diff --git a/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.js b/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.js
index 3902aeddc0..7cf07513b7 100644
--- a/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.js
+++ b/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.js
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ wp.textWidgets = ( function( $ ) {
 			// Sync input fields to hidden sync fields which actually get sent to the server.
 			_.each( control.fields, function( fieldInput, fieldName ) {
 				fieldInput.on( 'input change', function updateSyncField() {
-					var syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( 'input[type=hidden].' + fieldName );
+					var syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( '.sync-input.' + fieldName );
 					if ( syncInput.val() !== fieldInput.val() ) {
 						syncInput.val( fieldInput.val() );
 						syncInput.trigger( 'change' );
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ wp.textWidgets = ( function( $ ) {
 				});
 
 				// Note that syncInput cannot be re-used because it will be destroyed with each widget-updated event.
-				fieldInput.val( control.syncContainer.find( 'input[type=hidden].' + fieldName ).val() );
+				fieldInput.val( control.syncContainer.find( '.sync-input.' + fieldName ).val() );
 			});
 		},
 
@@ -145,11 +145,11 @@ wp.textWidgets = ( function( $ ) {
 			var control = this, syncInput;
 
 			if ( ! control.fields.title.is( document.activeElement ) ) {
-				syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( 'input[type=hidden].title' );
+				syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( '.sync-input.title' );
 				control.fields.title.val( syncInput.val() );
 			}
 
-			syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( 'input[type=hidden].text' );
+			syncInput = control.syncContainer.find( '.sync-input.text' );
 			if ( control.fields.text.is( ':visible' ) ) {
 				if ( ! control.fields.text.is( document.activeElement ) ) {
 					control.fields.text.val( syncInput.val() );
diff --git a/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.min.js b/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.min.js
index 07d2912727..35313b4f1d 100644
--- a/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.min.js
+++ b/wp-admin/js/widgets/text-widgets.min.js
@@ -1 +1 @@
-wp.textWidgets=function(a){"use strict";var b={dismissedPointers:[],idBases:["text"]};return b.TextWidgetControl=Backbone.View.extend({events:{},initialize:function(b){var c=this;if(!b.el)throw new Error("Missing options.el");if(!b.syncContainer)throw new Error("Missing options.syncContainer");Backbone.View.prototype.initialize.call(c,b),c.syncContainer=b.syncContainer,c.$el.addClass("text-widget-fields"),c.$el.html(wp.template("widget-text-control-fields")),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer=c.$el.find(".wp-pointer.custom-html-widget-pointer"),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.length&&(c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.find(".close").on("click",function(b){b.preventDefault(),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide(),a("#"+c.fields.text.attr("id")+"-html").focus(),c.dismissPointers(["text_widget_custom_html"])}),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.find(".add-widget").on("click",function(a){a.preventDefault(),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide(),c.openAvailableWidgetsPanel()})),c.pasteHtmlPointer=c.$el.find(".wp-pointer.paste-html-pointer"),c.pasteHtmlPointer.length&&c.pasteHtmlPointer.find(".close").on("click",function(a){a.preventDefault(),c.pasteHtmlPointer.hide(),c.editor.focus(),c.dismissPointers(["text_widget_custom_html","text_widget_paste_html"])}),c.fields={title:c.$el.find(".title"),text:c.$el.find(".text")},_.each(c.fields,function(a,b){a.on("input change",function(){var d=c.syncContainer.find("input[type=hidden]."+b);d.val()!==a.val()&&(d.val(a.val()),d.trigger("change"))}),a.val(c.syncContainer.find("input[type=hidden]."+b).val())})},dismissPointers:function(a){_.each(a,function(a){wp.ajax.post("dismiss-wp-pointer",{pointer:a}),b.dismissedPointers.push(a)})},openAvailableWidgetsPanel:function(){var a;wp.customize.section.each(function(b){b.extended(wp.customize.Widgets.SidebarSection)&&b.expanded()&&(a=wp.customize.control("sidebars_widgets["+b.params.sidebarId+"]"))}),a&&setTimeout(function(){wp.customize.Widgets.availableWidgetsPanel.open(a),wp.customize.Widgets.availableWidgetsPanel.