diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f91c241f20..37956129f8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@
 *.swp
 .idea
 *.iml
+/nbproject
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/codemirror.css b/lib/codemirror.css
index 1067b3ee6b..a6c082889e 100644
--- a/lib/codemirror.css
+++ b/lib/codemirror.css
@@ -84,7 +84,14 @@
 }
 
 /* Can style cursor different in overwrite (non-insert) mode */
-.CodeMirror-overwrite .CodeMirror-cursor {}
+.CodeMirror-overwrite .CodeMirror-cursor {
+  width: auto;
+  background-color: black;
+  color: white;
+  border-left: 0;
+  line-height: normal;
+  white-space: pre;
+}
 
 .cm-tab { display: inline-block; text-decoration: inherit; }
 
diff --git a/lib/codemirror.js b/lib/codemirror.js
index 98163e645a..af354b3211 100644
--- a/lib/codemirror.js
+++ b/lib/codemirror.js
@@ -2321,15 +2321,22 @@
   // Draws a cursor for the given range
   function drawSelectionCursor(cm, head, output) {
     var pos = cursorCoords(cm, head, "div", null, null, !cm.options.singleCursorHeightPerLine);
-
-    var cursor = output.appendChild(elt("div", "\u00a0", "CodeMirror-cursor"));
+    var content = "\u00a0";
+    if (cm.state.overwrite) {
+      var lineObj = getLine(cm.doc, head.line);
+      var order = getOrder(lineObj);
+      var part = getBidiPartAt(order, head.ch);
+      var next = movePos(cm.doc, head, part % 2 ? -1 : 1, 0);
+      content = next ? (getBetween(cm.doc, part % 2 ? next : head, part % 2 ? head : next)[0] || content) : content;
+    }
+    var cursor = output.appendChild(elt("div", content, "CodeMirror-cursor"));
     cursor.style.left = pos.left + "px";
     cursor.style.top = pos.top + "px";
     cursor.style.height = Math.max(0, pos.bottom - pos.top) * cm.options.cursorHeight + "px";
 
     if (pos.other) {
       // Secondary cursor, shown when on a 'jump' in bi-directional text
-      var otherCursor = output.appendChild(elt("div", "\u00a0", "CodeMirror-cursor CodeMirror-secondarycursor"));
+      var otherCursor = output.appendChild(elt("div", content, "CodeMirror-cursor CodeMirror-secondarycursor"));
       otherCursor.style.display = "";
       otherCursor.style.left = pos.other.left + "px";
       otherCursor.style.top = pos.other.top + "px";
@@ -5241,7 +5248,7 @@
         addClass(this.display.cursorDiv, "CodeMirror-overwrite");
       else
         rmClass(this.display.cursorDiv, "CodeMirror-overwrite");
-
+      updateSelection(this);
       signal(this, "overwriteToggle", this, this.state.overwrite);
     },
     hasFocus: function() { return this.display.input.getField() == activeElt(); },