diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.css b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.css
index ab24828bd..2bf1feaf5 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.css
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.css
@@ -16,3 +16,14 @@
   margin: 12px 0 0 12px;
   color: #bbb;
 }
+
+.toolbarDisabled {
+  background: #f8f8f8;
+  cursor: default;
+}
+
+.contentEditableDisabled {
+  background: #fafafa;
+  color: #888;
+  cursor: default;
+}
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.js
index 422109292..2694c3a26 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/RTE.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class RTE extends React.Component {
   }
 
   handleChange = () => {
+    this.handleSelectionChange();
     this.props.onChange({
       text: this.ref.htmlEl.innerText,
       html: this.ref.htmlEl.innerHTML,
@@ -60,18 +61,10 @@ class RTE extends React.Component {
     return handled;
   };
 
-  handleClick = () => {
+  handleMouseUp = () => {
     setTimeout(() => this.handleSelectionChange());
   };
 
-  handleKeyDown = () => {
-    this.handleSelectionChange();
-  };
-
-  handleKeyUp = () => {
-    this.handleSelectionChange();
-  };
-
   handleKeyPress = e => {
     this.handleSelectionChange();
     if (e.key === 'Enter') {
@@ -92,36 +85,51 @@ class RTE extends React.Component {
   renderButtons() {
     return this.props.buttons.map(b => {
       return React.cloneElement(b, {
+        disabled: this.props.disabled,
         api: this.api,
         ref: this.createButtonRefHandler(b.key),
       });
     });
   }
 
+  getClassNames() {
+    const { disabled } = this.props;
+    return {
+      toolbar: cn(this.props.toolbarClassName, {
+        [this.props.toolbarClassNameDisabled]: disabled,
+        [styles.toolbarDisabled]: disabled,
+      }),
+      content: cn(styles.contentEditable, this.props.contentClassName, {
+        [this.props.contentClassNameDisabled]: disabled,
+        [styles.contentEditableDisabled]: disabled,
+      }),
+      root: cn(this.props.className, {
+        [this.props.classNameDisabled]: disabled,
+      }),
+      placeholder: cn(styles.placeholder, this.props.placeholderClassName, {
+        [this.props.placeholderClassNameDisabled]: disabled,
+      }),
+    };
+  }
+
   render() {
-    const {
-      className,
-      contentClassName,
-      toolbarClassName,
-      value,
-      placeholder,
-      inputId,
-    } = this.props;
+    const { value, placeholder, inputId, disabled } = this.props;
+
+    const classNames = this.getClassNames();
 
     return (
-      <div className={cn(styles.root, className)}>
-        <Toolbar className={toolbarClassName}>{this.renderButtons()}</Toolbar>
-        {!value && <div className={styles.placeholder}>{placeholder}</div>}
+      <div className={classNames.root}>
+        <Toolbar className={classNames.toolbar}>{this.renderButtons()}</Toolbar>
+        {!value && <div className={classNames.placeholder}>{placeholder}</div>}
         <ContentEditable
           id={inputId}
-          onClick={this.handleClick}
+          onMouseUp={this.handleMouseUp}
+          onKeyUp={this.handleSelectionChange}
           onKeyPress={this.handleKeyPress}
-          onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
-          onKeyUp={this.handleKeyDown}
-          className={cn(contentClassName, styles.contentEditable)}
+          className={classNames.content}
           ref={this.handleRef}
           html={value}
-          disabled={false}
+          disabled={disabled}
           onChange={this.handleChange}
         />
       </div>
@@ -140,8 +148,13 @@ RTE.propTypes = {
   onChange: PropTypes.func,
   disabled: PropTypes.bool,
   className: PropTypes.string,
+  classNameDisabled: PropTypes.string,
   contentClassName: PropTypes.string,
+  contentClassNameDisabled: PropTypes.string,
   toolbarClassName: PropTypes.string,
+  toolbarClassNameDisabled: PropTypes.string,
+  placeholderClassName: PropTypes.string,
+  placeholderClassNameDisabled: PropTypes.string,
   placeholder: PropTypes.string,
   value: PropTypes.string,
 };
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Blockquote.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Blockquote.js
index 7d3b76d6f..d12429339 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Blockquote.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Blockquote.js
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ function execCommand() {
       insertNodes(node);
       selectNode(node);
     }
-    this.broadcastChange();
   }
+  this.broadcastChange();
 }
 
-function syncState() {
+function isActive() {
   return !!findIntersectingTag('BLOCKQUOTE');
 }
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ const onEnter = node => {
   return true;
 };
 
-const Blockquote = createToggle(execCommand, syncState, { onEnter });
+const Blockquote = createToggle(execCommand, { onEnter, isActive });
 
 Blockquote.defaultProps = {
   children: 'Blockquote',
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Bold.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Bold.js
index 4988b0679..7f6259c77 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Bold.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Bold.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import createToggle from '../factories/createToggle';
 
 const execCommand = () => document.execCommand('bold');
-const syncState = () => document.queryCommandState('bold');
+const isActive = () => document.queryCommandState('bold');
 
