diff --git a/src/core/ReactDOM.js b/src/core/ReactDOM.js
index 0b7c4e3907..2a9749c9be 100644
--- a/src/core/ReactDOM.js
+++ b/src/core/ReactDOM.js
@@ -80,8 +80,7 @@ var ReactDOM = objMapKeyVal({
   embed: true,
   fieldset: false,
   footer: false,
-  // Danger: this gets monkeypatched! See ReactDOMForm for more info.
-  form: false,
+  form: false, // NOTE: Injected, see `ReactDOMForm`.
   h1: false,
   h2: false,
   h3: false,
@@ -116,8 +115,7 @@ var ReactDOM = objMapKeyVal({
   table: false,
   tbody: false,
   td: false,
-  // Danger: this gets monkeypatched! See ReactDOMTextarea for more info.
-  textarea: false,
+  textarea: false, // NOTE: Injected, see `ReactDOMTextarea`.
   tfoot: false,
   th: false,
   thead: false,
diff --git a/src/core/ReactDOMTextarea.js b/src/core/ReactDOMTextarea.js
deleted file mode 100644
index a9f22e0b65..0000000000
--- a/src/core/ReactDOMTextarea.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,92 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright 2013 Facebook, Inc.
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- *
- * @providesModule ReactDOMTextarea
- */
-
-"use strict";
-
-var ReactCompositeComponent = require('ReactCompositeComponent');
-var ReactDOM = require('ReactDOM');
-
-var invariant = require('invariant');
-
-// Store a reference to the <textarea> `ReactNativeComponent`.
-var textarea = ReactDOM.textarea;
-
-// For quickly matching children type, to test if can be treated as content.
-var CONTENT_TYPES = {'string': true, 'number': true};
-
-var getTextContent = function(props) {
-  if (!props) {
-    return '';
-  }
-
-  invariant(
-    props.dangerouslySetInnerHTML == null,
-    '`dangerouslySetInnerHTML` does not make sense on textarea.'
-  );
-
-  var content;
-  if (Array.isArray(props.children)) {
-    invariant(
-      props.children.length <= 1,
-      'textarea can have at most one child'
-    );
-    content = props.children[0];
-  } else if (props.children != null) {
-    content = props.children;
-  } else {
-    content = props.content;
-  }
-
-  invariant(
-    content == null || CONTENT_TYPES[typeof content],
-    'textarea must contain a single string or number, not an array or ' +
-    'object.'
-  );
-  return content != null ? '' + content : '';
-};
-
-/**
- * Since setting .textContent on a dirty <textarea> doesn't update its value,
- * we intercept prop changes here to make sure that value is updated.
- */
-var ReactDOMTextarea = ReactCompositeComponent.createClass({
-  getInitialState: function() {
-    // We keep the original value of content or children here so that
-    // ReactNativeComponent doesn't update textContent (unnecessary since we
-    // update value).
-    return {
-      initialContent: getTextContent(this.props)
-    };
-  },
-
-  render: function() {
-    return this.transferPropsTo(textarea({
-      content: this.state.initialContent
-    }));
-  },
-
-  componentDidUpdate: function(prevProps, prevState, rootNode) {
-    var oldContent = getTextContent(prevProps);
-    var newContent = getTextContent(this.props);
-    if (oldContent !== newContent && rootNode.value !== newContent) {
-      rootNode.value = newContent;
-    }
-  }
-});
-
-module.exports = ReactDOMTextarea;
diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js b/src/core/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 680ed9c3e1..0000000000
--- a/src/core/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,66 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright 2013 Facebook, Inc.
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- *
- * @jsx React.DOM
- * @emails react-core
- */
-
-"use strict";
-
-describe('ReactDOMTextarea', function() {
-  var React;
-  var ReactTestUtils;
-
-  beforeEach(function() {
-    React = require('React');
-    ReactTestUtils = require('ReactTestUtils');
-  });
-
-  it("should update value", function() {
-    var stub = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<textarea>giraffe</textarea>);
-    var node = stub.getDOMNode();
-
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('giraffe');
-
-    stub.replaceProps({ children: 'gorilla' });
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('gorilla');
-
-    stub.replaceProps({ children: 17 });
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('17');
-
-    stub.replaceProps({ children: [42] });
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('42');
-
-    stub.replaceProps({ children: null });
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('');
-
-    stub.replaceProps({ content: 'eggplant' });
-    expect(node.value).toEqual('eggplant');
-  });
-
-  it("should throw with multiple or invalid children", function() {
-    expect(function() {
-      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-        <textarea>{'hello'}{'there'}</textarea>
-      );
-    }).toThrow();
-
-    expect(function() {
-      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-        <textarea><strong /></textarea>
-      );
-    }).toThrow();
-  });
-});
diff --git a/src/dom/components/ReactDOMTextarea.js b/src/dom/components/ReactDOMTextarea.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ddba826a23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dom/components/ReactDOMTextarea.js
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013 Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * @providesModule ReactDOMTextarea
+ */
+
+"use strict";
+
+var DOMPropertyOperations = require('DOMPropertyOperations');
+var ReactCompositeComponent = require('ReactCompositeComponent');
+var ReactDOM = require('ReactDOM');
+
+var invariant = require('invariant');
+var merge = require('merge');
+
+// Store a reference to the <textarea> `ReactNativeComponent`.
+var textarea = ReactDOM.textarea;
+
+// For quickly matching children type, to test if can be treated as content.
