diff --git a/src/js/editor/editor.js b/src/js/editor/editor.js
index c5df579fe..8647005d1 100644
--- a/src/js/editor/editor.js
+++ b/src/js/editor/editor.js
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class Editor {
     mergeWithOptions(this, defaults, options);
 
     this._parser   = PostParser;
-    this._renderer = new Renderer(this.cards, this.unknownCardHandler, this.cardOptions);
+    this._renderer = new Renderer(this, this.cards, this.unknownCardHandler, this.cardOptions);
 
     this.applyClassName();
     this.applyPlaceholder();
@@ -428,6 +428,10 @@ class Editor {
     }
   }
 
+  didUpdate() {
+    this.trigger('update');
+  }
+
   getActiveMarkers() {
     const cursor = this.cursor;
     return cursor.activeMarkers;
diff --git a/src/js/models/card-node.js b/src/js/models/card-node.js
index a5997fd5a..76bef3090 100644
--- a/src/js/models/card-node.js
+++ b/src/js/models/card-node.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export default class CardNode {
-  constructor(card, section, element, cardOptions) {
+  constructor(editor, card, section, element, cardOptions) {
+    this.editor = editor;
     this.card = card;
     this.section = section;
     this.cardOptions = cardOptions;
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@ export default class CardNode {
       edit: () => { this.edit(); },
       save: (payload) => {
         this.section.payload = payload;
+
+        this.editor.didUpdate();
         this.display();
       },
       cancel: () => { this.display(); }
diff --git a/src/js/renderers/editor-dom.js b/src/js/renderers/editor-dom.js
index 2271b0f0d..c9e5b6083 100644
--- a/src/js/renderers/editor-dom.js
+++ b/src/js/renderers/editor-dom.js
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ function renderMarker(marker, element, previousRenderNode) {
 }
 
 class Visitor {
-  constructor(cards, unknownCardHandler, options) {
+  constructor(editor, cards, unknownCardHandler, options) {
+    this.editor = editor;
     this.cards = cards;
     this.unknownCardHandler = unknownCardHandler;
     this.options = options;
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ class Visitor {
   }
 
   [CARD_TYPE](renderNode, section) {
+    const {editor, options} = this;
     const card = detect(this.cards, card => card.name === section.name);
 
     const env = { name: section.name };
@@ -169,11 +171,11 @@ class Visitor {
     renderNode.parentNode.element.appendChild(renderNode.element);
 
     if (card) {
-      let cardNode = new CardNode(card, section, renderNode.element, this.options);
+      let cardNode = new CardNode(editor, card, section, renderNode.element, options);
       renderNode.cardNode = cardNode;
       cardNode.display();
     } else {
-      this.unknownCardHandler(renderNode.element, this.options, env, section.payload);
+      this.unknownCardHandler(renderNode.element, options, env, section.payload);
     }
   }
 }
@@ -254,8 +256,9 @@ function lookupNode(renderTree, parentNode, postNode, previousNode) {
 }
 
 export default class Renderer {
-  constructor(cards, unknownCardHandler, options) {
-    this.visitor = new Visitor(cards, unknownCardHandler, options);
+  constructor(editor, cards, unknownCardHandler, options) {
+    this.editor = editor;
+    this.visitor = new Visitor(editor, cards, unknownCardHandler, options);
     this.nodes = [];
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/basic-editor-test.js b/tests/acceptance/basic-editor-test.js
index a840e7517..f061c889a 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/basic-editor-test.js
+++ b/tests/acceptance/basic-editor-test.js
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 import { Editor } from 'content-kit-editor';
-import Helpers from '../test-helpers';
 
 const { test, module } = QUnit;
 
 let fixture, editor, editorElement;
 
-module('Acceptance: basic editor', {
+module('Acceptance: editor: basic', {
   beforeEach() {
     fixture = document.getElementById('qunit-fixture');
     editorElement = document.createElement('div');
@@ -13,7 +12,9 @@ module('Acceptance: basic editor', {
     fixture.appendChild(editorElement);
   },
   afterEach() {
-    editor.destroy();
+    if (editor) {
+      editor.destroy();
+    }
   }
 });
 
