diff --git a/include/tim.h b/include/tim.h
index 09d3502..299e684 100644
--- a/include/tim.h
+++ b/include/tim.h
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ typedef struct TimEvent {
 } TimEvent;
 
 typedef struct TimEditState {
+    bool masked;    // if true prints '*' instead of buffer content
     i32 cursor;     // cursor position (utf8)
     i32 length;     // string length (utf8)
     i32 capacity;   // buffer size in bytes
@@ -273,12 +274,21 @@ bool tim_checkbox(cstr txt, i32* state, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle style);
 bool tim_radiobutton(cstr txt, i32* state, i32 v, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle style);
 
 /// text edit - value in state
-/// @param e persistent edit state, use TimEditState_init() to create new state
+/// @param e persistent edit state, use TimEditState_construct() to create new state
 /// @param color frame, background, text
 /// @return key id or 0
 TimKey tim_edit(TimEditState* e, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle style);
 
-void TimEditState_init(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content);
+/// @param e uninitialized state
+/// @param capacity in bytes
+/// @param initial_content may be NULL
+void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content);
+
+static inline void TimEditState_destroy(TimEditState* e) {
+    if(!e)
+        return;
+    free(e->s);
+}
 
 void TimEditState_insert(TimEditState* e, cstr s);
 
diff --git a/src/edit.c b/src/edit.c
index b366443..4212fe1 100755
--- a/src/edit.c
+++ b/src/edit.c
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #include "tim.h"
 
-
-void TimEditState_init(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content){
-    e->length = tim_utf8_len(initial_content);
-    e->cursor = tim_utf8_len(initial_content);
+void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content){
+    e->masked = false;
+    e->length = initial_content ? tim_utf8_len(initial_content) : 0;
+    e->cursor = e->length;
     e->capacity = capacity;
     e->s = (char*)malloc(capacity + 1);
     i32 byte_len = strlen(initial_content);
@@ -90,13 +90,31 @@ TimKey tim_edit(TimEditState* e, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle style) {
 
     if (tim->event.type == TimEvent_Draw) {
         tim_draw_box(r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, style.brd, style.bg);
-        if (tim->focus == e) {
-            char* s = e->s + tim_utf8_pos(e->s, e->cursor - r.w + 4);
-            i32   cur = MIN(r.w - 4, e->cursor);
-            tim_draw_str(s, r.x + 2, r.y + 1, r.w - 3, style.fg, style.bg);
-            tim_draw_invert(r.x + cur + 2, r.y + 1, 1);
-        } else {
-            tim_draw_str(e->s, r.x + 2, r.y + 1, r.w - 3, style.fg, style.bg);
+
+        i32 s_x = r.x + 2, s_y = r.y + 1, s_w = r.w - 3, s_w_sub1 = s_w - 1;
+        char* s = e->s;
+        bool focused = tim->focus == e;
+
+        if (focused) {
+            // rewind long buffer so cursor is at the most right cell
+            s = e->s + tim_utf8_pos(e->s, e->cursor - s_w_sub1);
+        }
+
+        if(e->masked){
+            // draw '*' instead of buffer characters
+            TimCell cell_masked = tim_cell("*", style.fg, style.bg);
+            i32 w_mask = MIN(s_w, e->length);
+            tim_draw_row(cell_masked, s_x, s_y, w_mask);
+        }
+        else {
+            // draw part of buffer content
+            tim_draw_str(s, s_x, s_y, s_w, style.fg, style.bg);
+        }
+        
+        if (focused) {
+            // invert color of last cell
+            i32 cur = MIN(s_w_sub1, e->cursor);
+            tim_draw_invert(s_x + cur, s_y, 1);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/test.c b/test/test.c
index 60bef7a..1baeb77 100644
--- a/test/test.c
+++ b/test/test.c
@@ -116,13 +116,18 @@ static inline void test_screen(TimEvent* e) {
 }
 
 i32 main(void) {
-    TimEditState_init(&ed1, 32, "Edit 1");
-    TimEditState_init(&ed2, 32, "");
+    TimEditState_construct(&ed1, 32, "Edit 1");
+    TimEditState_construct(&ed2, 32, "");
+    
     while (tim_run(1.5)) {
         test_screen(&tim->event);
         if (tim_is_key_press('q') || tim_is_key_press(TimKey_Escape)) {
             break;
         }
     }
+    
+    TimEditState_destroy(&ed1);
+    TimEditState_destroy(&ed2);
+
     return 0;
 }