diff --git a/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.cpp b/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.cpp
index 40391f7c154d4d1e0e8166bccefa01ef50d35039..a669e5217f262f2f7d989732b5bb5df986f545ab 100644
--- a/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include "completion-popup.h"
 #include "ui/builder-utils.h"
+#include "ui/controller.h"
 
 namespace Inkscape::UI::Widget {
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ CompletionPopup::CompletionPopup() :
     _completion(get_object<Gtk::EntryCompletion>(_builder, "completion"))
 {
     _popover_menu.show_all_children();
+    Controller::add_key<&CompletionPopup::onPopoverKeyPressed>(_popover_menu, *this, Gtk::PHASE_CAPTURE);
     _button.set_popover(_popover_menu);
 
     _list = Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::ListStore>::cast_dynamic(_builder->get_object("list"));
@@ -74,6 +76,34 @@ CompletionPopup::CompletionPopup() :
 
 CompletionPopup::~CompletionPopup() = default;
 
+bool CompletionPopup::onPopoverKeyPressed(GtkEventControllerKey const * /*controller*/,
+                                     unsigned keyval, unsigned /*keycode*/,
+                                     GdkModifierType state) {
+    if (!_button.get_active()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    switch (keyval) {
+        // do nothing on direction keys and enter
+        case GDK_KEY_Left:
+        case GDK_KEY_KP_Left:
+        case GDK_KEY_Up:
+        case GDK_KEY_KP_Up:
+        case GDK_KEY_Right:
+        case GDK_KEY_KP_Right:
+        case GDK_KEY_Down:
+        case GDK_KEY_KP_Down:
+        case GDK_KEY_Return:
+        case GDK_KEY_KP_Enter:
+            break;
+        default:
+            _button_press.emit();
+            clear();
+            _search.grab_focus();
+            break;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 void CompletionPopup::clear_completion_list() {
     _list->clear();
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.h b/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.h
index 33aaa38f7941807fcc35aa213129788fcaf6c73a..2ebc389656a5b6d8b65553a8693cd6c9a80af9e7 100644
--- a/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.h
+++ b/src/ui/widget/completion-popup.h
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ public:
     sigc::signal<bool ()>& on_focus();
 
 private:
+    bool onPopoverKeyPressed(GtkEventControllerKey const *controller,
+                             unsigned keyval, unsigned keycode, GdkModifierType state);
     Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Builder> _builder;
     Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::ListStore> _list;
     Gtk::SearchEntry& _search;