diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
index 92abefa117..d4b9cd87c9 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
@@ -203,19 +203,32 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
                 const autoComplete = model.autoComplete;
                 switch (event.key) {
                     case "Enter":
-                        autoComplete.onEnter(event); break;
+                        // only capture enter when something is selected in the list,
+                        // otherwise don't handle so the contents of the composer gets sent
+                        if (autoComplete.hasSelection()) {
+                            autoComplete.onEnter(event);
+                            handled = true;
+                        }
+                        break;
                     case "ArrowUp":
-                        autoComplete.onUpArrow(event); break;
+                        autoComplete.onUpArrow(event);
+                        handled = true;
+                        break;
                     case "ArrowDown":
-                        autoComplete.onDownArrow(event); break;
+                        autoComplete.onDownArrow(event);
+                        handled = true;
+                        break;
                     case "Tab":
-                        autoComplete.onTab(event); break;
+                        autoComplete.onTab(event);
+                        handled = true;
+                        break;
                     case "Escape":
-                        autoComplete.onEscape(event); break;
+                        autoComplete.onEscape(event);
+                        handled = true;
+                        break;
                     default:
                         return; // don't preventDefault on anything else
                 }
-                handled = true;
             }
         }
         if (handled) {
diff --git a/src/editor/autocomplete.js b/src/editor/autocomplete.js
index 2aedf8d7f5..ac662c32d8 100644
--- a/src/editor/autocomplete.js
+++ b/src/editor/autocomplete.js
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ export default class AutocompleteWrapperModel {
         });
     }
 
+    hasSelection() {
+        return this._getAutocompleterComponent().hasSelection();
+    }
+
     onEnter() {
         this._updateCallback({close: true});
     }
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ export default class AutocompleteWrapperModel {
             }
             case "#":
                 return this._partCreator.roomPill(completionId);
-            // also used for emoji completion
+            // used for emoji and command completion replacement
             default:
                 return this._partCreator.plain(text);
         }
diff --git a/src/editor/model.js b/src/editor/model.js
index 91b724cf9e..2f1e5218d8 100644
--- a/src/editor/model.js
+++ b/src/editor/model.js
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ export default class EditorModel {
 
     reset(serializedParts, caret, inputType) {
         this._parts = serializedParts.map(p => this._partCreator.deserializePart(p));
+        // close auto complete if open
+        // this would happen when clearing the composer after sending
+        // a message with the autocomplete still open
+        if (this._autoComplete) {
+            this._autoComplete = null;
+            this._autoCompletePartIdx = null;
+        }
         this._updateCallback(caret, inputType);
     }