+var CONTENT_TYPES = {'string': true, 'number': true};
+
+/**
+ * Implements a <textarea> native component that allows setting `value`, and
+ * `defaultValue`. This differs from the traditional DOM API because value is
+ * usually set as PCDATA children.
+ *
+ * If `value` is not supplied (or null/undefined), user actions that affect the
+ * value will trigger updates to the element.
+ *
+ * If `value` is supplied (and not null/undefined), the rendered element will
+ * not trigger updates to the element. Instead, the `value` prop must change in
+ * order for the rendered element to be updated.
+ *
+ * The rendered element will be initialized with an empty value, the prop
+ * `defaultValue` if specified, or the children content (deprecated).
+ */
+var ReactDOMTextarea = ReactCompositeComponent.createClass({
+
+  getInitialState: function() {
+    var defaultValue = this.props.defaultValue;
+    // TODO (yungsters): Remove support for children content in <textarea>.
+    var children = this.props.children;
+    if (children != null) {
+      global.console && console.warn && console.warn(
+        'Use the `defaultValue` or `value` props instead of setting children ' +
+        'on <textarea>.'
+      );
+      invariant(
+        defaultValue == null,
+        'If you supply `defaultValue` on a <textarea>, do not pass children.'
+      );
+      if (Array.isArray(children)) {
+        invariant(
+          children.length <= 1,
+          '<textarea> can only have at most one child.'
+        );
+        children = children[0];
+      }
+      invariant(
+        CONTENT_TYPES[typeof children],
+        'If you specify children to <textarea>, it must be a single string ' +
+        'or number., not an array or object.'
+      );
+      defaultValue = '' + children;
+    }
+    defaultValue = defaultValue || '';
+    return {
+      // We save the initial value so that `ReactNativeComponent` doesn't update
+      // `textContent` (unnecessary since we update value).
+      initialValue: this.props.value != null ? this.props.value : defaultValue,
+      value: defaultValue
+    };
+  },
+
+  getValue: function() {
+    return this.props.value != null ? this.props.value : this.state.value;
+  },
+
+  render: function() {
+    // Clone `this.props` so we don't mutate the input.
+    var props = merge(this.props);
+
+    invariant(
+      props.dangerouslySetInnerHTML == null,
+      '`dangerouslySetInnerHTML` does not make sense on <textarea>.'
+    );
+
+    props.value = this.getValue();
+    props.onChange = this.handleChange;
+
+    // Always set children to the same thing. In IE9, the selection range will
+    // get reset if `textContent` is mutated.
+    return textarea(props, this.state.initialValue);
+  },
+
+  componentDidUpdate: function(prevProps, prevState, rootNode) {
+    if (this.props.value != null) {
+      DOMPropertyOperations.setValueForProperty(
+        rootNode,
+        'value',
+        this.props.value || ''
+      );
+    }
+  },
+
+  handleChange: ReactCompositeComponent.autoBind(function(event) {
+    var returnValue;
+    if (this.props.onChange) {
+      returnValue = this.props.onChange(event);
+    }
+    this.setState({value: event.target.value});
+    return returnValue;
+  })
+
+});
+
+module.exports = ReactDOMTextarea;
diff --git a/src/dom/components/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js b/src/dom/components/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5fbb36a7c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dom/components/__tests__/ReactDOMTextarea-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013 Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * @jsx React.DOM
+ * @emails react-core
+ */
+
+"use strict";
+
+/*jshint evil:true */
+
+describe('ReactDOMTextarea', function() {
+  var React;
+  var ReactTestUtils;
+
+  var renderTextarea;
+
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    React = require('React');
+    ReactTestUtils = require('ReactTestUtils');
+
+    renderTextarea = function(component) {
+      var stub = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(component);
+      var node = stub.getDOMNode();
+      // Polyfilling the browser's quirky behavior.
+      node.value = node.innerHTML;
+      return node;
+    };
+  });
+
+  it('should allow setting `defaultValue`', function() {
+    var stub = <textarea defaultValue="giraffe" />;
+    var node = renderTextarea(stub);
+
+    expect(node.value).toBe('giraffe');
+
+    // Changing `defaultValue` should do nothing.
+    stub.replaceProps({defaultValue: 'gorilla'});
+    expect(node.value).toEqual('giraffe');
+  });
+
+  it('should allow setting `value`', function() {
+    var stub = <textarea value="giraffe" />;
+    var node = renderTextarea(stub);
+
+    expect(node.value).toBe('giraffe');
+
+    stub.replaceProps({value: 'gorilla'});
+    expect(node.value).toEqual('gorilla');
+  });
+
+  it('should treat children like `defaultValue`', function() {
+    var stub = <textarea>giraffe</textarea>;
+    var node = renderTextarea(stub);
+
+    expect(node.value).toBe('giraffe');
+
+    // Changing children should do nothing, it functions like `defaultValue`.
+    stub.replaceProps({children: 'gorilla'});
+    expect(node.value).toEqual('giraffe');
+  });
+
+  it('should allow numbers as children', function() {
+    var node = renderTextarea(<textarea>{17}</textarea>);
+    expect(node.value).toBe('17');
+  });
+
+  it("should throw with multiple or invalid children", function() {
+    expect(function() {
+      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+        <textarea>{'hello'}{'there'}</textarea>
+      );
+    }).toThrow();
+
+    expect(function() {
+      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+        <textarea><strong /></textarea>
+      );
+    }).toThrow();
+  });
+});