diff --git a/src/text-editor-component.coffee b/src/text-editor-component.coffee
index 06749233d..6f67e4c46 100644
--- a/src/text-editor-component.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor-component.coffee
@@ -90,7 +90,10 @@ TextEditorComponent = React.createClass
 
       style.height = scrollViewHeight if @autoHeight
 
-    className = 'editor-contents'
+    if useShadowDOM
+      className = 'editor-contents--private'
+    else
+      className = 'editor-contents'
     className += ' is-focused' if focused
     className += ' has-selection' if hasSelection
 
diff --git a/src/text-editor-element.coffee b/src/text-editor-element.coffee
index 643b71f5e..511433f72 100644
--- a/src/text-editor-element.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor-element.coffee
@@ -42,18 +42,17 @@ class TextEditorElement extends HTMLElement
       @stylesElement.initialize()
 
       @rootElement = document.createElement('div')
-      @rootElement.classList.add('shadow')
+      @rootElement.classList.add('editor--private')
 
       @shadowRoot.appendChild(@stylesElement)
       @shadowRoot.appendChild(@rootElement)
     else
       @useShadowDOM = false
 
+      @classList.add('editor', 'editor-colors')
       @stylesElement = document.head.querySelector('atom-styles')
       @rootElement = this
 
-    @rootElement.classList.add('editor', 'editor-colors')
-
   createSpacePenShim: ->
     TextEditorView ?= require './text-editor-view'
     @__spacePenView = new TextEditorView(this)
diff --git a/static/text-editor-shadow.less b/static/text-editor-shadow.less
index b71999099..d9cb65b63 100644
--- a/static/text-editor-shadow.less
+++ b/static/text-editor-shadow.less
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 @import "octicon-utf-codes";
 @import "octicon-mixins";
 
-.editor, .editor-contents {
+.editor--private, .editor-contents--private {
   height: 100%;
   width: 100%;
 }
 
-.editor-contents {
+.editor-contents--private {
   width: 100%;
   overflow: hidden;
   cursor: text;