diff -r 4a27b5ab2710 Lib/idlelib/ReplaceDialog.py
--- a/Lib/idlelib/ReplaceDialog.py	Wed Dec 14 18:40:35 2011 +0100
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/ReplaceDialog.py	Sat Dec 17 13:18:31 2011 -0600
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
     if not hasattr(engine, "_replacedialog"):
         engine._replacedialog = ReplaceDialog(root, engine)
     dialog = engine._replacedialog
-    dialog.open(text)
+    pat = text.get("sel.first", "sel.last")
+    dialog.open(text, pat)
 
 class ReplaceDialog(SearchDialogBase):
 
@@ -20,19 +21,13 @@
         SearchDialogBase.__init__(self, root, engine)
         self.replvar = StringVar(root)
 
-    def open(self, text):
+    def open(self, text, searchphrase=None):
         SearchDialogBase.open(self, text)
-        try:
-            first = text.index("sel.first")
-        except TclError:
-            first = None
-        try:
-            last = text.index("sel.last")
-        except TclError:
-            last = None
-        first = first or text.index("insert")
-        last = last or first
-        self.show_hit(first, last)
+
+        if searchphrase:
+            self.ent.delete(0,"end")
+            self.ent.insert("end",searchphrase)
+             
         self.ok = 1
 
     def create_entries(self):