diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/painting.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/painting.dart
index 09da154f52..ca38e5f8de 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/painting.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/painting.dart
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export 'src/painting/colors.dart';
 export 'src/painting/decoration.dart';
 export 'src/painting/edge_dims.dart';
 export 'src/painting/shadows.dart';
+export 'src/painting/text_editing.dart';
 export 'src/painting/text_painter.dart';
 export 'src/painting/text_style.dart';
 export 'src/painting/transforms.dart';
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/input.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/input.dart
index cad4757ab6..9c551b0de1 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/input.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/input.dart
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class Input extends StatefulComponent {
   Input({
     GlobalKey key,
     this.initialValue: '',
+    this.initialSelection,
     this.keyboardType: KeyboardType.text,
     this.icon,
     this.labelText,
@@ -35,9 +36,12 @@ class Input extends StatefulComponent {
     assert(key != null);
   }
 
-  /// Initial editable text for the input field.
+  /// The initial editable text for the input field.
   final String initialValue;
 
+  /// The initial selection for this input field.
+  final TextSelection initialSelection;
+
   /// The type of keyboard to use for editing the text.
   final KeyboardType keyboardType;
 
@@ -90,6 +94,7 @@ class _InputState extends State<Input> {
     _value = config.initialValue;
     _editableString = new EditableString(
       text: _value,
+      selection: config.initialSelection,
       onUpdated: _handleTextUpdated,
       onSubmitted: _handleTextSubmitted
     );
@@ -215,7 +220,8 @@ class _InputState extends State<Input> {
         focused: focused,
         style: textStyle,
         hideText: config.hideText,
-        cursorColor: cursorColor
+        cursorColor: cursorColor,
+        selectionColor: cursorColor
       )
     ));
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_editing.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_editing.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00a0835c71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_editing.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+/// Whether a [TextPosition] is visually upstream or downstream of its offset.
+///
+/// For example, when a text position exists at a line break, a single offset has
+/// two visual positions, one prior to the line break (at the end of the first
+/// line) and one after the line break (at the start of the second line). A text
+/// affinity disambiguates between those cases. (Something similar happens with
+/// between runs of bidirectional text.)
+enum TextAffinity {
+  /// The position has affinity for the upstream side of the text position.
+  ///
+  /// For example, if the offset of the text position is a line break, the
+  /// position represents the end of the first line.
+  upstream,
+
+  /// The position has affinity for the downstream side of the text position.
+  ///
+  /// For example, if the offset of the text position is a line break, the
+  /// position represents the start of the second line.
+  downstream
+}
+
+/// A visual position in a string of text.
+class TextPosition {
+  const TextPosition({ this.offset, this.affinity: TextAffinity.downstream });
+
+  /// The index of the character just prior to the position.
+  final int offset;
+
+  /// If the offset has more than one visual location (e.g., occurs at a line
+  /// break), which of the two locations is represented by this position.
+  final TextAffinity affinity;
+}
+
+/// A range of characters in a string of text.
+class TextRange {
+  const TextRange({ this.start, this.end });
+
+  /// A text range that starts and ends at offset.
+  const TextRange.collapsed(int offset)
+    : start = offset,
+      end = offset;
+
+  /// A text range that contains nothing and is not in the text.
+  static const TextRange empty = const TextRange(start: -1, end: -1);
+
+  /// The index of the first character in the range.
+  final int start;
+
+  /// The next index after the characters in this range.
+  final int end;
+
+  /// Whether this range represents a valid position in the text.
+  bool get isValid => start >= 0 && end >= 0;
+
+  /// Whether this range is empty (but still potentially placed inside the text).
+  bool get isCollapsed => start == end;
+
+  /// Whether the start of this range preceeds the end.
+  bool get isNormalized => end >= start;
+
+  /// The text before this range.
+  String textBefore(String text) {
+    assert(isNormalized);
+    return text.substring(0, start);
+  }
+
+  /// The text after this range.
+  String textAfter(String text) {
+    assert(isNormalized);
+    return text.substring(end);
+  }
+
+  /// The text inside this range.
+  String textInside(String text) {
+    assert(isNormalized);
+    return text.substring(start, end);
+  }
+}
+
+/// A range of text that represents a selection.
+class TextSelection extends TextRange {
+  const TextSelection({
+    int baseOffset,
+    int extentOffset,
+    this.affinity: TextAffinity.downstream,
+    this.isDirectional: false
+  }) : baseOffset = baseOffset,
+       extentOffset = extentOffset,
+       super(
+         start: baseOffset < extentOffset ? baseOffset : extentOffset,
+         end: baseOffset < extentOffset ? extentOffset : baseOffset
+       );
+
+  const TextSelection.collapsed({
+    int offset,
+    this.affinity: TextAffinity.downstream,
+    this.isDirectional: false
+  }) : baseOffset = offset, extentOffset = offset, super.collapsed(offset);
+
+  /// The offset at which the selection originates.
+  ///
+  /// Might be larger than, smaller than, or equal to extent.
+  final int baseOffset;
+
+  /// The offset at which the selection terminates.
+  ///
+  /// When the user uses the arrow keys to adjust the selection, this is the
+  /// value that changes. Similarly, if the current theme paints a caret on one
+  /// side of the selection, this is the location at which to paint the caret.
+  ///
+  /// Might be larger than, smaller than, or equal to base.
+  final int extentOffset;
+
+  /// If the the text range is collpased and has more than one visual location
+  /// (e.g., occurs at a line break), which of the two locations to use when
+  /// painting the caret.
+  final TextAffinity affinity;
+
+  /// Whether this selection has disambiguated its base and extent.
+  ///
+  /// On some platforms, the base and extent are not disambiguated until the
+  /// first time the user adjusts the selection. At that point, either the start
+  /// or the end of the selection becomes the base and the other one becomes the
+  /// extent and is adjusted.
+  final bool isDirectional;
+
+  /// The position at which the selection originates.
+  ///
+  /// Might be larger than, smaller than, or equal to extent.
+  TextPosition get base => new TextPosition(offset: baseOffset, affinity: affinity);
+
+  /// The position at which the selection terminates.
+  ///
+  /// When the user uses the arrow keys to adjust the selection, this is the
+  /// value that changes. Similarly, if the current theme paints a caret on one
+  /// side of the selection, this is the location at which to paint the caret.
+  ///
+  /// Might be larger than, smaller than, or equal to base.
+  TextPosition get extent => new TextPosition(offset: extentOffset, affinity: affinity);
+}
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_painter.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_painter.dart
index d9b3f8976d..4325c70d0b 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_painter.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/painting/text_painter.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import 'dart:ui' as ui;
 
