diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/autocomplete.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/autocomplete.js.es6
index cbaffc2b85c..3c435b54b10 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/autocomplete.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/autocomplete.js.es6
@@ -130,10 +130,13 @@ export default function(options) {
         if (options.transformComplete) {
           term = options.transformComplete(term);
         }
-        var text = me.val();
-        text = text.substring(0, completeStart) + (options.key || "") + term + ' ' + text.substring(completeEnd + 1, text.length);
-        me.val(text);
-        Discourse.Utilities.setCaretPosition(me[0], completeStart + 1 + term.length);
+
+        if (term) {
+          var text = me.val();
+          text = text.substring(0, completeStart) + (options.key || "") + term + ' ' + text.substring(completeEnd + 1, text.length);
+          me.val(text);
+          Discourse.Utilities.setCaretPosition(me[0], completeStart + 1 + term.length);
+        }
       }
     }
     closeAutocomplete();