diff --git a/src/gui/Base/HTextArea.qml b/src/gui/Base/HTextArea.qml
index 999a0f9f..1992d085 100644
--- a/src/gui/Base/HTextArea.qml
+++ b/src/gui/Base/HTextArea.qml
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ TextArea {
 
     property var focusItemOnTab: null
     property var disabledText: null
-    property string defaultText: ""
-    readonly property bool changed: text !== defaultText
+    property var defaultText: null  // XXX test me
+    readonly property bool changed: text !== (defaultText || "")
 
     property alias backgroundColor: textAreaBackground.color
     property color borderColor: theme.controls.textArea.border
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ TextArea {
     property string previousDefaultText: ""  // private
 
 
-    function reset() { clear(); text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText) }
+    function reset() { clear(); text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText || "") }
     function insertAtCursor(text) { insert(cursorPosition, text) }
 
 
-    text: defaultText
+    text: defaultText || ""
     opacity: enabled ? 1 : theme.disabledElementsOpacity
     selectByMouse: true
     leftPadding: theme.spacing
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ TextArea {
 
     onTextChanged: window.saveState(this)
 
-    onActiveFocusChanged: text = text  // Break binding
+    onActiveFocusChanged:
+        if (defaultText !== null) text = text  // Break binding
 
-    onDefaultTextChanged: {
+    onDefaultTextChanged: if (defaultText !== null) {
         if (text === previousDefaultText)
             text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText)
 
diff --git a/src/gui/Base/HTextField.qml b/src/gui/Base/HTextField.qml
index 99a0d46a..e26a7be3 100644
--- a/src/gui/Base/HTextField.qml
+++ b/src/gui/Base/HTextField.qml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import QtQuick.Controls 2.12
 
 TextField {
     id: field
-    text: defaultText
+    text: defaultText || ""
     opacity: enabled ? 1 : theme.disabledElementsOpacity
     selectByMouse: true
     leftPadding: theme.spacing
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ TextField {
 
     onTextChanged: window.saveState(this)
 
-    onActiveFocusChanged: text = text  // Break binding
+    onActiveFocusChanged:
+        if (defaultText !== null) text = text  // Break binding
 
-    onDefaultTextChanged: {
+    onDefaultTextChanged: if (defaultText !== null) {
         if (text === previousDefaultText)
             text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText)
 
@@ -89,13 +90,13 @@ TextField {
     property color focusedBorderColor: theme.controls.textField.focusedBorder
 
     property var disabledText: null
-    property string defaultText: ""
-    readonly property bool changed: text !== defaultText
+    property var defaultText: null
+    readonly property bool changed: text !== (defaultText || "")
 
     property string previousDefaultText: ""  // private
 
 
-    function reset() { clear(); text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText)}
+    function reset() { clear(); text = Qt.binding(() => defaultText || "")}
 
 
     Binding on color {