diff --git a/src/TabComplete.js b/src/TabComplete.js
index 3b117ca689..59f3cec3a0 100644
--- a/src/TabComplete.js
+++ b/src/TabComplete.js
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ const MATCH_REGEX = /(^|\s)(\S+)$/;
 class TabComplete {
 
     constructor(opts) {
-        opts.startingWordSuffix = opts.startingWordSuffix || "";
-        opts.wordSuffix = opts.wordSuffix || "";
         opts.allowLooping = opts.allowLooping || false;
         opts.autoEnterTabComplete = opts.autoEnterTabComplete || false;
         opts.onClickCompletes = opts.onClickCompletes || false;
@@ -96,7 +94,9 @@ class TabComplete {
      * @param {Entry} entry The tab-complete entry to complete to.
      */
     completeTo(entry) {
-        this.textArea.value = this._replaceWith(entry.getText(), true, entry.getOverrideSuffix());
+        this.textArea.value = this._replaceWith(
+            entry.getText(), true, entry.getSuffix(this.isFirstWord)
+        );
         this.stopTabCompleting();
         // keep focus on the text area
         this.textArea.focus();
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class TabComplete {
             this.textArea.value = this._replaceWith(
                 this.matchedList[this.currentIndex].getText(),
                 this.currentIndex !== 0, // don't suffix the original text!
-                this.matchedList[this.currentIndex].getOverrideSuffix()
+                this.matchedList[this.currentIndex].getSuffix(this.isFirstWord)
             );
         }
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ class TabComplete {
         }
     }
 
-    _replaceWith(newVal, includeSuffix, overrideSuffix) {
+    _replaceWith(newVal, includeSuffix, suffix) {
         // The regex to replace the input matches a character of whitespace AND
         // the partial word. If we just use string.replace() with the regex it will
         // replace the partial word AND the character of whitespace. We want to
@@ -259,14 +259,9 @@ class TabComplete {
             boundaryChar = "";
         }
 
-        var suffix = "";
-        if (includeSuffix) {
-            if (overrideSuffix) {
-                suffix = overrideSuffix;
-            }
-            else {
-                suffix = (this.isFirstWord ? this.opts.startingWordSuffix : this.opts.wordSuffix);
-            }
+        suffix = suffix || "";
+        if (!includeSuffix) {
+            suffix = "";
         }
 
         var replacementText = boundaryChar + newVal + suffix;
diff --git a/src/TabCompleteEntries.js b/src/TabCompleteEntries.js
index 4b7fbc5d0e..79e0a9a46b 100644
--- a/src/TabCompleteEntries.js
+++ b/src/TabCompleteEntries.js
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ class Entry {
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return {?string} The suffix to override whatever the default is, or null to
+     * @return {?string} The suffix to append to the tab-complete, or null to
      * not do this.
      */
-    getOverrideSuffix() {
+    getSuffix(isFirstWord) {
         return null;
     }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class CommandEntry extends Entry {
         return this.getText();
     }
 
-    getOverrideSuffix() {
+    getSuffix(isFirstWord) {
         return " "; // force a space after the command.
     }
 }
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ class MemberEntry extends Entry {
     getKey() {
         return this.member.userId;
     }
+
+    getSuffix(isFirstWord) {
+        return isFirstWord ? ": " : " ";
+    }
 }
 
 MemberEntry.fromMemberList = function(members) {
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index bc6438a97c..abfa2e27f1 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // xchat-style tab complete, add a colon if tab
         // completing at the start of the text
         this.tabComplete = new TabComplete({
-            startingWordSuffix: ": ",
-            wordSuffix: " ",
             allowLooping: false,
             autoEnterTabComplete: true,
             onClickCompletes: true,