diff --git a/pygame_gui/core/text/html_parser.py b/pygame_gui/core/text/html_parser.py
index 39b4c960..96bcb78b 100644
--- a/pygame_gui/core/text/html_parser.py
+++ b/pygame_gui/core/text/html_parser.py
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def _handle_line_break(self):
             antialiased=self.current_style['antialiased'],
             script=self.current_style['script'],
             direction=self.current_style['direction'])
-        dimensions = (current_font.get_rect(' ').width,
+        dimensions = (4,
                       int(round(self.current_style['font_size'] *
                                 self.line_spacing)))
         chunk = self.create_styled_text_chunk('')
diff --git a/pygame_gui/core/text/line_break_layout_rect.py b/pygame_gui/core/text/line_break_layout_rect.py
index 97d2eff4..c540400f 100644
--- a/pygame_gui/core/text/line_break_layout_rect.py
+++ b/pygame_gui/core/text/line_break_layout_rect.py
@@ -39,4 +39,5 @@ def finalise(self,
             self.select_surf = Surface((self.selection_chunk_width, row_bg_height), flags=pygame.SRCALPHA)
             self.select_surf.fill(self.selection_colour)
             target_surface.blit(self.select_surf, self.topleft, special_flags=pygame.BLEND_PREMULTIPLIED)
+        # should be cleared by row
 
diff --git a/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout.py b/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout.py
index 1e7d8657..ee09cae0 100644
--- a/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout.py
+++ b/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def _add_row_to_layout(self, current_row: TextBoxLayoutRow, last_row=False):
         # otherwise we add infinite rows with no height
         # instead add a line break rect to an empty row.
         if len(current_row.items) == 0 and not last_row:
-            current_row.add_item(LineBreakLayoutRect(dimensions=(2, self.last_row_height),
+            current_row.add_item(LineBreakLayoutRect(dimensions=(4, self.last_row_height),
                                                      font=current_row.fall_back_font))
         if current_row not in self.layout_rows:
             self.layout_rows.append(current_row)
diff --git a/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout_row.py b/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout_row.py
index 344d3656..013a46e2 100644
--- a/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout_row.py
+++ b/pygame_gui/core/text/text_box_layout_row.py
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ def clear(self):
         """
         if self.target_surface is not None and self.surf_row_dirty:
             slightly_wider_rect = pygame.Rect(self.x, self.y,
-                                              self.layout.view_rect.width,
+                                              self.width + self.cursor_draw_width,
                                               self.height)
             self.target_surface.fill(pygame.Color('#00000000'), slightly_wider_rect)
             self.surf_row_dirty = False