diff --git a/demo/demo.c b/demo/demo.c
index d7aec0c..28ada62 100644
--- a/demo/demo.c
+++ b/demo/demo.c
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ demo_window(struct zr_layout *layout, struct zr_context *ctx, enum theme *theme)
                 static size_t text_len[9];
                 static size_t field_len;
                 static size_t box_len;
-                int active;
+                zr_flags active;
 
                 zr_layout_row(ctx, ZR_STATIC, 25, 2, ratio);
                 zr_label(ctx, "Default:", ZR_TEXT_LEFT);
@@ -574,7 +574,9 @@ demo_window(struct zr_layout *layout, struct zr_context *ctx, enum theme *theme)
                 zr_layout_row(ctx, ZR_STATIC, 25, 2, ratio);
                 active = zr_edit_string(ctx, ZR_EDIT_FIELD, text[7], &text_len[7], 64,  zr_filter_ascii);
                 if (zr_button_text(ctx, "Submit", ZR_BUTTON_DEFAULT)
-                    ||(active && zr_input_is_key_pressed(&ctx->input, ZR_KEY_ENTER))) {
+                    || ((active & ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE) &&
+                    zr_input_is_key_pressed(&ctx->input, ZR_KEY_ENTER)))
+                {
                     text[7][text_len[7]] = '\n';
                     text_len[7]++;
                     memcpy(&box_buffer[box_len], &text[7], text_len[7]);
diff --git a/zahnrad.c b/zahnrad.c
index 11bb053..5a178f0 100644
--- a/zahnrad.c
+++ b/zahnrad.c
@@ -4113,6 +4113,7 @@ zr_do_button_symbol(enum zr_widget_status *state,
         color = b->active;
         break;
     }
+
     sym.type = symbol;
     sym.background = background;
     sym.foreground = color;
@@ -9196,11 +9197,11 @@ zr_edit_base(struct zr_rect *bounds, struct zr_edit *field,
     return state;
 }
 
-int
+zr_flags
 zr_edit_string(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
     char *memory, zr_size *len, zr_size max, zr_filter filter)
 {
-    int active;
+    zr_flags active;
     struct zr_buffer buffer;
     max = MAX(1, max);
     *len = MIN(*len, max-1);
@@ -9211,12 +9212,13 @@ zr_edit_string(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
     return active;
 }
 
-int
+zr_flags
 zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
     struct zr_buffer *buffer, zr_filter filter)
 {
     struct zr_window *win;
     struct zr_input *i;
+    zr_flags old_flags, ret_flags = 0;
 
     enum zr_widget_state state;
     struct zr_rect bounds;
@@ -9263,6 +9265,7 @@ zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
         sel =  &dummy_sel;
     }
 
+    old_flags = (*active) ? ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE: ZR_EDIT_INACTIVE;
     if (!flags || flags == ZR_EDIT_CURSOR) {
         int old = *active;
         if (!flags) {
@@ -9319,6 +9322,7 @@ zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
 
         if (box.active) {
             /* update hot edit widget state */
+            *active = 1;
             win->edit.active = 1;
             win->edit.name = hash;
             win->edit.scrollbar = box.scrollbar;
@@ -9329,7 +9333,14 @@ zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context *ctx, zr_flags flags,
             win->edit.active = 0;
         }
     }
-    return *active;
+
+    /* compress edit widget state and state changes into flags */
+    ret_flags = (*active) ? ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE: ZR_EDIT_INACTIVE;
+    if (old_flags == ZR_EDIT_INACTIVE && ret_flags & ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE)
+        ret_flags |= ZR_EDIT_ACTIVATED;
+    else if (old_flags == ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE && ret_flags & ZR_EDIT_INACTIVE)
+        ret_flags |= ZR_EDIT_DEACTIVATED;
+    return ret_flags;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/zahnrad.h b/zahnrad.h
index 02f4b86..09c6853 100644
--- a/zahnrad.h
+++ b/zahnrad.h
@@ -1029,10 +1029,15 @@ enum zr_button_behavior {
 
 enum zr_edit_flags {
     ZR_EDIT_READ_ONLY   = ZR_FLAG(0),
+    /* text inside the edit widget cannot be modified */
     ZR_EDIT_CURSOR      = ZR_FLAG(1),
+    /* edit widget will have a movable cursor */
     ZR_EDIT_SELECTABLE  = ZR_FLAG(2),
+    /* edit widget allows text selection */
     ZR_EDIT_CLIPBOARD   = ZR_FLAG(3),
+    /* edit widget tries to use the clipbard callback for copy & paste */
     ZR_EDIT_MULTILINE   = ZR_FLAG(4)
+    /* edit widget with text wrapping text editing */
 };
 
 enum zr_edit_types {
@@ -1042,6 +1047,17 @@ enum zr_edit_types {
                    ZR_EDIT_CLIPBOARD|ZR_EDIT_MULTILINE)
 };
 
+enum zr_edit_return_flags {
+    ZR_EDIT_ACTIVE      = ZR_FLAG(0),
+    /* edit widget is currently being modified */
+    ZR_EDIT_INACTIVE    = ZR_FLAG(1),
+    /* edit widget is not active and is not being modified */
+    ZR_EDIT_ACTIVATED   = ZR_FLAG(2),
+    /* edit widget went from state inactive to state active */
+    ZR_EDIT_DEACTIVATED = ZR_FLAG(3)
+    /* edit widget went from state active to state inactive */
+};
+
 enum zr_chart_type {
     ZR_CHART_LINES,
     /* Line chart with data points connected by lines */
@@ -1487,9 +1503,9 @@ int zr_propertyi(struct zr_context *layout, const char *name, int min, int val,
                 int max, int step, int inc_per_pixel);
 
 /* text manipulation */
-int zr_edit_string(struct zr_context*, zr_flags, char *buffer, zr_size *len,
+zr_flags zr_edit_string(struct zr_context*, zr_flags, char *buffer, zr_size *len,
                     zr_size max, zr_filter);
-int zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context*, zr_flags, struct zr_buffer*, zr_filter);
+zr_flags zr_edit_buffer(struct zr_context*, zr_flags, struct zr_buffer*, zr_filter);
 
 /* simple chart */
 void zr_chart_begin(struct zr_context*, enum zr_chart_type, zr_size num,