--- a/jsyntaxpane/src/main/java/jsyntaxpane/SyntaxView.java	
+++ a/jsyntaxpane/src/main/java/jsyntaxpane/SyntaxView.java	
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@ import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
 import javax.swing.text.BadLocationException;
+import javax.swing.text.Document;
 import javax.swing.text.Element;
 import javax.swing.text.PlainView;
 import javax.swing.text.Segment;
 import javax.swing.text.ViewFactory;
+
 import jsyntaxpane.util.Configuration;
 
 public class SyntaxView extends PlainView {
@@ -61,11 +64,15 @@ public class SyntaxView extends PlainView {
 
     @Override
     protected int drawUnselectedText(Graphics graphics, int x, int y, int p0,
-            int p1) {
+            int p1) throws BadLocationException {
         setRenderingHits((Graphics2D) graphics);
         Font saveFont = graphics.getFont();
         Color saveColor = graphics.getColor();
-        SyntaxDocument doc = (SyntaxDocument) getDocument();
+        Document document = getDocument();
+        if (!(document instanceof SyntaxDocument)) {
+            return super.drawUnselectedText(graphics, x, y, p0, p1);
+        }
+        SyntaxDocument doc = (SyntaxDocument) document;
         Segment segment = getLineBuffer();
         // Draw the right margin first, if needed.  This way the text overlays
         // the margin