 import 'basic_types.dart';
+import 'text_editing.dart';
 import 'text_style.dart';
 
 /// An immutable span of text.
@@ -215,4 +216,53 @@ class TextPainter {
     assert(!_needsLayout && "Please call layout() before paint() to position the text before painting it." is String);
     _paragraph.paint(canvas, offset);
   }
+
+  Offset _getOffsetFromUpstream(int offset, Rect caretPrototype) {
+    List<ui.TextBox> boxes = _paragraph.getBoxesForRange(offset - 1, offset);
+    if (boxes.isEmpty)
+      return null;
+    ui.TextBox box = boxes[0];
+    double caretEnd = box.end;
+    double dx = box.direction == ui.TextDirection.rtl ? caretEnd : caretEnd - caretPrototype.width;
+    return new Offset(dx, 0.0);
+  }
+
+  Offset _getOffsetFromDownstream(int offset, Rect caretPrototype) {
+    List<ui.TextBox> boxes = _paragraph.getBoxesForRange(offset, offset + 1);
+    if (boxes.isEmpty)
+      return null;
+    ui.TextBox box = boxes[0];
+    double caretStart = box.start;
+    double dx = box.direction == ui.TextDirection.rtl ? caretStart - caretPrototype.width : caretStart;
+    return new Offset(dx, 0.0);
+  }
+
+  /// Returns the offset at which to paint the caret.
+  Offset getOffsetForCaret(TextPosition position, Rect caretPrototype) {
+    assert(!_needsLayout);
+    int offset = position.offset;
+    // TODO(abarth): Handle the directionality of the text painter itself.
+    const Offset emptyOffset = Offset.zero;
+    switch (position.affinity) {
+      case TextAffinity.upstream:
+        return _getOffsetFromUpstream(offset, caretPrototype)
+            ?? _getOffsetFromDownstream(offset, caretPrototype)
+            ?? emptyOffset;
+      case TextAffinity.downstream:
+        return _getOffsetFromDownstream(offset, caretPrototype)
+            ?? _getOffsetFromUpstream(offset, caretPrototype)
+            ?? emptyOffset;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /// Returns a list of rects that bound the given selection.
+  ///
+  /// A given selection might have more than one rect if this text painter
+  /// contains bidirectional text because logically contiguous text might not be
+  /// visually contiguous.
+  List<ui.TextBox> getBoxesForSelection(TextSelection selection) {
+    assert(!_needsLayout);
+    return _paragraph.getBoxesForRange(selection.start, selection.end);
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable_line.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable_line.dart
index 5967b9bec3..4b8c47b67c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable_line.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable_line.dart
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import 'object.dart';
 import 'paragraph.dart';
 import 'proxy_box.dart' show SizeChangedCallback;
 
