diff --git a/src/components/editable-list.jsx b/src/components/editable-list.jsx
index e5817ac59..2440232f7 100644
--- a/src/components/editable-list.jsx
+++ b/src/components/editable-list.jsx
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class EditableList extends Component {
     super(props);
     this.state = props.initialState || {
       dropInsertionIndex: -1,
-      editingIndex: null,
+      editingIndex: -1,
       creatingItem: false,
     };
   }
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class EditableList extends Component {
   };
 
   _clearEditingState = (callback)=> {
-    this._setStateAndFocus({editingIndex: null}, callback);
+    this._setStateAndFocus({editingIndex: -1}, callback);
   };
 
   _clearCreatingState = (callback)=> {
@@ -288,6 +288,12 @@ class EditableList extends Component {
       return;
     }
 
+    if (row.dataset.itemIdx / 1 === this.state.editingIndex / 1) {
+      // dragging the row currently being edited makes text selection impossible
+      event.preventDefault();
+      return;
+    }
+
     event.dataTransfer.setData('editablelist-index', row.dataset.itemIdx);
     event.dataTransfer.setData('editablelist-reactid', wrapperId);
     event.dataTransfer.effectAllowed = "move";