diff --git a/src/guiengine/engine.cpp b/src/guiengine/engine.cpp
index f59d86f35..4601ee3aa 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/engine.cpp
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ void transmitEvent(Widget* widget, std::string& name, const int playerID)
     
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------    
 void render(float elapsed_time)
-{
+{    
     GUIEngine::dt = elapsed_time;
     
      // ---- menu drawing
diff --git a/src/guiengine/event_handler.cpp b/src/guiengine/event_handler.cpp
index e3b616c73..678480e03 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/event_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/event_handler.cpp
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ void EventHandler::processAction(const int action, const unsigned int value, Inp
             break;
             
         case PA_FIRE:
-            if (pressedDown && !isWithinATextBox)
+            if (pressedDown && !isWithinATextBox())
             {
                 Widget* w = GUIEngine::getFocusForPlayer(playerID);
                 if (w == NULL) break;
diff --git a/src/guiengine/widget.cpp b/src/guiengine/widget.cpp
index d2106ad13..130654223 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/widget.cpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/widget.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ using namespace gui;
 
 namespace GUIEngine
 {
+    
+    static bool g_is_within_a_text_box = false;
+    bool isWithinATextBox()
+    {
+        return g_is_within_a_text_box;
+    }
+    void setWithinATextBox(bool in)
+    {
+        g_is_within_a_text_box = in;
+    }
+    
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Widget::Widget(bool reserve_id)
 {
diff --git a/src/guiengine/widget.hpp b/src/guiengine/widget.hpp
index ccfcc0924..c042a1f70 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/widget.hpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/widget.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ namespace GUIEngine
         PROP_SQUARE
     };
     
-    static bool isWithinATextBox = false;
+    bool isWithinATextBox();
+    void setWithinATextBox(bool in);
     
     /**
       * The nearly-abstract base of all widgets (not fully abstract since a bare Widget
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ namespace GUIEngine
         virtual EventPropagation mouseHovered(Widget* child) { return EVENT_BLOCK; }
         
         /** override in children if you need to know when the widget is focused. return whether to block event */
-        virtual EventPropagation focused(const int playerID) { isWithinATextBox = false; return EVENT_LET; }
+        virtual EventPropagation focused(const int playerID) { setWithinATextBox(false); return EVENT_LET; }
         
         /** override in children if you need to know when the widget is unfocused. */
         virtual void unfocused(const int playerID) { }
diff --git a/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.cpp b/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.cpp
index 4c6cfd6ee..3a5875aee 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.cpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ EventPropagation TextBoxWidget::focused(const int playerID)
     
     // special case : to work, the text box must receive "irrLicht focus", STK focus is not enough
     GUIEngine::getGUIEnv()->setFocus(m_element);
-    isWithinATextBox = true;
+    setWithinATextBox(true);
     return EVENT_LET;
 }
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ void TextBoxWidget::unfocused(const int playerID)
 {
     assert(playerID == 0); // No support for multiple players in text areas!
 
+    setWithinATextBox(false);
+    
     // special case : to work, the text box must receive "irrLicht focus", STK focus is not enough
     // below is a cheap way to unset the irrLicht focus from the widget (nope, 'removeFocus' from
     // IGUIEnv doesn't work reliably, not sure why)
diff --git a/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.hpp b/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.hpp
index 0555d9b78..b73b6e9f3 100644
--- a/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.hpp
+++ b/src/guiengine/widgets/text_box_widget.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace GUIEngine
         TextBoxWidget();
         ~TextBoxWidget()
         {
-            isWithinATextBox = false;   
+            setWithinATextBox(false);
         }
         
         void add();
diff --git a/src/input/input_manager.cpp b/src/input/input_manager.cpp
index 553ff1d17..c50601316 100644
--- a/src/input/input_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/input/input_manager.cpp
@@ -461,11 +461,11 @@ EventPropagation InputManager::input(const SEvent& event)
             // 'backspace' in a text control must never be mapped, since user can be in a text
             // area trying to erase text (and if it's mapped to rescue that would dismiss the
             // dialog instead of erasing a single letter). Same for spacebar.
-            if (key == KEY_BACK && GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox)
+            if (key == KEY_BACK && GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox())
             {
                 return EVENT_LET;
             }
-            if (key == KEY_SPACE && GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox)
+            if (key == KEY_SPACE && GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox())
             {
                 return EVENT_LET;
             }
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ EventPropagation InputManager::input(const SEvent& event)
 #endif
     
     // block events in all modes but initial menus (except in text boxes to allow typing, and exceptm in modal dialogs in-game)
-    if (getDeviceList()->playerAssignMode() != NO_ASSIGN && !GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox &&
+    if (getDeviceList()->playerAssignMode() != NO_ASSIGN && !GUIEngine::isWithinATextBox() &&
         (!GUIEngine::ModalDialog::isADialogActive() && StateManager::get()->getGameState() == GUIEngine::GAME))
     {
         return EVENT_BLOCK;