-const _kCursorGap = 1.0; // pixels
-const _kCursorHeightOffset = 2.0; // pixels
-const _kCursorWidth = 1.0; // pixels
+const _kCaretGap = 1.0; // pixels
+const _kCaretHeightOffset = 2.0; // pixels
+const _kCaretWidth = 1.0; // pixels
 
 final String _kZeroWidthSpace = new String.fromCharCode(0x200B);
 
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@ class RenderEditableLine extends RenderBox {
     StyledTextSpan text,
     Color cursorColor,
     bool showCursor: false,
+    Color selectionColor,
+    TextSelection selection,
     Offset paintOffset: Offset.zero,
     this.onContentSizeChanged
   }) : _textPainter = new TextPainter(text),
        _cursorColor = cursorColor,
        _showCursor = showCursor,
+       _selection = selection,
        _paintOffset = paintOffset {
   assert(!showCursor || cursorColor != null);
   // TODO(abarth): These min/max values should be the default for TextPainter.
@@ -72,6 +75,27 @@ class RenderEditableLine extends RenderBox {
     markNeedsPaint();
   }
 
+  Color get selectionColor => _selectionColor;
+  Color _selectionColor;
+  void set selectionColor(Color value) {
+    if (_selectionColor == value)
+      return;
+    _selectionColor = value;
+    markNeedsPaint();
+  }
+
+  List<ui.TextBox> _selectionRects;
+
+  TextSelection get selection => _selection;
+  TextSelection _selection;
+  void set selection(TextSelection value) {
+    if (_selection == value)
+      return;
+    _selection = value;
+    _selectionRects = null;
+    markNeedsPaint();
+  }
+
   Offset get paintOffset => _paintOffset;
   Offset _paintOffset;
   void set paintOffset(Offset value) {
@@ -144,10 +168,14 @@ class RenderEditableLine extends RenderBox {
     _constraintsForCurrentLayout = constraints;
   }
 
+  Rect _caretPrototype;
+
   void performLayout() {
     size = new Size(constraints.maxWidth, constraints.constrainHeight(_preferredHeight));
+    _caretPrototype = new Rect.fromLTWH(0.0, _kCaretHeightOffset, _kCaretWidth, size.height - 2.0 * _kCaretHeightOffset);
+    _selectionRects = null;
     _layoutText(new BoxConstraints(minHeight: constraints.minHeight, maxHeight: constraints.maxHeight));
-    Size contentSize = new Size(_textPainter.width + _kCursorGap + _kCursorWidth, _textPainter.height);
+    Size contentSize = new Size(_textPainter.width + _kCaretGap + _kCaretWidth, _textPainter.height);
     if (_contentSize != contentSize) {
       _contentSize = contentSize;
       if (onContentSizeChanged != null)
@@ -155,20 +183,41 @@ class RenderEditableLine extends RenderBox {
     }
   }
 
-  void _paintContents(PaintingContext context, Offset offset) {
-    _textPainter.paint(context.canvas, offset + _paintOffset);
+  void _paintCaret(Canvas canvas, Offset effectiveOffset) {
+    Offset caretOffset = _textPainter.getOffsetForCaret(_selection.extent, _caretPrototype);
+    Paint paint = new Paint()..color = _cursorColor;
+    canvas.drawRect(_caretPrototype.shift(caretOffset + effectiveOffset), paint);
+  }
 