@@ -28,17 +29,3 @@ test('sets element as contenteditable', (assert) => {
   assert.equal(editorElement.firstChild.tagName, 'P',
                `editor element has a P as its first child`);
 });
-
-test('editing element changes editor post model', (assert) => {
-  let innerHTML = `<p>Hello</p>`;
-  editorElement.innerHTML = innerHTML;
-  editor = new Editor(document.getElementById('editor'));
-
-  let p = editorElement.querySelector('p');
-  let textElement = p.firstChild;
-
-  Helpers.dom.moveCursorTo(textElement, 0);
-
-  document.execCommand('insertText', false, 'A');
-  assert.equal(p.textContent, 'AHello');
-});
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/editor-cards-test.js b/tests/acceptance/editor-cards-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12613f8cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/editor-cards-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { Editor } from 'content-kit-editor';
+import Helpers from '../test-helpers';
+import { MOBILEDOC_VERSION } from 'content-kit-editor/renderers/mobiledoc';
+
+const { test, module } = QUnit;
+
+let fixture, editor, editorElement;
+
+const mobiledoc = {
+  version: MOBILEDOC_VERSION,
+  sections: [
+    [],
+    [
+      [10, 'simple-card']
+    ]
+  ]
+};
+
+const simpleCard = {
+  name: 'simple-card',
+  display: {
+    setup(element, options, env) {
+      let button = document.createElement('button');
+      button.setAttribute('id', 'display-button');
+      element.appendChild(button);
+      button.onclick = env.edit;
+      return {button};
+    },
+    teardown({button}) {
+      button.parentNode.removeChild(button);
+    }
+  },
+  edit: {
+    setup(element, options, env) {
+      let button = document.createElement('button');
+      button.setAttribute('id', 'edit-button');
+      button.onclick = env.save;
+      element.appendChild(button);
+      return {button};
+    },
+    teardown({button}) {
+      button.parentNode.removeChild(button);
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+module('Acceptance: editor: cards', {
+  beforeEach() {
+    fixture = document.getElementById('qunit-fixture');
+    editorElement = document.createElement('div');
+    editorElement.setAttribute('id', 'editor');
+    fixture.appendChild(editorElement);
+  },
+  afterEach() {
+    if (editor) {
+      editor.destroy();
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test('changing to display state triggers update on editor', (assert) => {
+  const cards = [simpleCard];
+  editor = new Editor(editorElement, {mobiledoc, cards});
+
+  let updateCount = 0,
+      triggeredUpdate = () => updateCount++;
+  editor.on('update', triggeredUpdate);
+
+  let displayButton = document.getElementById('display-button');
+  assert.ok(!!displayButton, 'precond - display button is there');
+
+  Helpers.dom.triggerEvent(displayButton, 'click');
+
+  let editButton = document.getElementById('edit-button');
+  assert.ok(!!editButton, 'precond - edit button is there after clicking the display button');
+
+  let currentUpdateCount = updateCount;
+
+  Helpers.dom.triggerEvent(editButton, 'click');
+
+  assert.equal(updateCount, currentUpdateCount+1,
+               'update is triggered after switching to display mode');
+});
+
diff --git a/tests/unit/renderers/editor-dom-test.js b/tests/unit/renderers/editor-dom-test.js
index 88274ab06..0af46e402 100644
--- a/tests/unit/renderers/editor-dom-test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/renderers/editor-dom-test.js
@@ -8,11 +8,12 @@ const DATA_URL = "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAAC
 let builder;
 
 function render(renderTree, cards=[]) {
-  let renderer = new Renderer(cards);
+  let editor = {};
+  let renderer = new Renderer(editor, cards);
   return renderer.render(renderTree);
 }
 
-module("Unit: Renderer", {
+module("Unit: Renderer: Editor-Dom", {
   beforeEach() {
     builder = generateBuilder();
   }