diff --git a/_css/react.scss b/_css/react.scss
index d130086fc..daa000270 100644
--- a/_css/react.scss
+++ b/_css/react.scss
@@ -580,6 +580,11 @@ div.CodeMirror-linenumber:after {
   border: none;
 }
 
+/* hide the cursor. Mostly used when code's in plain JS */
+.CodeMirror-readonly div.CodeMirror-cursor {
+  visibility: hidden;
+}
+
 small code,
 li code,
 p code {
@@ -596,23 +601,28 @@ p code {
   @include clearfix;
 }
 
-.playground::before {
+.playground-tab {
   border-bottom: none !important;
   border-radius: 3px 3px 0 0;
-  padding: 3px 7px;
+  padding: 6px 8px;
   font-size: 12px;
   font-weight: bold;
   color: #c2c0bc;
   background-color: #f1ede4;
-  content: 'Live editor';
+  display: inline-block;
+  cursor: pointer;
 }
 
-.playground::before,
 .playgroundCode,
+.playground-tab,
 .playgroundPreview {
   border: 1px solid rgba(16,16,16,0.1);
 }
 
+.playground-tab-active {
+  color: $darkestColor;
+}
+
 .playgroundCode {
   border-radius: 0 3px 3px 3px;
   float: left;
diff --git a/_js/examples/timer.js b/_js/examples/timer.js
index 685e57e70..00e60f959 100644
--- a/_js/examples/timer.js
+++ b/_js/examples/timer.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 var TIMER_COMPONENT = "\
+/** @jsx React.DOM */\n\
 var Timer = React.createClass({\n\
   getInitialState: function() {\n\
     return {secondsElapsed: 0};\n\
@@ -17,13 +18,13 @@ var Timer = React.createClass({\n\
     clearInterval(this.interval);\n\
   },\n\
   render: function() {\n\
-    return React.DOM.div({},\n\
-      'Seconds Elapsed: ', this.state.secondsElapsed\n\
+    return (\n\
+      <div>Seconds Elapsed: {this.state.secondsElapsed}</div>\n\
     );\n\
   }\n\
 });\n\
 \n\
-React.renderComponent(Timer({}), mountNode);\
+React.renderComponent(<Timer />, mountNode);\
 ";
 
 React.renderComponent(
diff --git a/_js/live_editor.js b/_js/live_editor.js
index e51bfabfb..5f582b400 100644
--- a/_js/live_editor.js
+++ b/_js/live_editor.js
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ var IS_MOBILE = (
 );
 
 var CodeMirrorEditor = React.createClass({
-  componentDidMount: function(root) {
-    if (IS_MOBILE) {
-      return;
-    }
+  componentDidMount: function() {
+    if (IS_MOBILE) return;
+
     this.editor = CodeMirror.fromTextArea(this.refs.editor.getDOMNode(), {
       mode: 'javascript',
       lineNumbers: false,
@@ -26,15 +25,21 @@ var CodeMirrorEditor = React.createClass({
       theme: 'solarized-light',
       readOnly: this.props.readOnly
     });
-    this.editor.on('change', this.onChange);
-    this.onChange();
+    this.editor.on('change', this.handleChange);
   },
-  onChange: function() {
-    if (this.props.onChange) {
-      var content = this.editor.getValue();
-      this.props.onChange(content);
+
+  componentDidUpdate: function() {
+    if (this.props.readOnly) {
+      this.editor.setValue(this.props.codeText);
     }
   },
+
+  handleChange: function() {
+    if (!this.props.readOnly) {
+      this.props.onChange && this.props.onChange(this.editor.getValue());
+    }
+  },
+
   render: function() {
     // wrap in a div to fully contain CodeMirror
     var editor;
@@ -46,7 +51,7 @@ var CodeMirrorEditor = React.createClass({
     }
 
     return (
-      <div className={this.props.className}>
+      <div style={this.props.style} className={this.props.className}>
         {editor}
       </div>
     );
@@ -67,7 +72,7 @@ var selfCleaningTimeout = {
 var ReactPlayground = React.createClass({
   mixins: [selfCleaningTimeout],
 
