diff --git a/js/views/conversation_view.js b/js/views/conversation_view.js
index 1794c77fca..bbbb9c9e3e 100644
--- a/js/views/conversation_view.js
+++ b/js/views/conversation_view.js
@@ -1714,7 +1714,6 @@
       } else {
         textarea.value += colons;
       }
-      this.focusMessageField();
     },
 
     async setQuoteMessage(messageId) {
diff --git a/ts/components/emoji/EmojiPicker.tsx b/ts/components/emoji/EmojiPicker.tsx
index 06159f6e13..c61afbb49f 100644
--- a/ts/components/emoji/EmojiPicker.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/emoji/EmojiPicker.tsx
@@ -130,7 +130,17 @@ export const EmojiPicker = React.memo(
               setSearchText('');
               setSearchMode(false);
               setScrollToRow(0);
-            } else if (!searchMode) {
+            } else if (
+              !searchMode &&
+              ![
+                'ArrowUp',
+                'ArrowDown',
+                'ArrowLeft',
+                'ArrowRight',
+                'Tab',
+                ' ', // Space
+              ].includes(e.key)
+            ) {
               onClose();
             }
           };