$search.val("HTML").trigger("keyup")})},updateFields:function(){var a,b=this;b.fields.title.is(document.activeElement)||(a=b.syncContainer.find("input[type=hidden].title"),b.fields.title.val(a.val())),a=b.syncContainer.find("input[type=hidden].text"),b.fields.text.is(":visible")?b.fields.text.is(document.activeElement)||b.fields.text.val(a.val()):b.editor&&!b.editorFocused&&a.val()!==b.fields.text.val()&&b.editor.setContent(wp.editor.autop(a.val()))},initializeEditor:function(){function c(){var e,k,l;if(document.getElementById(d)){if("undefined"==typeof window.tinymce)return void wp.editor.initialize(d,{quicktags:!0});if(tinymce.get(d)&&(i=tinymce.get(d).isHidden(),wp.editor.remove(d)),wp.editor.initialize(d,{tinymce:{wpautop:!0},quicktags:!0}),l=function(b){b.show(),b.find(".close").focus(),wp.a11y.speak(b.find("h3, p").map(function(){return a(this).text()}).get().join("\n\n"))},e=window.tinymce.get(d),!e)throw new Error("Failed to initialize editor");k=function(){a(e.getWin()).on("unload",function(){_.defer(c)}),i&&switchEditors.go(d,"html"),a("#"+d+"-html").on("click",function(){g.pasteHtmlPointer.hide(),-1===b.dismissedPointers.indexOf("text_widget_custom_html")&&l(g.customHtmlWidgetPointer)}),a("#"+d+"-tmce").on("click",function(){g.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide()}),e.on("pastepreprocess",function(a){var c=a.content;-1===b.dismissedPointers.indexOf("text_widget_paste_html")&&c&&/&lt;\w+.*?&gt;/.test(c)&&_.delay(function(){l(g.pasteHtmlPointer)},250)})},e.initialized?k():e.on("init",k),g.editorFocused=!1,e.on("focus",function(){g.editorFocused=!0}),e.on("paste",function(){e.setDirty(!0),f()}),e.on("NodeChange",function(){j=!0}),e.on("NodeChange",_.debounce(f,h)),e.on("blur hide",function(){g.editorFocused=!1,f()}),g.editor=e}}var d,e,f,g=this,h=1e3,i=!1,j=!1;e=g.fields.text,d=e.attr("id"),f=function(){var a=300;g.editor.isDirty()&&(wp.customize&&wp.customize.state&&(wp.customize.state("processing").set(wp.customize.state("processing").get()+1),_.delay(function(){wp.customize.state("processing").set(wp.customize.state("processing").get()-1)},a)),g.editor.isHidden()||g.editor.save()),j&&(e.trigger("change"),j=!1)},g.syncContainer.closest(".widget").find("[name=savewidget]:first").on("click",function(){f()}),c()}}),b.widgetControls={},b.handleWidgetAdded=function(c,d){var e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l=50;e=d.find("> .widget-inside > .form, > .widget-inside > form"),f=e.find("> .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(f)&&(h=e.find(".widget-id").val(),b.widgetControls[h]||e.find(".visual").val()&&(j=a("<div></div>"),k=d.find(".widget-content:first"),k.before(j),g=new b.TextWidgetControl({el:j,syncContainer:k}),b.widgetControls[h]=g,(i=function(){d.hasClass("open")?g.initializeEditor():setTimeout(i,l)})()))},b.setupAccessibleMode=function(){var c,d,e,f,g;c=a(".editwidget > form"),0!==c.length&&(d=c.find("> .widget-control-actions > .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(d)&&c.find(".visual").val()&&(f=a("<div></div>"),g=c.find("> .widget-inside"),g.before(f),e=new b.TextWidgetControl({el:f,syncContainer:g}),e.initializeEditor()))},b.handleWidgetUpdated=function(a,c){var d,e,f,g;d=c.find("> .widget-inside > .form, > .widget-inside > form"),g=d.find("> .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(g)&&(e=d.find("> .widget-id").val(),f=b.widgetControls[e],f&&f.updateFields())},b.init=function(){var c=a(document);c.on("widget-added",b.handleWidgetAdded),c.on("widget-synced widget-updated",b.handleWidgetUpdated),a(function(){var c;"widgets"===window.pagenow&&(c=a(".widgets-holder-wrap:not(#available-widgets)").find("div.widget"),c.one("click.toggle-widget-expanded",function(){var c=a(this);b.handleWidgetAdded(new jQuery.Event("widget-added"),c)}),a(window).on("load",function(){b.setupAccessibleMode()}))})},b}(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file
