diff --git a/src/gui/Dialog.cxx b/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
index f519cdadc..669d7341c 100644
--- a/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ void Dialog::setDirty()
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-bool Dialog::isDirty() const
+bool Dialog::isDirty()
 {
   return _dirty;
 }
@@ -221,8 +221,6 @@ void Dialog::positionAt(uInt32 pos)
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 bool Dialog::render()
 {
-  //assert(_dirty);
-
   if(!isVisible() || !needsRedraw())
     return false;
 
@@ -404,7 +402,7 @@ void Dialog::drawDialog()
 
   if(isDirty())
   {
-    cerr << "*** draw dialog " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
+    //cerr << "*** draw dialog " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
 
     // Dialog is still on top if e.g a ContextMenu is opened
     _onTop = parent().myDialogStack.top() == this
@@ -446,6 +444,7 @@ void Dialog::drawDialog()
   w = _firstWidget;
   while(w)
   {
+
     // only redraw changed widgets
     if(w->needsRedraw())
       w->draw();
diff --git a/src/gui/Dialog.hxx b/src/gui/Dialog.hxx
index d9b750ab6..68a71608c 100644
--- a/src/gui/Dialog.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/Dialog.hxx
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class Dialog : public GuiObject
     // A dialog being dirty indicates that its underlying surface needs to be
     // redrawn and then re-rendered; this is taken care of in ::render()
     void setDirty() override;
-    bool isDirty() const override;
+    bool isDirty() override; // TODO: remove
     bool isChainDirty() const override;
     bool render();
 
diff --git a/src/gui/EditableWidget.cxx b/src/gui/EditableWidget.cxx
index 16b371813..b1783c10c 100644
--- a/src/gui/EditableWidget.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/EditableWidget.cxx
@@ -62,6 +62,23 @@ void EditableWidget::setText(const string& str, bool)
 
   setDirty();
 }
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+bool EditableWidget::isDirty()
+{
+  if(_hasFocus && _editable && isVisible() && _boss->isVisible())
+  {
+    _caretTimer++;
+    if(_caretTimer > 40) // switch every 2/3rd seconds
+    {
+      _caretTimer = 0;
+      _caretEnabled = !_caretEnabled;
+      _dirty = true;
+    }
+    cerr << ".";
+  }
+
+  return _dirty;
+}
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void EditableWidget::setEditable(bool editable, bool hiliteBG)
@@ -79,6 +96,15 @@ void EditableWidget::setEditable(bool editable, bool hiliteBG)
   }
 }
 
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+void EditableWidget::receivedFocusWidget()
+{
+  _caretTimer = 0;
+  _caretEnabled = true;
+
+  Widget::receivedFocusWidget();
+}
+
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void EditableWidget::lostFocusWidget()
 {
@@ -316,22 +342,31 @@ void EditableWidget::drawCaretSelection()
   if (!_editable || !isVisible() || !_boss->isVisible() || !_hasFocus)
     return;
 
-  const Common::Rect& editRect = getEditRect();
-  int x = editRect.x();
-  int y = editRect.y();
+  if(_caretEnabled)
+  {
+    FBSurface& s = _boss->dialog().surface();
+    const Common::Rect& editRect = getEditRect();
+    int x = editRect.x();
+    int y = editRect.y();
+    x += getCaretOffset();
 
-  x += getCaretOffset();
+    x += _x;
+    y += _y;
 
-  x += _x;
-  y += _y;
-
-  FBSurface& s = _boss->dialog().surface();
-  s.vLine(x, y + 2, y + editRect.h() - 2, kTextColorHi);
-  s.vLine(x-1, y + 2, y + editRect.h() - 2, kTextColorHi);
+    s.vLine(x, y + 2, y + editRect.h() - 2, kTextColorHi);
+    s.vLine(x-1, y + 2, y + editRect.h() - 2, kTextColorHi);
+    clearDirty();
+  }
 
   if(_selectSize)
   {
+    FBSurface& s = _boss->dialog().surface();
+    const Common::Rect& editRect = getEditRect();
+    int x = editRect.x();
+    int y = editRect.y();
+
     string text = selectString();
+
     x = editRect.x();
     y = editRect.y();
     int w = editRect.w();
diff --git a/src/gui/EditableWidget.hxx b/src/gui/EditableWidget.hxx
index fda92ccdf..e4dfbc2f7 100644
--- a/src/gui/EditableWidget.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/EditableWidget.hxx
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ class EditableWidget : public Widget, public CommandSender
     void setTextFilter(const TextFilter& filter) { _filter = filter; }
 
   protected:
+    void receivedFocusWidget() override;
     void lostFocusWidget() override;
+    bool isDirty() override;
 
     virtual void startEditMode() { setFlags(Widget::FLAG_WANTS_RAWDATA);   }
     virtual void endEditMode()   { clearFlags(Widget::FLAG_WANTS_RAWDATA); }
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ class EditableWidget : public Widget, public CommandSender
     unique_ptr<UndoHandler> myUndoHandler;
 
     int    _caretPos{0};
+    int    _caretTimer{0};
+    bool   _caretEnabled{true};
 
     // Size of current selected text
     //    0 = no selection
diff --git a/src/gui/GuiObject.hxx b/src/gui/GuiObject.hxx
index 3bb510a6b..a6cf4e5ca 100644
--- a/src/gui/GuiObject.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/GuiObject.hxx
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ class GuiObject : public CommandReceiver
     virtual bool isVisible() const = 0;
     virtual void setDirty() = 0;
     virtual void clearDirty() { _dirty = false; }
-    virtual bool isDirty() const { return _dirty; }
+    virtual bool isDirty() { return _dirty; }
     virtual bool isChainDirty() const = 0;
-    virtual bool needsRedraw() const { return isDirty() || isChainDirty(); };
+    virtual bool needsRedraw() { return isDirty() || isChainDirty(); };
 
     void setFlags(uInt32 flags) { _flags |= flags; setDirty(); }
     void clearFlags(uInt32 flags) { _flags &= ~flags; setDirty(); }
diff --git a/src/gui/Widget.cxx b/src/gui/Widget.cxx
index 6358808e7..c9e0441e7 100644
--- a/src/gui/Widget.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/Widget.cxx
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ void Widget::setDirty()
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-bool Widget::isDirty() const
+bool Widget::isDirty()
 {
   //string name = typeid(*this).name();
   //if(_dirty && name == "class TabWidget")
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ StaticTextWidget::StaticTextWidget(GuiObject* boss, const GUI::Font& font,
     _label(text),
     _align(align)
 {
-  _flags = Widget::FLAG_ENABLED;
+  _flags = Widget::FLAG_ENABLED | FLAG_CLEARBG;
 
   _bgcolor = kDlgColor;
   _bgcolorhi = kDlgColor;
diff --git a/src/gui/Widget.hxx b/src/gui/Widget.hxx
index 270f1eb32..3e70523c0 100644
--- a/src/gui/Widget.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/Widget.hxx
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class Widget : public GuiObject
     virtual bool handleEvent(Event::Type event) { return false; }
 
     void setDirty() override;
-    bool isDirty() const override;
+    bool isDirty() override; // TODO: remove
     bool isChainDirty() const override;
     void draw() override;
     void receivedFocus();