diff --git a/spec/emojis.js b/spec/emojis.js
index 31cd70ed6..703478fc1 100644
--- a/spec/emojis.js
+++ b/spec/emojis.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe("Emojis", function () {
             input.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', enter_event));
 
             await u.waitUntil(() => input.value === '');
-            await u.waitUntil(() => textarea.value === ':grimacing:');
+            await u.waitUntil(() => textarea.value === ':grimacing: ');
 
             // Test that username starting with : doesn't cause issues
             const presence = $pres({
@@ -99,6 +99,56 @@ describe("Emojis", function () {
             done();
         }));
 
+        it("is focused to autocomplete emojis in the textarea",
+            mock.initConverse(
+                ['rosterGroupsFetched', 'chatBoxesFetched'], {},
+                async function (done, _converse) {
+
+            const muc_jid = 'lounge@montague.lit';
+            await mock.openAndEnterChatRoom(_converse, muc_jid, 'romeo');
+            const view = _converse.chatboxviews.get(muc_jid);
+
+            const textarea = view.el.querySelector('textarea.chat-textarea');
+            textarea.value = ':';
+            // Press tab
+            const tab_event = {
+                'target': textarea,
+                'preventDefault': function preventDefault () {},
+                'stopPropagation': function stopPropagation () {},
+                'keyCode': 9,
+                'key': 'Tab'
+            }
+            view.onKeyDown(tab_event);
+            await u.waitUntil(() => u.isVisible(view.el.querySelector('.emoji-picker__lists')));
+
+            const picker = view.el.querySelector('converse-emoji-picker');
+            const input = picker.querySelector('.emoji-search');
+            expect(input.value).toBe(':');
+            input.value = ':gri';
+            const event = {
+                'target': input,
+                'preventDefault': function preventDefault () {},
+                'stopPropagation': function stopPropagation () {}
+            };
+            input.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', event));
+            await u.waitUntil(() =>  sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji', view.el).length === 3, 1000);
+            let emoji = sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji:not(.hidden) a', view.el).pop();
+            emoji.click();
+            await u.waitUntil(() => textarea.value === ':grinning: ');
+            textarea.value = ':grinning: :';
+            view.onKeyDown(tab_event);
+
+            await u.waitUntil(() => input.value === ':');
+            input.value = ':grimacing';
+            input.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', event));
+            await u.waitUntil(() =>  sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji', view.el).length === 1, 1000);
+            emoji = sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji:not(.hidden) a', view.el).pop();
+            emoji.click();
+            await u.waitUntil(() => textarea.value === ':grinning: :grimacing: ');
+            done();
+        }));
+
+
         it("properly inserts emojis into the chat textarea",
             mock.initConverse(
                 ['rosterGroupsFetched', 'chatBoxesFetched'], {},
@@ -128,7 +178,7 @@ describe("Emojis", function () {
             await u.waitUntil(() => input.value === ':100:');
             const enter_event = Object.assign({}, tab_event, {'keyCode': 13, 'key': 'Enter', 'target': input});
             input.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', enter_event));
-            expect(textarea.value).toBe(':100:');
+            expect(textarea.value).toBe(':100: ');
 
             textarea.value = ':';
             view.onKeyDown(tab_event);
@@ -138,7 +188,7 @@ describe("Emojis", function () {
             await u.waitUntil(() => sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji:not(.hidden)', view.el).length === 1, 1000);
             const emoji = sizzle('.emojis-lists__container--search .insert-emoji:not(.hidden) a', view.el).pop();
             emoji.click();
-            expect(textarea.value).toBe(':100:');
+            expect(textarea.value).toBe(':100: ');
             done();
         }));
 
diff --git a/src/converse-chatview.js b/src/converse-chatview.js
index c1f47b70f..52af322bb 100644
--- a/src/converse-chatview.js
+++ b/src/converse-chatview.js
@@ -724,10 +724,10 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-chatview', {
                 if (emoji_picker && emoji_dropdown) {
                     emoji_picker.model.set({
                         'ac_position': input.selectionStart,
-                        'autocompleting': true,
+                        'autocompleting': value,
                         'query': value
                     });
-                    emoji_dropdown.firstElementChild.click();
+                    emoji_dropdown.showMenu();
                     return true;
                 }
             },
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-chatview', {
                 const model = this.el.querySelector('converse-emoji-picker').model;
                 const autocompleting = model.get('autocompleting');
                 const ac_position = model.get('ac_position');
-                this.insertIntoTextArea(emoji, !!autocompleting, false, ac_position);
+                this.insertIntoTextArea(emoji, autocompleting, false, ac_position);
             },
 
             /**
diff --git a/src/converse-minimize.js b/src/converse-minimize.js
index 07ab5018b..9b6e500ce 100644
--- a/src/converse-minimize.js
+++ b/src/converse-minimize.js
@@ -498,9 +498,7 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-minimize', {
         });
 
         function initMinimizedChats () {
-            if (_converse.minimized_chats) {
-                _converse.minimized_chats.remove();
-            }
+            _converse.minimized_chats?.remove();
             _converse.minimized_chats = new _converse.MinimizedChats({model: _converse.chatboxes});
             /**
              * Triggered once the _converse.MinimizedChats instance has been initialized