-  MODES: {XJS: 'XJS', JS: 'JS'}, //keyMirror({XJS: true, JS: true}),
+  MODES: {JSX: 'JSX', JS: 'JS'}, //keyMirror({JSX: true, JS: true}),
 
   propTypes: {
     codeText: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
@@ -84,15 +89,19 @@ var ReactPlayground = React.createClass({
   },
 
   getInitialState: function() {
-    return {mode: this.MODES.XJS, code: this.props.codeText};
+    return {
+      mode: this.MODES.JSX,
+      code: this.props.codeText,
+    };
   },
 
-  bindState: function(name) {
-    return function(value) {
-      var newState = {};
-      newState[name] = value;
-      this.setState(newState);
-    }.bind(this);
+  handleCodeChange: function(value) {
+    this.setState({code: value});
+    this.executeCode();
+  },
+
+  handleCodeModeSwitch: function(mode) {
+    this.setState({mode: mode});
   },
 
   compileCode: function() {
@@ -100,25 +109,53 @@ var ReactPlayground = React.createClass({
   },
 
   render: function() {
-    var content;
-    if (this.state.mode === this.MODES.XJS) {
-      content =
-        <CodeMirrorEditor
-          onChange={this.bindState('code')}
-          className="playgroundStage"
-          codeText={this.state.code}
-        />;
-    } else if (this.state.mode === this.MODES.JS) {
-      content =
-        <div className="playgroundJS playgroundStage">
-          {this.compileCode()}
-        </div>;
-    }
+    var isJS = this.state.mode === this.MODES.JS;
+    var compiledCode = '';
+    try {
+      compiledCode = this.compileCode();
+    } catch (err) {}
+
+    // we're creating both versions, to avoid the flicker when switching from
+    // one view to another when CodeMirror recompiles
+    var jsContent =
+      <CodeMirrorEditor
+        style={{display: isJS ? 'inherit' : 'none'}}
+        className="playgroundStage CodeMirror-readonly"
+        onChange={this.handleCodeChange}
+        codeText={compiledCode}
+        readOnly={true}
+      />;
+
+    var jsxContent =
+      <CodeMirrorEditor
+        style={{display: isJS ? 'none' : 'inherit'}}
+        onChange={this.handleCodeChange}
+        className="playgroundStage"
+        codeText={this.state.code}
+      />;
+
+    var JSXTabClassName =
+      'playground-tab' + (isJS ? '' : ' playground-tab-active');
+    var JSTabClassName =
+      'playground-tab' + (isJS ? ' playground-tab-active' : '');
 
     return (
       <div className="playground">
+        <div>
+          <div
+            className={JSXTabClassName}
+            onClick={this.handleCodeModeSwitch.bind(this, this.MODES.JSX)}>
+              Live JSX Editor
+          </div>
+          <div
+            className={JSTabClassName}
+            onClick={this.handleCodeModeSwitch.bind(this, this.MODES.JS)}>
+              Compiled JS
+          </div>
+        </div>
         <div className="playgroundCode">
-          {content}
+          {jsxContent}
+          {jsContent}
         </div>
         <div className="playgroundPreview">
           <div ref="mount" />
@@ -126,12 +163,19 @@ var ReactPlayground = React.createClass({
       </div>
     );
   },
+
   componentDidMount: function() {
     this.executeCode();
   },
-  componentDidUpdate: function() {
-    this.executeCode();
+
+  componentWillUpdate: function(nextProps, nextState) {
+    // execute code only when the state's not being updated by switching tab
+    // this avoids re-displaying the error, which comes after a certain delay
+    if (this.state.mode === nextState.mode) {
+      this.executeCode();
+    };
   },
+
   executeCode: function() {
     var mountNode = this.refs.mount.getDOMNode();
 
@@ -149,10 +193,10 @@ var ReactPlayground = React.createClass({
       } else {
         eval(compiledCode);
       }
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (err) {
       this.setTimeout(function() {
         React.renderComponent(
-          <div className="playgroundError">{e.toString()}</div>,
+          <div className="playgroundError">{err.toString()}</div>,
           mountNode
         );
       }, 500);
diff --git a/_layouts/default.html b/_layouts/default.html
index 15177f386..9cc8bef4c 100644
--- a/_layouts/default.html
+++ b/_layouts/default.html
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
   <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/react/favicon.ico">
   <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="{{ site.name }}" href="{{ site.url }}{{ site.baseurl }}/feed.xml">
 
-  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/react/css/react.css">
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/react/css/syntax.css">
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/react/css/codemirror.css">
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/react/css/react.css">
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="//use.typekit.net/vqa1hcx.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript">try{Typekit.load();}catch(e){}</script>