diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
index 5c224d79c0..d073a0be25 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
@@ -29,13 +29,21 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         room: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     },
 
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        return {
+            name: null,
+        };
+    },
+
     componentWillMount: function() {
         const room = this.props.room;
         const name = room.currentState.getStateEvents('m.room.name', '');
         const myId = MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId;
         const defaultName = room.getDefaultRoomName(myId);
 
-        this._initialName = name ? name.getContent().name : '';
+        this.setState({
+            name: name ? name.getContent().name : '',
+        });
 
         this._placeholderName = _t("Unnamed Room");
         if (defaultName && defaultName !== 'Empty room') { // default name from JS SDK, needs no translation as we don't ever show it.
@@ -44,7 +52,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     getRoomName: function() {
-        return this.refs.editor.getValue();
+        return this.state.name;
+    },
+
+    _onValueChanged: function(value, shouldSubmit) {
+        this.setState({
+            name: value,
+        });
     },
 
     render: function() {
@@ -57,7 +71,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                          placeholderClassName="mx_RoomHeader_placeholder"
                          placeholder={this._placeholderName}
                          blurToCancel={false}
-                         initialValue={this._initialName}
+                         initialValue={this.state.name}
+                         onValueChanged={this._onValueChanged}
                          dir="auto" />
                 </div>
         );
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomTopicEditor.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomTopicEditor.js
index 8f950d625c..7ad02f264c 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomTopicEditor.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomTopicEditor.js
@@ -28,26 +28,41 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         room: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     },
 
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        return {
+            topic: null,
+        };
+    },
+
     componentWillMount: function() {
         const room = this.props.room;
         const topic = room.currentState.getStateEvents('m.room.topic', '');
-        this._initialTopic = topic ? topic.getContent().topic : '';
+        this.setState({
+            topic: topic ? topic.getContent().topic : '',
+        });
     },
 
     getTopic: function() {
-        return this.refs.editor.getValue();
+        return this.state.topic;
+    },
+
+    _onValueChanged: function(value) {
+        this.setState({
+            topic: value,
+        });
     },
 
     render: function() {
         const EditableText = sdk.getComponent("elements.EditableText");
 
         return (
-                <EditableText ref="editor"
+                <EditableText
                      className="mx_RoomHeader_topic mx_RoomHeader_editable"
                      placeholderClassName="mx_RoomHeader_placeholder"
                      placeholder={_t("Add a topic")}
                      blurToCancel={false}
-                     initialValue={this._initialTopic}
+                     initialValue={this.state.topic}
+                     onValueChanged={this._onValueChanged}
                      dir="auto" />
         );
     },