-const Bold = createToggle(execCommand, syncState);
+const Bold = createToggle(execCommand, { isActive });
 
 Bold.defaultProps = {
   children: 'Bold',
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Italic.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Italic.js
index 6387e4237..f7fc6a4f4 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Italic.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/buttons/Italic.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import createToggle from '../factories/createToggle';
 
 const execCommand = () => document.execCommand('italic');
-const syncState = () => document.queryCommandState('italic');
+const isActive = () => document.queryCommandState('italic');
 
-const Italic = createToggle(execCommand, syncState);
+const Italic = createToggle(execCommand, { isActive });
 
 Italic.defaultProps = {
   children: 'Italic',
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.css b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.css
index daedd54ec..070906205 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.css
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.css
@@ -35,3 +35,9 @@
   border-radius: 3px;
   background-color: #ddd;
 }
+
+.button:disabled{
+  color: #bbb;
+  cursor: default;
+  background-color: inherit;
+}
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.js
index f7bc75941..f99648cb7 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/components/Button.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class Button extends React.Component {
       children,
       active,
       activeClassName,
+      disabled,
     } = this.props;
     return (
       <button
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ class Button extends React.Component {
         })}
         title={title}
         onClick={onClick}
+        disabled={disabled}
       >
         {children}
       </button>
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ Button.propTypes = {
   onClick: PropTypes.func,
   children: PropTypes.node,
   active: PropTypes.bool,
+  disabled: PropTypes.bool,
 };
 
 export default Button;
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/factories/createToggle.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/factories/createToggle.js
index 040dc6543..b307ae199 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/factories/createToggle.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/factories/createToggle.js
@@ -2,14 +2,19 @@ import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import Button from '../components/Button';
 
-const createToggle = (execCommand, getCurrentState, { onEnter } = {}) => {
+const createToggle = (
+  execCommand,
+  { onEnter, isActive = () => false, isDisabled = () => false } = {}
+) => {
   class Toggle extends React.Component {
     state = {
       active: false,
+      disabled: false,
     };
 
     execCommand = () => execCommand.apply(this.props.api);
-    getCurrentState = () => getCurrentState.apply(this.props.api);
+    isActive = () => isActive.apply(this.props.api);
+    isDisabled = () => isDisabled.apply(this.props.api);
     onEnter = (...args) => onEnter && onEnter.apply(this.props.api, args);
 
     formatToggle = () => {
@@ -23,11 +28,16 @@ const createToggle = (execCommand, getCurrentState, { onEnter } = {}) => {
     };
 
     syncState = () => {
-      if (this.state.active !== this.getCurrentState()) {
+      if (this.state.active !== this.isActive()) {
         this.setState(state => ({
           active: !state.active,
         }));
       }
+      if (this.state.disabled !== this.isDisabled()) {
+        this.setState(state => ({
+          disabled: !state.disabled,
+        }));
+      }
     };
 
     onSelectionChange() {
@@ -35,13 +45,14 @@ const createToggle = (execCommand, getCurrentState, { onEnter } = {}) => {
     }
 
     render() {
-      const { className, title, children } = this.props;
+      const { className, title, children, disabled } = this.props;
       return (
         <Button
           className={className}
           title={title}
           onClick={this.handleClick}
           active={this.state.active}
+          disabled={disabled || this.state.disabled}
         >
           {children}
         </Button>
@@ -54,6 +65,7 @@ const createToggle = (execCommand, getCurrentState, { onEnter } = {}) => {
     className: PropTypes.string,
     title: PropTypes.string,
     children: PropTypes.node,
+    disabled: PropTypes.bool,
   };
   return Toggle;
 };
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/lib/dom.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/lib/dom.js
index 24a22f317..e611de234 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/lib/dom.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-rich-text/client/components/rte/lib/dom.js
@@ -118,11 +118,24 @@ function ensureEndMarker(node) {
   }
 }
 
+export function nodeContains(node, lookFor) {
+  if (node.isSameNode(lookFor)) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < node.childNodes.length; i++) {
+    if (nodeContains(node.childNodes[i], lookFor)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 export function selectionIsInside(node) {
   const range = getSelectionRange();
   return (
     range &&
-    (node.contains(range.startContainer) || node.contains(range.endContainer))
+    (nodeContains(node, range.startContainer) ||
+      nodeContains(node, range.endContainer))
   );
 }
 
@@ -251,6 +264,9 @@ export function getWholeLine(node) {
     return [node];
   }
   const child = lastParentBeforeBlock(node);
+  if (child.tagName === 'BR') {
+    return [...getLeftOfNode(child), child];
+  }
   return [...getLeftOfNode(child), child, ...getRightOfNode(child)];
 }
 
@@ -302,13 +318,13 @@ export function getSelectedChildren(ancestor) {
   for (let i = 0; i < ancestor.childNodes.length; i++) {
     const node = ancestor.childNodes[i];
     if (!foundStart) {
-      if (node.contains(start)) {
+      if (nodeContains(node, start)) {
         foundStart = true;
       }
     }
     if (foundStart) {
       result.push(node);
-      if (node.contains(end)) {
+      if (nodeContains(node, end)) {
         break;
       }
     }