointNull)) {
+      canMove = false;
+    } else {
+      UTF8Decoder decoder(cursorLocation());
+      canMove = setCursorLocation(decoder.nextGlyphPosition());
+    }
+    i++;
   }
-  UTF8Decoder decoder(cursorLocation());
-  return setCursorLocation(decoder.nextGlyphPosition());
+  // true is returned if there was at least one successful cursor mouvement
+  return (i > 1 || canMove);
 }
 
-bool TextInput::selectLeftRight(bool left, bool all) {
+bool TextInput::selectLeftRight(bool left, bool all, int step) {
   const char * cursorLoc = cursorLocation();
   const char * nextCursorLoc = nullptr;
   if (!all) {
-    bool moved = left ? moveCursorLeft() : moveCursorRight();
+    bool moved = left ? moveCursorLeft(step) : moveCursorRight(step);
     if (!moved) {
       return false;
     }