diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_signup.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_signup.js
index dc2a6cdb..5f6a3c79 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_signup.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_signup.js
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ let SignupForm = React.createClass({
                     name="terms"
                     className="ascribe-settings-property-collapsible-toggle"
                     style={{paddingBottom: 0}}>
-                    <InputCheckbox>
+                    <InputCheckbox
+                        defaultChecked={true}>
                         <span>
                             {' ' + getLangText('I agree to the Terms of Service') + ' '}
                             (<a href="https://www.ascribe.io/terms" target="_blank" style={{fontSize: '0.9em', color: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.7)'}}>
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_checkbox.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_checkbox.js
index 5c621a90..b871a639 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_checkbox.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_checkbox.js
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 let InputCheckbox = React.createClass({
     propTypes: {
-        defaultValue: React.PropTypes.bool,
+        required: React.PropTypes.bool,
+        defaultChecked: React.PropTypes.bool,
         children: React.PropTypes.oneOfType([
             React.PropTypes.arrayOf(React.PropTypes.element),
             React.PropTypes.element
@@ -18,17 +19,26 @@ let InputCheckbox = React.createClass({
 
     getInitialState() {
         return {
-            //show: false
-            value: this.props.defaultValue
+            value: this.props.defaultChecked
         };
     },
 
-    onChange: function(event) {
-        let newValue = !this.state.value;
-        event.target.value = newValue;
-        this.props.onChange(event);
-        event.stopPropagation();
-        this.setState({value: newValue});
+    componentDidMount() {
+        this.props.onChange({
+            target: {
+                value: this.state.value
+            }
+        });
+    },
+
+    onChange() {
+        let value = !this.refs.checkbox.getDOMNode().checked;
+        this.setState({value: value});
+        this.props.onChange({
+            target: {
+                value: value
+            }
+        });
     },
 
     render() {
@@ -39,7 +49,8 @@ let InputCheckbox = React.createClass({
                     type="checkbox"
                     ref="checkbox"
                     onChange={this.onChange}
-                    checked={this.state.value}/>
+                    checked={this.state.value}
+                    defaultChecked={this.props.defaultChecked}/>
                 <span className="checkbox">
                     {this.props.children}
                 </span>
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_hidden.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_hidden.js
deleted file mode 100644
index b6a8ac46..00000000
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_hidden.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-import React from 'react';
-
-import AlertMixin from '../../mixins/alert_mixin';
-
-let InputHidden = React.createClass({
-    propTypes: {
-        submitted: React.PropTypes.bool,
-        value: React.PropTypes.string
-    },
-
-    mixins: [AlertMixin],
-
-    getInitialState() {
-        return {value: this.props.value,
-                alerts: null // needed in AlertMixin
-        };
-    },
-    handleChange(event) {
-        this.setState({value: event.target.value});
-    },
-    render() {
-        let alerts = (this.props.submitted) ? null : this.state.alerts;
-        return (
-            <div className="form-group">
-                {alerts}
-                <input
-                    value={this.props.value}
-                    type="hidden"
-                    onChange={this.handleChange}
-                />
-            </div>
-        );
-
-    }
-});
-
-export default InputHidden;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_text.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_text.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f0ee5d0..00000000
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_text.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-import React from 'react';
-
-import AlertMixin from '../../mixins/alert_mixin';
-
-let InputText = React.createClass({
-    propTypes: {
-        submitted: React.PropTypes.bool,
-        onBlur: React.PropTypes.func,
-        type: React.PropTypes.string,
-        required: React.PropTypes.string,
-        placeHolder: React.PropTypes.string
-    },
-
-    mixins: [AlertMixin],
-
-    getInitialState() {
-        return {value: null,
-                alerts: null // needed in AlertMixin
-        };
-    },
-
-    handleChange(event) {
-        this.setState({value: event.target.value});
-    },
-
-    render() {
-        let className = 'form-control input-text-ascribe';
-        let alerts = (this.props.submitted) ? null : this.state.alerts;
-        return (
-            <div className="form-group">
-                {alerts}
-                <input className={className}
-                        placeholder={this.props.placeHolder}
-                        required={this.props.required}
-                        type={this.props.type}
-                        onChange={this.handleChange}
-                        onBlur={this.props.onBlur}/>
-            </div>
-        );
-
-    }
-});
-
-export default InputText;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_textarea.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_textarea.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 2c5ab40a..00000000
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/input_textarea.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-import React from 'react';
-
-import AlertMixin from '../../mixins/alert_mixin';
-
-let InputTextArea = React.createClass({
-    propTypes: {
-        submitted: React.PropTypes.bool,
-        required: React.PropTypes.string,
-        defaultValue: React.PropTypes.string
-    },
-
-    mixins: [AlertMixin],
-
-    getInitialState() {
-        return {
-            value: this.props.defaultValue,
-            alerts: null // needed in AlertMixin
-        };
-    },
-    handleChange(event) {
-        this.setState({value: event.target.value});
-    },
-    render() {
-        let className = 'form-control input-text-ascribe textarea-ascribe-message';
-
-        let alerts = (this.props.submitted) ? null : this.state.alerts;
-        return (
-            <div className="form-group">
-                {alerts}
-                <textarea className={className}
-                    defaultValue={this.props.defaultValue}
-                    required={this.props.required}
-                    onChange={this.handleChange}></textarea>
-            </div>
-        );
-    }
-});
-
-export default InputTextArea;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
index 2547c65b..8333a8bf 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ let Property = React.createClass({
 
     getInitialState() {
         return {
+            // Please don't confuse initialValue with react's defaultValue.
+            // initialValue is set by us to ensure that a user can reset a specific
+            // property (after editing) to its initial value
             initialValue: null,
             value: null,
             isFocused: false,
@@ -158,7 +161,6 @@ let Property = React.createClass({
     renderChildren() {
         return ReactAddons.Children.map(this.props.children, (child) => {
             return ReactAddons.addons.cloneWithProps(child, {
-                //value: this.state.value,
                 onChange: this.handleChange,
                 onFocus: this.handleFocus,
                 onBlur: this.handleBlur,
diff --git a/js/components/settings_container.js b/js/components/settings_container.js
index 90d51506..c414f10f 100644
--- a/js/components/settings_container.js
+++ b/js/components/settings_container.js
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ let AccountSettings = React.createClass({
                         className="ascribe-settings-property-collapsible-toggle"
                         style={{paddingBottom: 0}}>
                         <InputCheckbox
-                            defaultValue={this.state.currentUser.profile.hash_locally}>
+                            defaultChecked={this.state.currentUser.profile.hash_locally}>
                             <span>
                                 {' ' + getLangText('Enable hash option for slow connections. ' +
                                     'Computes and uploads a hash of the work instead.')}