diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
index f585722f29..7bb73f6374 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ class etemplate_widget_htmlarea extends etemplate_widget
 		// User preferences
 		$font = $GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['rte_font'];
 		$font_size = egw_ckeditor_config::font_size_from_prefs();
-		$font_span = '<span '.($font||$font_size?'style="':'').($font?'font-family:'.$font.'; ':'').($font_size?'font-size:'.$font_size.'; ':'').'">';
+		$font_span = '<span style="width: 100%; display: inline-block; '.
+			($font?'font-family:'.$font.'; ':'').($font_size?'font-size:'.$font_size.'; ':'').
+			'">&#8203;</span>';
 		if (empty($font) && empty($font_size)) $font_span = '';
 		if($font_span)
 		{
diff --git a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
index 3477e44b10..1a76e33660 100644
--- a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
+++ b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
@@ -151,22 +151,9 @@ var et2_htmlarea = et2_inputWidget.extend([et2_IResizeable],
 				// Add in user font preferences
 				if (self.options.config.preference_style && !e.editor.getData())
 				{
-					e.editor.document.getBody().appendHtml(self.options.config.preference_style);
+					e.editor.document.getBody().setHtml(self.options.config.preference_style);
 					delete self.options.config.preference_style;
 				}
-
-				var range = e.editor.createRange();
-				range.collapse(true);
-				range.selectNodeContents(e.editor.document.getBody());
-				range.collapse(true);
-				range.select();
-
-				//this stuff is needed, as the above places the caret just before the span tag
-				var sN = range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode();
-				//FF is selecting the span with getNextSourceNode, other browsers need to fetch it with getNext
-				range.selectNodeContents(((typeof sN.getName==="function") && sN.getName()=="span"?range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode():range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode().getNext()));
-				range.collapse(true);
-				range.select();
 			});
 
 			// Drag & drop of images inline won't work, because of database
@@ -269,7 +256,7 @@ var et2_htmlarea = et2_inputWidget.extend([et2_IResizeable],
 			return null;
 		}
 	},
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Resize htmlNode tag according to window size
 	 * @param {type} _height excess height which comes from window resize
diff --git a/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php b/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
index 9eec57917b..3ed7b160d3 100644
--- a/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
+++ b/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
@@ -1051,8 +1051,8 @@ class mail_compose
 			// User preferences for style
 			$font = $GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['rte_font'];
 			$font_size = egw_ckeditor_config::font_size_from_prefs();
-			$font_part = '<span '.($font||$font_size?'style="':'').($font?'font-family:'.$font.'; ':'').($font_size?'font-size:'.$font_size.'; ':'').'">';
-			$font_span = $font_part.'&nbsp;'.'</span>';
+			$font_part = '<span style="width:100%; display: inline-block; '.($font?'font-family:'.$font.'; ':'').($font_size?'font-size:'.$font_size.'; ':'').'">';
+			$font_span = $font_part.'&#8203;</span>';
 			if (empty($font) && empty($font_size)) $font_span = '';
 		}
 		// the font span should only be applied on first load or on switch plain->html and the absence of the font_part of the span
@@ -1084,8 +1084,8 @@ class mail_compose
 				}
 			}
 			if($content['mimeType'] == 'html') {
-				$before = (!empty($font_span) && !($insertSigOnTop === 'below')?$font_span:'&nbsp;').($disableRuler?''/*($sigTextStartsWithBlockElement?'':'<p style="margin:0px;"/>')*/:'<hr style="border:1px dotted silver; width:90%;">');
-				$inbetween = '&nbsp;<br>';
+				$before = $disableRuler ? '' : '<hr style="border:1px dotted silver; width:100%;">';
+				$inbetween = '';
 			} else {
 				$before = ($disableRuler ?"\r\n\r\n":"\r\n\r\n-- \r\n");
 				$inbetween = "\r\n";
@@ -1101,7 +1101,7 @@ class mail_compose
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$content['body'] = $before.($content['mimeType'] == 'html'?$sigText:$this->convertHTMLToText($sigText,true,true)).$inbetween.$content['body'];
+				$content['body'] = $font_span.$before.($content['mimeType'] == 'html'?$sigText:$this->convertHTMLToText($sigText,true,true)).$inbetween.$content['body'];
 			}
 		}
 		else
@@ -1289,13 +1289,13 @@ class mail_compose
 		$etpl->setElementAttribute('folder','autocomplete_params',array('mailaccount'=>$content['mailaccount']));
 		// join again mailaccount and identity
 		$content['mailaccount'] .= ':'.$content['mailidentity'];
-		
+
 		// Resolve distribution list before send content to client
 		foreach(array('to', 'cc', 'bcc', 'replyto')  as $f)
 		{
 			if (is_array($content[$f])) $content[$f]= self::resolveEmailAddressList ($content[$f]);
 		}
-		
+
 		$content['to'] = self::resolveEmailAddressList($content['to']);
 		//error_log(__METHOD__.__LINE__.array2string($content));
 		$etpl->exec('mail.mail_compose.compose',$content,$sel_options,$readonlys,$preserv,2);