diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.cpp
index 8a9490271d..ee7e7b50f4 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ struct TextAtom
             return atomText.substring (0, numChars);
 
         if (isNewLine())
-            return String::empty;
+            return String();
 
         return String::repeatedString (String::charToString (passwordCharacter), numChars);
     }
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public:
 
     UniformTextSection* split (const int indexToBreakAt, const juce_wchar passwordChar)
     {
-        UniformTextSection* const section2 = new UniformTextSection (String::empty, font, colour, passwordChar);
+        UniformTextSection* const section2 = new UniformTextSection (String(), font, colour, passwordChar);
         int index = 0;
 
         for (int i = 0; i < atoms.size(); ++i)
@@ -902,6 +902,7 @@ TextEditor::TextEditor (const String& name,
     : Component (name),
       borderSize (1, 1, 1, 3),
       readOnly (false),
+      caretVisible (true),
       multiline (false),
       wordWrap (false),
       returnKeyStartsNewLine (false),
@@ -933,7 +934,7 @@ TextEditor::TextEditor (const String& name,
     viewport->setScrollBarsShown (false, false);
 
     setWantsKeyboardFocus (true);
-    setCaretVisible (true);
+    recreateCaret();
 }
 
 TextEditor::~TextEditor()
@@ -1020,7 +1021,7 @@ void TextEditor::setReadOnly (const bool shouldBeReadOnly)
     }
 }
 
-bool TextEditor::isReadOnly() const
+bool TextEditor::isReadOnly() const noexcept
 {
     return readOnly || ! isEnabled();
 }
@@ -1084,20 +1085,27 @@ void TextEditor::colourChanged()
 void TextEditor::lookAndFeelChanged()
 {
     recreateCaret();
+    repaint();
 }
 
-void TextEditor::recreateCaret()
+void TextEditor::enablementChanged()
 {
-    if (isCaretVisible())
+    recreateCaret();
+    repaint();
+}
+
+void TextEditor::setCaretVisible (const bool shouldCaretBeVisible)
+{
+    if (caretVisible != shouldCaretBeVisible)
     {
-        setCaretVisible (false);
-        setCaretVisible (true);
+        caretVisible = shouldCaretBeVisible;
+        recreateCaret();
     }
 }
 
-void TextEditor::setCaretVisible (const bool shouldCaretBeVisible)
+void TextEditor::recreateCaret()
 {
-    if (shouldCaretBeVisible && ! isReadOnly())
+    if (isCaretVisible())
     {
         if (caret == nullptr)
         {
@@ -1139,8 +1147,7 @@ void TextEditor::setInputFilter (InputFilter* newFilter, bool takeOwnership)
     inputFilter.set (newFilter, takeOwnership);
 }
 
-void TextEditor::setInputRestrictions (const int maxLen,
-                                       const String& chars)
+void TextEditor::setInputRestrictions (const int maxLen, const String& chars)
 {
     setInputFilter (new LengthAndCharacterRestriction (maxLen, chars), true);
 }
@@ -1570,7 +1577,7 @@ void TextEditor::cut()
     if (! isReadOnly())
     {
         moveCaret (selection.getEnd());
-        insertTextAtCaret (String::empty);
+        insertTextAtCaret (String());
     }
 }
 
@@ -2131,12 +2138,6 @@ void TextEditor::handleCommandMessage (const int commandId)
     }
 }
 
-void TextEditor::enablementChanged()
-{
-    recreateCaret();
-    repaint();
-}
-
 void TextEditor::setTemporaryUnderlining (const Array<Range<int> >& newUnderlinedSections)
 {
     underlinedSections = newUnderlinedSections;
@@ -2361,7 +2362,7 @@ String TextEditor::getText() const
 String TextEditor::getTextInRange (const Range<int>& range) const
 {
     if (range.isEmpty())
-        return String::empty;
+        return String();
 
     MemoryOutputStream mo;
     mo.preallocate ((size_t) jmin (getTotalNumChars(), range.getLength()));
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.h b/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.h
index 330c247d88..cbf2ee97de 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.h
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/widgets/juce_TextEditor.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
                                     for a black splodge (not all fonts include this, though), or 0x2022,
                                     which is a bullet (probably the best choice for linux).
     */
-    explicit TextEditor (const String& componentName = String::empty,
+    explicit TextEditor (const String& componentName = String(),
                          juce_wchar passwordCharacter = 0);
 
     /** Destructor. */
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public:
     void setReadOnly (bool shouldBeReadOnly);
 
     /** Returns true if the editor is in read-only mode. */
-    bool isReadOnly() const;
+    bool isReadOnly() const noexcept;
 
     //==============================================================================
     /** Makes the caret visible or invisible.
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public:
     /** Returns true if the caret is enabled.
         @see setCaretVisible
     */
-    bool isCaretVisible() const noexcept                            { return caret != nullptr; }
+    bool isCaretVisible() const noexcept                            { return caretVisible && ! isReadOnly(); }
 
     //==============================================================================
     /** Enables/disables a vertical scrollbar.
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ public:
         this string, otherwise it will be inserted.
 
         To delete a section of text, you can use setHighlightedRegion() to
-        highlight it, and call insertTextAtCursor (String::empty).
+        highlight it, and call insertTextAtCaret (String()).
 
         @see setCaretPosition, getCaretPosition, setHighlightedRegion
     */
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ public:
                                     this string are allowed to be entered into the editor.
     */
     void setInputRestrictions (int maxTextLength,
-                               const String& allowedCharacters = String::empty);
+                               const String& allowedCharacters = String());
 
     void setKeyboardType (VirtualKeyboardType type) noexcept    { keyboardType = type; }
 
@@ -670,19 +670,20 @@ private:
     TextHolderComponent* textHolder;
     BorderSize<int> borderSize;
 
-    bool readOnly                   : 1;
-    bool multiline                  : 1;
-    bool wordWrap                   : 1;
-    bool returnKeyStartsNewLine     : 1;
-    bool popupMenuEnabled           : 1;
-    bool selectAllTextWhenFocused   : 1;
-    bool scrollbarVisible           : 1;
-    bool wasFocused                 : 1;
-    bool keepCaretOnScreen          : 1;
-    bool tabKeyUsed                 : 1;
-    bool menuActive                 : 1;
-    bool valueTextNeedsUpdating     : 1;
-    bool consumeEscAndReturnKeys    : 1;
+    bool readOnly;
+    bool caretVisible;
+    bool multiline;
+    bool wordWrap;
+    bool returnKeyStartsNewLine;
+    bool popupMenuEnabled;
+    bool selectAllTextWhenFocused;
+    bool scrollbarVisible;
+    bool wasFocused;
+    bool keepCaretOnScreen;
+    bool tabKeyUsed;
+    bool menuActive;
+    bool valueTextNeedsUpdating;
+    bool consumeEscAndReturnKeys;
 
     UndoManager undoManager;
     ScopedPointer<CaretComponent> caret;