diff --git a/lib/ace/ace.js b/lib/ace/ace.js
index d7da2fb7..500b458f 100644
--- a/lib/ace/ace.js
+++ b/lib/ace/ace.js
@@ -79,11 +79,21 @@ exports.edit = function(el) {
             throw new Error("ace.edit can't find div #" + _id);
     }
 
-    if (el.env && el.env.editor instanceof Editor)
+    if (el && el.env && el.env.editor instanceof Editor)
         return el.env.editor;
 
-    var doc = exports.createEditSession(dom.getInnerText(el));
-    el.innerHTML = '';
+    var value = "";
+    if (el && /input|textarea/i.test(el.tagName)) {
+        var oldNode = el;
+        value = oldNode.value;
+        el = dom.createElement("pre");
+        oldNode.parentNode.replaceChild(el, oldNode);
+    } else {
+        value = dom.getInnerText(el);
+        el.innerHTML = '';
+    }
+
+    var doc = exports.createEditSession(value);
 
     var editor = new Editor(new Renderer(el));
     editor.setSession(doc);
@@ -93,11 +103,12 @@ exports.edit = function(el) {
         editor: editor,
         onResize: editor.resize.bind(editor, null)
     };
+    if (oldNode) env.textarea = oldNode;
     event.addListener(window, "resize", env.onResize);
     editor.on("destroy", function() {
         event.removeListener(window, "resize", env.onResize);
     });
-    el.env = editor.env = env;
+    editor.container.env = editor.env = env;
     return editor;
 };