+wp.textWidgets=function(a){"use strict";var b={dismissedPointers:[],idBases:["text"]};return b.TextWidgetControl=Backbone.View.extend({events:{},initialize:function(b){var c=this;if(!b.el)throw new Error("Missing options.el");if(!b.syncContainer)throw new Error("Missing options.syncContainer");Backbone.View.prototype.initialize.call(c,b),c.syncContainer=b.syncContainer,c.$el.addClass("text-widget-fields"),c.$el.html(wp.template("widget-text-control-fields")),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer=c.$el.find(".wp-pointer.custom-html-widget-pointer"),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.length&&(c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.find(".close").on("click",function(b){b.preventDefault(),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide(),a("#"+c.fields.text.attr("id")+"-html").focus(),c.dismissPointers(["text_widget_custom_html"])}),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.find(".add-widget").on("click",function(a){a.preventDefault(),c.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide(),c.openAvailableWidgetsPanel()})),c.pasteHtmlPointer=c.$el.find(".wp-pointer.paste-html-pointer"),c.pasteHtmlPointer.length&&c.pasteHtmlPointer.find(".close").on("click",function(a){a.preventDefault(),c.pasteHtmlPointer.hide(),c.editor.focus(),c.dismissPointers(["text_widget_custom_html","text_widget_paste_html"])}),c.fields={title:c.$el.find(".title"),text:c.$el.find(".text")},_.each(c.fields,function(a,b){a.on("input change",function(){var d=c.syncContainer.find(".sync-input."+b);d.val()!==a.val()&&(d.val(a.val()),d.trigger("change"))}),a.val(c.syncContainer.find(".sync-input."+b).val())})},dismissPointers:function(a){_.each(a,function(a){wp.ajax.post("dismiss-wp-pointer",{pointer:a}),b.dismissedPointers.push(a)})},openAvailableWidgetsPanel:function(){var a;wp.customize.section.each(function(b){b.extended(wp.customize.Widgets.SidebarSection)&&b.expanded()&&(a=wp.customize.control("sidebars_widgets["+b.params.sidebarId+"]"))}),a&&setTimeout(function(){wp.customize.Widgets.availableWidgetsPanel.open(a),wp.customize.Widgets.availableWidgetsPanel.$search.val("HTML").trigger("keyup")})},updateFields:function(){var a,b=this;b.fields.title.is(document.activeElement)||(a=b.syncContainer.find(".sync-input.title"),b.fields.title.val(a.val())),a=b.syncContainer.find(".sync-input.text"),b.fields.text.is(":visible")?b.fields.text.is(document.activeElement)||b.fields.text.val(a.val()):b.editor&&!b.editorFocused&&a.val()!==b.fields.text.val()&&b.editor.setContent(wp.editor.autop(a.val()))},initializeEditor:function(){function c(){var e,k,l;if(document.getElementById(d)){if("undefined"==typeof window.tinymce)return void wp.editor.initialize(d,{quicktags:!0});if(tinymce.get(d)&&(i=tinymce.get(d).isHidden(),wp.editor.remove(d)),wp.editor.initialize(d,{tinymce:{wpautop:!0},quicktags:!0}),l=function(b){b.show(),b.find(".close").focus(),wp.a11y.speak(b.find("h3, p").map(function(){return a(this).text()}).get().join("\n\n"))},e=window.tinymce.get(d),!e)throw new Error("Failed to initialize editor");k=function(){a(e.getWin()).on("unload",function(){_.defer(c)}),i&&switchEditors.go(d,"html"),a("#"+d+"-html").on("click",function(){g.pasteHtmlPointer.hide(),-1===b.dismissedPointers.indexOf("text_widget_custom_html")&&l(g.customHtmlWidgetPointer)}),a("#"+d+"-tmce").on("click",function(){g.customHtmlWidgetPointer.hide()}),e.on("pastepreprocess",function(a){var c=a.content;-1===b.dismissedPointers.indexOf("text_widget_paste_html")&&c&&/&lt;\w+.*?&gt;/.test(c)&&_.delay(function(){l(g.pasteHtmlPointer)},250)})},e.initialized?k():e.on("init",k),g.editorFocused=!1,e.on("focus",function(){g.editorFocused=!0}),e.on("paste",function(){e.setDirty(!0),f()}),e.on("NodeChange",function(){j=!0}),e.on("NodeChange",_.debounce(f,h)),e.on("blur hide",function(){g.editorFocused=!1,f()}),g.editor=e}}var d,e,f,g=this,h=1e3,i=!1,j=!1;e=g.fields.text,d=e.attr("id"),f=function(){var a=300;g.editor.isDirty()&&(wp.customize&&wp.customize.state&&(wp.customize.state("processing").set(wp.customize.state("processing").get()+1),_.delay(function(){wp.customize.state("processing").set(wp.customize.state("processing").get()-1)},a)),g.editor.isHidden()||g.editor.save()),j&&(e.trigger("change"),j=!1)},g.syncContainer.closest(".widget").find("[name=savewidget]:first").on("click",function(){f()}),c()}}),b.widgetControls={},b.handleWidgetAdded=function(c,d){var e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l=50;e=d.find("> .widget-inside > .form, > .widget-inside > form"),f=e.find("> .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(f)&&(h=e.find(".widget-id").val(),b.widgetControls[h]||e.find(".visual").val()&&(j=a("<div></div>"),k=d.find(".widget-content:first"),k.before(j),g=new b.TextWidgetControl({el:j,syncContainer:k}),b.widgetControls[h]=g,(i=function(){d.hasClass("open")?g.initializeEditor():setTimeout(i,l)})()))},b.setupAccessibleMode=function(){var c,d,e,f,g;c=a(".editwidget > form"),0!==c.length&&(d=c.find("> .widget-control-actions > .