diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/CKEditor.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/CKEditor.tsx
index 27985fda5..8b8839a38 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/CKEditor.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/CKEditor.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@ import { useEffect, useImperativeHandle, useRef } from "preact/compat";
 import { MutableRef } from "preact/hooks";
 
 export interface CKEditorApi {
-    focus: () => void;
+    focus(): void;
+    /**
+     * Imperatively sets the text in the editor.
+     * 
+     * Prefer setting `currentValue` prop where possible.
+     * 
+     * @param text text to set in the editor
+     */
+    setText(text: string): void;
 }
 
 interface CKEditorOpts {
@@ -34,6 +42,9 @@ export default function CKEditor({ apiRef, currentValue, editor, config, disable
                         writer.setSelection(writer.createPositionAt(documentRoot, "end"));
                     }
                 });
+            },
+            setText(text: string) {
+                textEditorRef.current?.setData(text);
             }
         };
     }, [ editorContainerRef ]);
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/components/AttributeEditor.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/components/AttributeEditor.tsx
index 73a37fb4a..9c6084541 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/components/AttributeEditor.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/components/AttributeEditor.tsx
@@ -86,10 +86,9 @@ export default function AttributeEditor({ note, componentId, notePath, ntxId, hi
     const [ state, setState ] = useState<"normal" | "showHelpTooltip" | "showAttributeDetail">();
     const [ error, setError ] = useState<unknown>();
     const [ needsSaving, setNeedsSaving ] = useState(false);
-    const [ initialValue, setInitialValue ] = useState<string>("");
 
     const lastSavedContent = useRef<string>();
-    const currentValueRef = useRef(initialValue);
+    const currentValueRef = useRef("");
     const wrapperRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
     const editorRef = useRef<CKEditorApi>();
 
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ export default function AttributeEditor({ note, componentId, notePath, ntxId, hi
             htmlAttrs += "&nbsp;";
         }        
 
-        setInitialValue(htmlAttrs);
+        editorRef.current?.setText(htmlAttrs);
     }
 
     function parseAttributes() {
@@ -290,7 +289,7 @@ export default function AttributeEditor({ note, componentId, notePath, ntxId, hi
                     className="attribute-list-editor"
                     tabIndex={200}
                     editor={CKEditorAttributeEditor}
-                    currentValue={initialValue}
+                    currentValue="" // handled imperatively
                     config={{
                         toolbar: { items: [] },
                         placeholder: t("attribute_editor.placeholder"),