diff --git a/core/field.js b/core/field.js
index d878ad506..564150fba 100644
--- a/core/field.js
+++ b/core/field.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ Blockly.Field.prototype.init = function() {
       Blockly.bindEventWithChecks_(this.fieldGroup_, 'mouseup', this,
       this.onMouseUp_);
   // Force a render.
-  this.updateTextNode_();
+  this.render_();
 };
 
 /**
@@ -285,33 +285,48 @@ Blockly.Field.prototype.getSvgRoot = function() {
  * @private
  */
 Blockly.Field.prototype.render_ = function() {
-  if (this.visible_ && this.textElement_) {
-    var key = this.textElement_.textContent + '\n' +
-        this.textElement_.className.baseVal;
-    if (Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_ && Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key]) {
-      var width = Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key];
-    } else {
-      try {
-        var width = this.textElement_.getComputedTextLength();
-      } catch (e) {
-        // MSIE 11 is known to throw "Unexpected call to method or property
-        // access." if Blockly is hidden.
-        var width = this.textElement_.textContent.length * 8;
-      }
-      if (Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_) {
-        Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key] = width;
-      }
-    }
-    if (this.borderRect_) {
-      this.borderRect_.setAttribute('width',
-          width + Blockly.BlockSvg.SEP_SPACE_X);
-    }
-  } else {
-    var width = 0;
+  if (!this.visible_) {
+    this.size_.width = 0;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // Replace the text.
+  goog.dom.removeChildren(/** @type {!Element} */ (this.textElement_));
+  var textNode = document.createTextNode(this.getDisplayText_());
+  this.textElement_.appendChild(textNode);
+
+  var width = Blockly.Field.getCachedWidth(this.textElement_);
+  if (this.borderRect_) {
+    this.borderRect_.setAttribute('width',
+        width + Blockly.BlockSvg.SEP_SPACE_X);
   }
   this.size_.width = width;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Gets the width of a text element, caching it in the process.
+ * @param {!Element} textElement An SVG 'text' element.
+ * @retur {number} Width of element.
+ */
+Blockly.Field.getCachedWidth = function(textElement) {
+  var key = textElement.textContent + '\n' + textElement.className.baseVal;
+  if (Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_ && Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key]) {
+    var width = Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key];
+  } else {
+    try {
+      var width = textElement.getComputedTextLength();
+    } catch (e) {
+      // MSIE 11 is known to throw "Unexpected call to method or property
+      // access." if Blockly is hidden.
+      var width = textElement.textContent.length * 8;
+    }
+    if (Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_) {
+      Blockly.Field.cacheWidths_[key] = width;
+    }
+  }
+  return width;
+};
+
 /**
  * Start caching field widths.  Every call to this function MUST also call
  * stopCache.  Caches must not survive between execution threads.
@@ -358,6 +373,31 @@ Blockly.Field.prototype.getScaledBBox_ = function() {
                             bBox.height * this.sourceBlock_.workspace.scale);
 };
 
+/**
+ * Get the text from this field as displayed on screen.  May differ from getText
+ * due to ellipsis, and other formatting.
+ * @return {string} Currently displayed text.
+ * @private
+ */
+Blockly.Field.prototype.getDisplayText_ = function() {
+  var text = this.text_;
+  if (!text) {
+    // Prevent the field from disappearing if empty.
+    return Blockly.Field.NBSP;
+  }
+  if (text.length > this.maxDisplayLength) {
+    // Truncate displayed string and add an ellipsis ('...').
+    text = text.substring(0, this.maxDisplayLength - 2) + '\u2026';
+  }
+  // Replace whitespace with non-breaking spaces so the text doesn't collapse.
+  text = text.replace(/\s/g, Blockly.Field.NBSP);
+  if (this.sourceBlock_.RTL) {
+    // The SVG is LTR, force text to be RTL.
+    text += '\u200F';
+  }
+  return text;
+};
+
 /**
  * Get the text from this field.
  * @return {string} Current text.
@@ -381,7 +421,8 @@ Blockly.Field.prototype.setText = function(text) {
     return;
   }
   this.text_ = text;
-  this.updateTextNode_();
+  // Set width to 0 to force a rerender of this field.
+  this.size_.width = 0;
 
   if (this.sourceBlock_ && this.sourceBlock_.rendered) {
     this.sourceBlock_.render();
@@ -389,40 +430,6 @@ Blockly.Field.prototype.setText = function(text) {
   }
 };
 
-/**
- * Update the text node of this field to display the current text.
- * @private
- */
-Blockly.Field.prototype.updateTextNode_ = function() {
-  if (!this.textElement_) {
-    // Not rendered yet.
-    return;
-  }
-  var text = this.text_;
-  if (text.length > this.maxDisplayLength) {
-    // Truncate displayed string and add an ellipsis ('...').
-    text = text.substring(0, this.maxDisplayLength - 2) + '\u2026';
-  }
-  // Replace whitespace with non-breaking spaces so the text doesn't collapse.
-  text = text.replace(/\s/g, Blockly.Field.NBSP);
-  if (this.sourceBlock_.RTL && text) {
-    // The SVG is LTR, force text to be RTL.
-    text += '\u200F';
-  }
-  if (!text) {
-    // Prevent the field from disappearing if empty.
-    text = Blockly.Field.NBSP;
-  }
-
-  // Replace the text.
-  goog.dom.removeChildren(/** @type {!Element} */ (this.textElement_));
-  var textNode = document.createTextNode(text);
-  this.textElement_.appendChild(textNode);
-
-  // Cached width is obsolete.  Clear it.
-  this.size_.width = 0;
-};
-
 /**
  * By default there is no difference between the human-readable text and
  * the language-neutral values.  Subclasses (such as dropdown) may define this.
diff --git a/core/field_dropdown.js b/core/field_dropdown.js
index 0f3568072..7d34d39ed 100644
--- a/core/field_dropdown.js
+++ b/core/field_dropdown.js
@@ -319,19 +319,11 @@ Blockly.FieldDropdown.prototype.setValue = function(newValue) {
     // Options are tuples of human-readable text and language-neutral values.
     if (options[i][1] == newValue) {
       var content = options[i][0];
-      goog.dom.removeNode(this.imageElement_);
       if (typeof content == 'object') {
         this.imageJson_ = content;
-        this.imageElement_ = Blockly.createSvgElement('image',
-            {'y': 5,
-             'height': content.height + 'px',
-             'width': content.width + 'px'}, this.fieldGroup_);
-        this.imageElement_.setAttributeNS('http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink',
-                                          'xlink:href', content.src);
         this.setText(content.alt);
       } else {
         this.imageJson_ = null;
-        this.imageElement_ = null;
         this.setText(content);
       }
       return;
@@ -343,64 +335,63 @@ Blockly.FieldDropdown.prototype.setValue = function(newValue) {
 };
 