-    if (_showCursor) {
-      Rect cursorRect =  new Rect.fromLTWH(
-        offset.dx + _paintOffset.dx + _contentSize.width - _kCursorWidth,
-        offset.dy + _paintOffset.dy + _kCursorHeightOffset,
-        _kCursorWidth,
-        size.height - 2.0 * _kCursorHeightOffset
+  void _paintSelection(Canvas canvas, Offset effectiveOffset) {
+    assert(_selectionRects != null);
+    Paint paint = new Paint()..color = _selectionColor;
+    for (ui.TextBox box in _selectionRects) {
+      Rect selectionRect = new Rect.fromLTWH(
+        effectiveOffset.dx + box.left,
+        effectiveOffset.dy + _kCaretHeightOffset,
+        box.right - box.left,
+        size.height - 2.0 * _kCaretHeightOffset
       );
-      context.canvas.drawRect(cursorRect, new Paint()..color = _cursorColor);
+      canvas.drawRect(selectionRect, paint);
     }
   }
 
+  void _paintContents(PaintingContext context, Offset offset) {
+    Offset effectiveOffset = offset + _paintOffset;
+
+    if (_selection != null) {
+      if (_selection.isCollapsed && _showCursor && cursorColor != null) {
+        _paintCaret(context.canvas, effectiveOffset);
+      } else if (!_selection.isCollapsed && _selectionColor != null) {
+        _selectionRects ??= _textPainter.getBoxesForSelection(_selection);
+        _paintSelection(context.canvas, effectiveOffset);
+      }
+    }
+
+    _textPainter.paint(context.canvas, effectiveOffset);
+  }
+
   bool get _hasVisualOverflow => _contentSize.width > size.width;
 
   void paint(PaintingContext context, Offset offset) {
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable.dart
index 4b5edbdb58..e2222bf4ba 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable.dart
@@ -14,57 +14,19 @@ import 'framework.dart';
 import 'scrollable.dart';
 import 'scroll_behavior.dart';
 
+export 'package:flutter/painting.dart' show TextSelection;
+
 const Duration _kCursorBlinkHalfPeriod = const Duration(milliseconds: 500);
 
-/// A range of characters in a string of tet.
-class TextRange {
-  const TextRange({ this.start, this.end });
-
-  /// A text range that starts and ends at position.
-  const TextRange.collapsed(int position)
-    : start = position,
-      end = position;
-
-  /// A text range that contains nothing and is not in the text.
-  static const TextRange empty = const TextRange(start: -1, end: -1);
-
-  /// The index of the first character in the range.
-  final int start;
-
-  /// The next index after the characters in this range.
-  final int end;
-
-  /// Whether this range represents a valid position in the text.
-  bool get isValid => start >= 0 && end >= 0;
-
-  /// Whether this range is empty (but still potentially placed inside the text).
-  bool get isCollapsed => start == end;
-
-  /// The text before this range.
-  String textBefore(String text) {
-    return text.substring(0, start);
-  }
-
-  /// The text after this range.
-  String textAfter(String text) {
-    return text.substring(end);
-  }
-
-  /// The text inside this range.
-  String textInside(String text) {
-    return text.substring(start, end);
-  }
-}
-
 class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
   _KeyboardClientImpl({
-    this.text: '',
+    String text: '',
+    TextSelection selection,
     this.onUpdated,
     this.onSubmitted
-  }) {
+  }) : text = text, selection = selection ?? new TextSelection.collapsed(offset: text.length) {
     assert(onUpdated != null);
     assert(onSubmitted != null);
-    selection = new TextRange(start: text.length, end: text.length);
   }
 
   /// The current text being edited.
@@ -80,7 +42,7 @@ class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
   TextRange composing = TextRange.empty;
 
   /// The range of text that is currently selected.
-  TextRange selection = TextRange.empty;
+  TextSelection selection;
 
   /// A keyboard client stub that can be attached to a keyboard service.
   KeyboardClientStub createStub() {
@@ -125,7 +87,7 @@ class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
   void commitText(String text, int newCursorPosition) {
     // TODO(abarth): Why is |newCursorPosition| always 1?
     TextRange committedRange = _replaceOrAppend(composing, text);
-    selection = new TextRange.collapsed(committedRange.end);
+    selection = new TextSelection.collapsed(offset: committedRange.end);
     composing = TextRange.empty;
     onUpdated();
   }
@@ -138,9 +100,9 @@ class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
         new TextRange(start: selection.end, end: afterRangeEnd);
     _delete(afterRange);
     _delete(beforeRange);
-    selection = new TextRange(
-      start: math.max(selection.start - beforeLength, 0),
-      end: math.max(selection.end - beforeLength, 0)
+    selection = new TextSelection(
+      baseOffset: math.max(selection.start - beforeLength, 0),
+      extentOffset: math.max(selection.end - beforeLength, 0)
     );
     onUpdated();
   }
@@ -153,12 +115,12 @@ class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
   void setComposingText(String text, int newCursorPosition) {
     // TODO(abarth): Why is |newCursorPosition| always 1?
     composing = _replaceOrAppend(composing, text);
-    selection = new TextRange.collapsed(composing.end);
+    selection = new TextSelection.collapsed(offset: composing.end);
     onUpdated();
   }
 
