diff --git a/spec/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/editor-spec.coffee
index 4be6bebd9..603df9423 100644
--- a/spec/editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -1470,6 +1470,15 @@ describe "Editor", ->
 
   describe "buffer manipulation", ->
     describe ".insertText(text)", ->
+      describe "when there is a single selection", ->
+        beforeEach ->
+          editor.setSelectedBufferRange([[1, 0], [1, 2]])
+
+        it "will-insert-text and did-insert-text events are emitted when inserting text", ->
+          range = editor.insertText('xxx')
+          expect(range).toEqual [ [[1, 0], [1, 3]] ]
+          expect(buffer.lineForRow(1)).toBe 'xxxvar sort = function(items) {'
+
       describe "when there are multiple empty selections", ->
         describe "when the cursors are on the same line", ->
           it "inserts the given text at the location of each cursor and moves the cursors to the end of each cursor's inserted text", ->
@@ -1547,6 +1556,48 @@ describe "Editor", ->
           editor.insertText('holy cow')
           expect(editor.lineForScreenRow(2).fold).toBeUndefined()
 
+      describe "when will-insert-text and did-insert-text events are used", ->
+        beforeEach ->
+          editor.setSelectedBufferRange([[1, 0], [1, 2]])
+
+        it "will-insert-text and did-insert-text events are emitted when inserting text", ->
+          willInsertSpy = jasmine.createSpy().andCallFake ->
+            expect(buffer.lineForRow(1)).toBe '  var sort = function(items) {'
+
+          didInsertSpy = jasmine.createSpy().andCallFake ->
+            expect(buffer.lineForRow(1)).toBe 'xxxvar sort = function(items) {'
+
+          editor.on('will-insert-text', willInsertSpy)
+          editor.on('did-insert-text', didInsertSpy)
+
+          expect(editor.insertText('xxx')).toBeTruthy()
+          expect(buffer.lineForRow(1)).toBe 'xxxvar sort = function(items) {'
+
+          expect(willInsertSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+          expect(didInsertSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+          options = willInsertSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+          expect(options.text).toBe 'xxx'
+          expect(options.cancel).toBeDefined()
+
+          options = didInsertSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+          expect(options.text).toBe 'xxx'
+
+        it "text insertion is prevented when cancel is called from a will-insert-text handler", ->
+          willInsertSpy = jasmine.createSpy().andCallFake ({cancel}) ->
+            cancel()
+
+          didInsertSpy = jasmine.createSpy()
+
+          editor.on('will-insert-text', willInsertSpy)
+          editor.on('did-insert-text', didInsertSpy)
+
+          expect(editor.insertText('xxx')).toBe false
+          expect(buffer.lineForRow(1)).toBe '  var sort = function(items) {'
+
+          expect(willInsertSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+          expect(didInsertSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
     describe ".insertNewline()", ->
       describe "when there is a single cursor", ->
         describe "when the cursor is at the beginning of a line", ->
diff --git a/src/editor-component.coffee b/src/editor-component.coffee
index 3e1418539..2038f5787 100644
--- a/src/editor-component.coffee
+++ b/src/editor-component.coffee
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     @subscribe atom.config.observe 'editor.useHardwareAcceleration', @setUseHardwareAcceleration
 
   onFocus: ->
-    @refs.input.focus()
+    @refs.input.focus() if @isMounted()
 
   onTextInput: (event) ->
     event.stopPropagation()
@@ -543,8 +543,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     selectedLength = inputNode.selectionEnd - inputNode.selectionStart
     editor.selectLeft() if selectedLength is 1
 
-    editor.insertText(event.data)
-    inputNode.value = event.data
+    inputNode.value = event.data if editor.insertText(event.data)
 
 
   onInputFocused: ->
diff --git a/src/editor.coffee b/src/editor.coffee
index 7ca0d6a61..f2f3b9bf5 100644
--- a/src/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/editor.coffee
@@ -629,12 +629,29 @@ class Editor extends Model
 
   # Public: For each selection, replace the selected text with the given text.
   #
+  # Emits: `will-insert-text -> ({text, cancel})` before the text has
+  # been inserted. Calling `cancel` will prevent the text from being
+  # inserted.
+  # Emits: `did-insert-text -> ({text})` after the text has been inserted.
+  #
   # text - A {String} representing the text to insert.
   # options - See {Selection::insertText}.
+  #
+  # Returns a {Bool} indicating whether or not the text was inserted.
   insertText: (text, options={}) ->
-    options.autoIndentNewline ?= @shouldAutoIndent()
-    options.autoDecreaseIndent ?= @shouldAutoIndent()
-    @mutateSelectedText (selection) -> selection.insertText(text, options)
+    willInsert = true
+    cancel = -> willInsert = false
+    @emit('will-insert-text', {cancel, text})
+
+    if willInsert
+      options.autoIndentNewline ?= @shouldAutoIndent()
+      options.autoDecreaseIndent ?= @shouldAutoIndent()
+      @mutateSelectedText (selection) =>
+        range = selection.insertText(text, options)
+        @emit('did-insert-text', {text, range})
+        range
+    else
+      false
 
   # Public: For each selection, replace the selected text with a newline.
   insertNewline: ->
diff --git a/src/react-editor-view.coffee b/src/react-editor-view.coffee
index 0c140af0b..9580c9834 100644
--- a/src/react-editor-view.coffee
+++ b/src/react-editor-view.coffee
@@ -169,9 +169,6 @@ class ReactEditorView extends View
   pageUp: ->
     @editor.pageUp()
 
-  getModel: ->
-    @component?.getModel()
-
   getFirstVisibleScreenRow: ->
     @editor.getVisibleRowRange()[0]