diff --git a/lib/widget.js b/lib/widget.js
index b09429f..8a47ad1 100644
--- a/lib/widget.js
+++ b/lib/widget.js
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ function Screen(options) {
   this.tput = this.program.tput;
   this.output = this.program.output;
 
+  this.tabc = Array((options.tabSize || 4) + 1).join(' ');
   this.dattr = ((0 << 18) | (0x1ff << 9)) | 0x1ff;
 
   this.position = {
@@ -1876,7 +1877,7 @@ Element.prototype.parseContent = function() {
     // Could move these 2 lines back to setContent (?)
     content = content.replace(/\x1b(?!\[[\d;]*m)/g, '');
     content = this._parseTags(content);
-    content = content.replace(/\t/g, '        ');
+    content = content.replace(/\t/g, this.screen.tabc);
     this._clines = this._wrapContent(content, width);
     this._clines.width = width;
     this._clines.content = this.content;
@@ -2708,6 +2709,7 @@ Element.prototype._getCoords = function(get) {
 
 // Here be dragons.
 Element.prototype.render = function() {
+  this.emit('prerender');
   this.parseContent();
 
   var coords = this._getCoords(true);
@@ -2931,6 +2933,8 @@ Element.prototype.render = function() {
     el.render();
   });
 
+  this.emit('render');
+
   return coords;
 };
 
@@ -4044,20 +4048,13 @@ function Textbox(options) {
   this.__updateCursor = this.updateCursor.bind(this);
   this.on('resize', this.__updateCursor);
   this.on('move', this.__updateCursor);
+  //this.on('prerender', this._render.bind(this));
 }
 
 Textbox.prototype.__proto__ = Input.prototype;
 
 Textbox.prototype.type = 'textbox';
 
-Textbox.prototype.updateCursor = function() {
-  if (this.screen.focused !== this) return;
-  var lpos = this._getCoords();
-  if (!lpos) return;
-  this.screen.program.cup(lpos.yi + this.itop,
-    lpos.xi + this.ileft + this.value.length);
-};
-
 Textbox.prototype.input =
 Textbox.prototype.readInput =
 Textbox.prototype.setInput = function(callback) {
@@ -4123,26 +4120,43 @@ Textbox.prototype._listener = function(ch, key) {
     if (this.value.length) {
       this.value = this.value.slice(0, -1);
       if (this.secret) return;
-      if (this.value.length < width - 1) {
-        this.screen.program.cub();
-      }
     }
   } else if (ch) {
-    // Tabs only work with textareas.
-    if (ch === '\t') ch = ' ';
+    // if (ch === '\t') ch = ' ';
     this.value += ch;
     if (this.secret) return;
-    if (this.value.length < width) {
-      this.screen.program.cuf();
-    }
   }
 
-  this.screen.render();
+  if (this.value !== value) {
+    //this.setValue();
+    this.screen.render();
+  }
 };
 
+Textbox.prototype.setValue = function(value) {
+  var visible, val;
+  if (value == null) {
+    value = this.value;
+  }
+  if (this._value !== value) {
+    this.value = value;
+    this._value = value;
+    if (this.secret) {
+      this.setContent('');
+    } else if (this.censor) {
+      this.setContent(Array(this.value.length + 1).join('*'));
+    } else {
+      visible = -(this.width - this.iwidth - 1);
+      val = this.value.replace(/\t/g, this.screen.tabc);
+      this.setContent(val.slice(visible));
+    }
+    this.updateCursor();
+  }
+};
+
+Textbox.prototype.clearValue =
 Textbox.prototype.clearInput = function() {
-  this.value = '';
-  this.setContent('');
+  return this.setValue('');
 };
 
 Textbox.prototype.submit = function() {
@@ -4155,19 +4169,7 @@ Textbox.prototype.cancel = function() {
 
 Textbox.prototype._render = Input.prototype.render;
 Textbox.prototype.render = function() {
-  // setContent is necessary to clear the area in case
-  // .shrink is being used and the new content is smaller.
-  // Could technically optimize this.
-  if (this.secret) {
-    this.setContent('');
-    return this._render();
-  }
-  if (this.censor) {
-    this.setContent(Array(this.value.length + 1).join('*'));
-    return this._render();
-  }
-  var visible = -(this.width - this.iwidth - 1);
-  this.setContent(this.value.slice(visible));
+  this.setValue();
   return this._render();
 };
 
@@ -4209,6 +4211,7 @@ Textarea.prototype.__proto__ = ScrollableText.prototype;
 
 Textarea.prototype.type = 'textarea';
 
+Textbox.prototype.updateCursor =
 Textarea.prototype.updateCursor = function() {
   if (this.screen.focused !== this) {
     return;
@@ -4232,7 +4235,7 @@ Textarea.prototype.updateCursor = function() {
   }
 
   line = Math.min(
-    this._clines.length - 1 - this.childBase,
+    this._clines.length - 1 - (this.childBase || 0),
     (lpos.yl - lpos.yi) - this.iheight - 1);
 
   cy = lpos.yi + this.itop + line;
@@ -4338,9 +4341,7 @@ Textarea.prototype._listener = function(ch, key) {
   }
 
   if (this.value !== value) {
-    this.setContent(this.value);
-    this._typeScroll();
-    this.updateCursor();
+    //this.setValue();
     this.screen.render();
   }
 };
@@ -4354,9 +4355,22 @@ Textarea.prototype._typeScroll = function() {
   }
 };
 
+Textarea.prototype.setValue = function(value) {
+  if (value == null) {
+    value = this.value;
+  }
+  if (this._value !== value) {
+    this.value = value;
+    this._value = value;
+    this.setContent(this.value);
+    this._typeScroll();
+    this.updateCursor();
+  }
+};
+
+Textarea.prototype.clearValue =
 Textarea.prototype.clearInput = function() {
-  this.value = '';
-  this.setContent('');
+  return this.setValue('');
 };
 
 Textarea.prototype.submit = function() {
@@ -4367,6 +4381,12 @@ Textarea.prototype.cancel = function() {
   return this._listener('\x1b', { name: 'escape' });
 };
 
+Textarea.prototype._render = ScrollableBox.prototype.render;
+Textarea.prototype.render = function() {
+  this.setValue();
+  return this._render();
+};
+
 Textarea.prototype.editor =
 Textarea.prototype.readEditor =
 Textarea.prototype.setEditor = function(callback) {