   void setSelection(int start, int end) {
-    selection = new TextRange(start: start, end: end);
+    selection = new TextSelection(baseOffset: start, extentOffset: end);
     onUpdated();
   }
 
@@ -175,10 +137,12 @@ class _KeyboardClientImpl implements KeyboardClient {
 class EditableString {
   EditableString({
     String text: '',
+    TextSelection selection,
     VoidCallback onUpdated,
     VoidCallback onSubmitted
   }) : _client = new _KeyboardClientImpl(
       text: text,
+      selection: selection,
       onUpdated: onUpdated,
       onSubmitted: onSubmitted
     );
@@ -192,7 +156,7 @@ class EditableString {
   TextRange get composing => _client.composing;
 
   /// The range of text that is currently selected.
-  TextRange get selection => _client.selection;
+  TextSelection get selection => _client.selection;
 
   /// A keyboard client stub that can be attached to a keyboard service.
   ///
@@ -215,7 +179,8 @@ class RawEditableLine extends Scrollable {
     this.focused: false,
     this.hideText: false,
     this.style,
-    this.cursorColor
+    this.cursorColor,
+    this.selectionColor
   }) : super(
     key: key,
     initialScrollOffset: 0.0,
@@ -237,6 +202,9 @@ class RawEditableLine extends Scrollable {
   /// The color to use when painting the cursor.
   final Color cursorColor;
 
+  /// The color to use when painting the selection.
+  final Color selectionColor;
+
   RawEditableTextState createState() => new RawEditableTextState();
 }
 
@@ -307,9 +275,9 @@ class RawEditableTextState extends ScrollableState<RawEditableLine> {
     assert(config.focused != null);
     assert(config.cursorColor != null);
 
-    if (config.focused && _cursorTimer == null)
+    if (_cursorTimer == null && config.focused && config.value.selection.isCollapsed)
       _startCursorTimer();
-    else if (!config.focused && _cursorTimer != null)
+    else if (_cursorTimer != null && (!config.focused || !config.value.selection.isCollapsed))
       _stopCursorTimer();
 
     return new SizeObserver(
@@ -319,6 +287,7 @@ class RawEditableTextState extends ScrollableState<RawEditableLine> {
         style: config.style,
         cursorColor: config.cursorColor,
         showCursor: _showCursor,
+        selectionColor: config.selectionColor,
         hideText: config.hideText,
         onContentSizeChanged: _handleContentSizeChanged,
         paintOffset: new Offset(-scrollOffset, 0.0)
@@ -334,6 +303,7 @@ class _EditableLineWidget extends LeafRenderObjectWidget {
     this.style,
     this.cursorColor,
     this.showCursor,
+    this.selectionColor,
     this.hideText,
     this.onContentSizeChanged,
     this.paintOffset
@@ -343,6 +313,7 @@ class _EditableLineWidget extends LeafRenderObjectWidget {
   final TextStyle style;
   final Color cursorColor;
   final bool showCursor;
+  final Color selectionColor;
   final bool hideText;
   final SizeChangedCallback onContentSizeChanged;
   final Offset paintOffset;
@@ -352,6 +323,8 @@ class _EditableLineWidget extends LeafRenderObjectWidget {
       text: _styledTextSpan,
       cursorColor: cursorColor,
       showCursor: showCursor,
+      selectionColor: selectionColor,
+      selection: value.selection,
       onContentSizeChanged: onContentSizeChanged,
       paintOffset: paintOffset
     );
@@ -362,6 +335,8 @@ class _EditableLineWidget extends LeafRenderObjectWidget {
     renderObject.text = _styledTextSpan;
     renderObject.cursorColor = cursorColor;
     renderObject.showCursor = showCursor;
+    renderObject.selectionColor = selectionColor;
+    renderObject.selection = value.selection;
     renderObject.onContentSizeChanged = onContentSizeChanged;
     renderObject.paintOffset = paintOffset;
   }