 /**
- * Set the text in this field.  Trigger a rerender of the source block.
- * @param {?string} text New text.
+ * Draws the border with the correct width.
+ * @private
  */
-Blockly.FieldDropdown.prototype.setText = function(text) {
+Blockly.FieldDropdown.prototype.render_ = function() {
+  if (!this.visible_) {
+    this.size_.width = 0;
+    return;
+  }
   if (this.sourceBlock_ && this.arrow_) {
     // Update arrow's colour.
     this.arrow_.style.fill = this.sourceBlock_.getColour();
   }
-  if (text === null) {
-    // No change if null.
-    return;
-  }
-  this.text_ = text;
-  if (this.imageJson_) {
-    if (this.textElement_) {
-      this.textElement_.style.display = 'none';
-    }
-    this.size_.height = Number(this.imageJson_.height) + 19;
-    this.render_();
-  } else {
-    if (this.textElement_) {
-      this.textElement_.style.display = 'block';
-    }
-    this.size_.height = Blockly.BlockSvg.MIN_BLOCK_Y;
-    this.updateTextNode_();
-  }
-  // Unlike other editable fields, a dropdown can change height.
-  if (this.borderRect_) {
-    this.borderRect_.setAttribute('height', this.size_.height - 9);
-  }
+  goog.dom.removeChildren(/** @type {!Element} */ (this.textElement_));
+  goog.dom.removeNode(this.imageElement_);
+  this.imageElement_ = null;
 
-  if (this.textElement_) {
+  if (this.imageJson_) {
+    // Image option is selected.
+    this.imageElement_ = Blockly.createSvgElement('image',
+        {'y': 5,
+         'height': this.imageJson_.height + 'px',
+         'width': this.imageJson_.width + 'px'}, this.fieldGroup_);
+    this.imageElement_.setAttributeNS('http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink',
+                                      'xlink:href', this.imageJson_.src);
+    // Insert dropdown arrow.
+    this.textElement_.appendChild(this.arrow_);
+    var arrowWidth = Blockly.Field.getCachedWidth(this.arrow_);
+    this.size_.height = Number(this.imageJson_.height) + 19;
+    this.size_.width = Number(this.imageJson_.width) + arrowWidth;
+    if (this.sourceBlock_.RTL) {
+      this.imageElement_.setAttribute('x', arrowWidth);
+      this.textElement_.setAttribute('x', -1);
+    } else {
+      this.textElement_.setAttribute('text-anchor', 'end');
+      this.textElement_.setAttribute('x', this.size_.width + 1);
+    }
+
+  } else {
+    // Text option is selected.
+    // Replace the text.
+    var textNode = document.createTextNode(this.getDisplayText_());
+    this.textElement_.appendChild(textNode);
     // Insert dropdown arrow.
     if (this.sourceBlock_.RTL) {
       this.textElement_.insertBefore(this.arrow_, this.textElement_.firstChild);
     } else {
       this.textElement_.appendChild(this.arrow_);
     }
-  }
+    this.textElement_.setAttribute('text-anchor', 'start');
+    this.textElement_.setAttribute('x', 0);
 
-  if (this.sourceBlock_ && this.sourceBlock_.rendered) {
-    this.sourceBlock_.render();
-    this.sourceBlock_.bumpNeighbours_();
-  }
-};
-
-/**
- * Draws the border with the correct width.
- * @private
- */
-Blockly.FieldDropdown.prototype.render_ = function() {
-  if (!this.imageJson_) {
-    Blockly.FieldDropdown.superClass_.render_.call(this);
-  } else if (this.visible_ && this.borderRect_) {
-    this.size_.width = Number(this.imageJson_.width);
-    this.borderRect_.setAttribute('width',
-        this.size_.width + Blockly.BlockSvg.SEP_SPACE_X);
+    this.size_.height = Blockly.BlockSvg.MIN_BLOCK_Y;
+    this.size_.width = Blockly.Field.getCachedWidth(this.textElement_);
   }
+  this.borderRect_.setAttribute('height', this.size_.height - 9);
+  this.borderRect_.setAttribute('width',
+      this.size_.width + Blockly.BlockSvg.SEP_SPACE_X);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/field_label.js b/core/field_label.js
index cb5fa7d39..8de97f26e 100644
--- a/core/field_label.js
+++ b/core/field_label.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Blockly.FieldLabel.prototype.init = function() {
   this.textElement_.tooltip = this.sourceBlock_;
   Blockly.Tooltip.bindMouseEvents(this.textElement_);
   // Force a render.
-  this.updateTextNode_();
+  this.render_();
 };
 
 /**