diff --git a/libjava/ChangeLog b/libjava/ChangeLog
index 00a4953c30b..f79c8f89396 100644
--- a/libjava/ChangeLog
+++ b/libjava/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
+2004-10-25  Tom Tromey  <tromey@redhat.com>
+
+	* gnu/java/text/WordBreakIterator.java (WordBreakIterator): Don't
+	initialize `iter'.
+	* gnu/java/text/SentenceBreakIterator.java
+	(SentenceBreakIterator): Don't initialize `iter'.
+	* gnu/java/text/LineBreakIterator.java (LineBreakIterator): Don't
+	initialize `iter'.
+	* gnu/java/text/CharacterBreakIterator.java
+	(CharacterBreakIterator): Don't initialize `iter'.
+	* gnu/java/text/BaseBreakIterator.java (BaseBreakIterator): New
+	constructor.
+	* java/text/BreakIterator.java: Updated documentation.
+
 2004-10-25  Eric Botcazou  <ebotcazou@libertysurf.fr>
 
 	PR other/18138
diff --git a/libjava/gnu/java/text/BaseBreakIterator.java b/libjava/gnu/java/text/BaseBreakIterator.java
index 5bb6f6ecef2..40a698f7cc4 100644
--- a/libjava/gnu/java/text/BaseBreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/gnu/java/text/BaseBreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* BaseBreakIterator.java -- Base class for default BreakIterators
-   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ package gnu.java.text;
 
 import java.text.BreakIterator;
 import java.text.CharacterIterator;
+import java.text.StringCharacterIterator;
 
 /**
  * @author Tom Tromey <tromey@cygnus.com>
@@ -48,6 +49,14 @@ import java.text.CharacterIterator;
 
 public abstract class BaseBreakIterator extends BreakIterator
 {
+  public BaseBreakIterator ()
+  {
+    // It isn't documented, but break iterators are created in a
+    // working state; their methods won't throw exceptions before
+    // setText().
+    iter = new StringCharacterIterator("");
+  }
+
   public int current ()
   {
     return iter.getIndex();
diff --git a/libjava/gnu/java/text/CharacterBreakIterator.java b/libjava/gnu/java/text/CharacterBreakIterator.java
index 5d2036c3551..c973f7b87f1 100644
--- a/libjava/gnu/java/text/CharacterBreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/gnu/java/text/CharacterBreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* CharacterBreakIterator.java - Default character BreakIterator.
-   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ public class CharacterBreakIterator extends BaseBreakIterator
 
   public CharacterBreakIterator ()
   {
-    iter = null;		// FIXME?
   }
 
   private CharacterBreakIterator (CharacterBreakIterator other)
diff --git a/libjava/gnu/java/text/LineBreakIterator.java b/libjava/gnu/java/text/LineBreakIterator.java
index e1cb49c7d56..7f00a95df0c 100644
--- a/libjava/gnu/java/text/LineBreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/gnu/java/text/LineBreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* LineBreakIterator.java - Default word BreakIterator.
-   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ public class LineBreakIterator extends BaseBreakIterator
 
   public LineBreakIterator ()
   {
-    iter = null;
   }
 
   private LineBreakIterator (LineBreakIterator other)
diff --git a/libjava/gnu/java/text/SentenceBreakIterator.java b/libjava/gnu/java/text/SentenceBreakIterator.java
index 405bbc5408d..3d395872840 100644
--- a/libjava/gnu/java/text/SentenceBreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/gnu/java/text/SentenceBreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* SentenceBreakIterator.java - Default sentence BreakIterator.
-   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ public class SentenceBreakIterator extends BaseBreakIterator
 
   public SentenceBreakIterator ()
   {
-    iter = null;
   }
 
   private SentenceBreakIterator (SentenceBreakIterator other)
diff --git a/libjava/gnu/java/text/WordBreakIterator.java b/libjava/gnu/java/text/WordBreakIterator.java
index 39dbefe6e50..85c44da4569 100644
--- a/libjava/gnu/java/text/WordBreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/gnu/java/text/WordBreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* WordBreakIterator.java - Default word BreakIterator.
-   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1999, 2001, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ public class WordBreakIterator extends BaseBreakIterator
 
   public WordBreakIterator ()
   {
-    iter = null;
   }
 
   private WordBreakIterator (WordBreakIterator other)
diff --git a/libjava/java/text/BreakIterator.java b/libjava/java/text/BreakIterator.java
index 92037a3bf55..a79db8c5f23 100644
--- a/libjava/java/text/BreakIterator.java
+++ b/libjava/java/text/BreakIterator.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* BreakIterator.java -- Breaks text into elements
-   Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 
 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
 
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ import java.util.ResourceBundle;
  * type is created by calling one of the static factory methods, not
  * by directly calling a constructor.
  *
+ * The standard iterators created by the factory methods in this
+ * class will be valid upon creation.  That is, their methods will
+ * not cause exceptions if called before you call setText().
+ *
  * @author Tom Tromey <tromey@cygnus.com>
  * @author Aaron M. Renn (arenn@urbanophile.com)
  * @date March 19, 1999