diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable.dart
index 5d0121e3f37..a42c758b2fb 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/editable.dart
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ class RenderEditable extends RenderBox
     Offset cursorOffset = Offset.zero,
     double devicePixelRatio = 1.0,
     ui.BoxHeightStyle selectionHeightStyle = ui.BoxHeightStyle.max,
-    ui.BoxWidthStyle selectionWidthStyle = ui.BoxWidthStyle.max,
+    ui.BoxWidthStyle selectionWidthStyle = ui.BoxWidthStyle.tight,
     bool? enableInteractiveSelection,
     this.floatingCursorAddedMargin = const EdgeInsets.fromLTRB(4, 4, 4, 5),
     TextRange? promptRectRange,
@@ -2912,17 +2912,31 @@ class _TextHighlightPainter extends RenderEditablePainter {
 
     highlightPaint.color = color;
     final TextPainter textPainter = renderEditable._textPainter;
-    final Set<TextBox> boxes = textPainter
-        .getBoxesForSelection(
-          TextSelection(baseOffset: range.start, extentOffset: range.end),
-          boxHeightStyle: selectionHeightStyle,
-          boxWidthStyle: selectionWidthStyle,
-        )
-        .toSet();
 
-    for (final box in boxes) {
+    final List<ui.TextBox> boxes = textPainter.getBoxesForSelection(
+      TextSelection(baseOffset: range.start, extentOffset: range.end),
+      boxHeightStyle: ui.BoxHeightStyle.max,
+      boxWidthStyle: ui.BoxWidthStyle.tight,
+    );
+    ui.TextBox? mergedBox;
+    for (final textBox in boxes) {
+      if (mergedBox == null) {
+        mergedBox = textBox;
+      } else if (mergedBox.top != textBox.top) {
+        canvas.drawRect(
+          Rect.fromLTRB(mergedBox.left, mergedBox.top, size.width, mergedBox.bottom)
+              .shift(renderEditable._paintOffset)
+              .intersect(Rect.fromLTRB(0, 0, textPainter.width, textPainter.height)),
+          highlightPaint,
+        );
+        mergedBox = textBox;
+      } else {
+        mergedBox = TextBox.fromLTRBD(mergedBox.left, mergedBox.top, textBox.right, mergedBox.bottom, mergedBox.direction);
+      }
+    }
+    if (mergedBox != null) {
       canvas.drawRect(
-        box
+        mergedBox
             .toRect()
             .shift(renderEditable._paintOffset)
             .intersect(Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, textPainter.width, textPainter.height)),
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
index b1ae878f2cc..7b179c7e3b3 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
@@ -2099,7 +2099,7 @@ class EditableText extends StatefulWidget {
       }
       return ui.BoxWidthStyle.tight;
     }
-    return ui.BoxWidthStyle.max;
+    return ui.BoxWidthStyle.tight;
   }
 
   /// The default value for [stylusHandwritingEnabled].
@@ -5046,7 +5046,9 @@ class EditableTextState extends State<EditableText>
   void userUpdateTextEditingValue(TextEditingValue value, SelectionChangedCause? cause) {
     // Compare the current TextEditingValue with the pre-format new
     // TextEditingValue value, in case the formatter would reject the change.
-    final shouldShowCaret = widget.readOnly ? _value.selection != value.selection : _value != value;
+    final shouldShowCaret =
+        cause != SelectionChangedCause.drag &&
+        (widget.readOnly ? _value.selection != value.selection : _value != value);
     if (shouldShowCaret) {
       _scheduleShowCaretOnScreen(withAnimation: true);
     }