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(d)&&c.find(".visual").val()&&(f=a("<div></div>"),g=c.find("> .widget-inside"),g.before(f),e=new b.TextWidgetControl({el:f,syncContainer:g}),e.initializeEditor()))},b.handleWidgetUpdated=function(a,c){var d,e,f,g;d=c.find("> .widget-inside > .form, > .widget-inside > form"),g=d.find("> .id_base").val(),-1!==b.idBases.indexOf(g)&&(e=d.find("> .widget-id").val(),f=b.widgetControls[e],f&&f.updateFields())},b.init=function(){var c=a(document);c.on("widget-added",b.handleWidgetAdded),c.on("widget-synced widget-updated",b.handleWidgetUpdated),a(function(){var c;"widgets"===window.pagenow&&(c=a(".widgets-holder-wrap:not(#available-widgets)").find("div.widget"),c.one("click.toggle-widget-expanded",function(){var c=a(this);b.handleWidgetAdded(new jQuery.Event("widget-added"),c)}),a(window).on("load",function(){b.setupAccessibleMode()}))})},b}(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 8968125e74..d7a0e4306c 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.9-alpha-41259';
+$wp_version = '4.9-alpha-41260';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.
diff --git a/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-text.php b/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-text.php
index ef9e349aa4..a79e0daa6c 100644
--- a/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-text.php
+++ b/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-text.php
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ class WP_Widget_Text extends WP_Widget {
 	 * @since 4.8.0 Form only contains hidden inputs which are synced with JS template.
 	 * @since 4.8.1 Restored original form to be displayed when in legacy mode.
 	 * @see WP_Widget_Visual_Text::render_control_template_scripts()
+	 * @see _WP_Editors::editor()
 	 *
 	 * @param array $instance Current settings.
 	 * @return void
@@ -346,10 +347,31 @@ class WP_Widget_Text extends WP_Widget {
 		);
 		?>
 		<?php if ( ! $this->is_legacy_instance( $instance ) ) : ?>
-			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'title' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'title' ); ?>" class="title" type="hidden" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $instance['title'] ); ?>">
-			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'text' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'text' ); ?>" class="text" type="hidden" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $instance['text'] ); ?>">
-			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'filter' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'filter' ); ?>" class="filter" type="hidden" value="on">
-			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'visual' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'visual' ); ?>" class="visual" type="hidden" value="on">
+			<?php
+
+			if ( user_can_richedit() ) {
+				add_filter( 'the_editor_content', 'format_for_editor', 10, 2 );
+				$default_editor = 'tinymce';
+			} else {
+				$default_editor = 'html';
+			}
+
+			/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/class-wp-editor.php */
+			$text = apply_filters( 'the_editor_content', $instance['text'], $default_editor );
+
+			// Reset filter addition.
+			if ( user_can_richedit() ) {
+				remove_filter( 'the_editor_content', 'format_for_editor' );
+			}
+
+			// Prevent premature closing of textarea in case format_for_editor() didn't apply or the_editor_content filter did a wrong thing.
+			$escaped_text = preg_replace( '#</textarea#i', '&lt;/textarea', $text );
+
+			?>
+			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'title' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'title' ); ?>" class="title sync-input" type="hidden" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $instance['title'] ); ?>">
+			<textarea id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'text' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'text' ); ?>" class="text sync-input" hidden><?php echo $escaped_text; ?></textarea>
+			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'filter' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'filter' ); ?>" class="filter sync-input" type="hidden" value="on">
+			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'visual' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'visual' ); ?>" class="visual sync-input" type="hidden" value="on">
 		<?php else : ?>
 			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'visual' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'visual' ); ?>" class="visual" type="hidden" value="">
 			<p>