diff --git a/src/java.desktop/share/classes/javax/swing/JEditorPane.java b/src/java.desktop/share/classes/javax/swing/JEditorPane.java
index 3134b8bace2..9a9f53f9faf 100644
--- a/src/java.desktop/share/classes/javax/swing/JEditorPane.java
+++ b/src/java.desktop/share/classes/javax/swing/JEditorPane.java
@@ -1715,13 +1715,17 @@ public class JEditorPane extends JTextComponent {
     protected class AccessibleJEditorPaneHTML extends AccessibleJEditorPane {
 
         private AccessibleContext accessibleContext;
+        private JEditorPaneAccessibleHypertextSupport axText;
 
         /**
          * Returns the accessible text.
          * @return the accessible text
          */
         public AccessibleText getAccessibleText() {
-            return new JEditorPaneAccessibleHypertextSupport();
+            if (axText == null) {
+                axText = new JEditorPaneAccessibleHypertextSupport();
+            }
+            return axText;
         }
 
         /**