diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
index 135ac12e52..3ef356517a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
@@ -28,3 +28,6 @@ class NullSmarts(object):
 
     def get_inner_HTML(self, editor):
         return None
+
+    def handle_key_press(self, ev, editor):
+        return False
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/html.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/html.py
index 4e3b5b62d9..2e445d8ed0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/html.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/html.py
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ import sys, re
 from operator import itemgetter
 
 from cssutils import parseStyle
-from PyQt5.Qt import QTextEdit
+from PyQt5.Qt import QTextEdit, Qt
 
-from calibre import prepare_string_for_xml
+from calibre import prepare_string_for_xml, xml_entity_to_unicode
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.syntax.html import ATTR_NAME, ATTR_END, ATTR_START, ATTR_VALUE
 from calibre.utils.icu import utf16_length
+from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import tprefs
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.smart import NullSmarts
 
 get_offset = itemgetter(0)
@@ -273,6 +274,7 @@ class HTMLSmarts(NullSmarts):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         NullSmarts.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
         self.last_matched_tag = None
+        self.entity_pat = re.compile(r'&(#{0,1}[a-zA-Z0-9]{1,8});$')
 
     def get_extra_selections(self, editor):
         ans = []
@@ -529,3 +531,24 @@ class HTMLSmarts(NullSmarts):
         for tag in reversed(tags):
             set_style_property(tag, 'text-align', value, editor)
 
+    def handle_key_press(self, ev, editor):
+        text = ev.text()
+        key = ev.key()
+        if tprefs['replace_entities_as_typed'] and (key == Qt.Key_Semicolon or ';' in text):
+            self.replace_possible_entity(editor)
+            return True
+        return False
+
+    def replace_possible_entity(self, editor):
+        c = editor.textCursor()
+        c.insertText(';')
+        c.setPosition(c.position() - min(c.positionInBlock(), 10), c.KeepAnchor)
+        text = editor.selected_text_from_cursor(c)
+        m = self.entity_pat.search(text)
+        if m is not None:
+            ent = m.group()
+            repl = xml_entity_to_unicode(m)
+            if repl != ent:
+                c.setPosition(c.position() + m.start(), c.KeepAnchor)
+                c.insertText(repl)
+            editor.setTextCursor(c)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index 7f90600b2f..f2cb315d5f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from PyQt5.Qt import (
     QTextEdit, QTextFormat, QWidget, QSize, QPainter, Qt, QRect, pyqtSlot,
     QApplication, QMimeData, QColor, QColorDialog, QTimer, pyqtSignal, QT_VERSION)
 
-from calibre import prepare_string_for_xml, xml_entity_to_unicode
+from calibre import prepare_string_for_xml
 from calibre.constants import isosx
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import tprefs, TOP
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor import (
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ from calibre.utils.icu import safe_chr, string_length, capitalize, upper, lower,
 from calibre.utils.titlecase import titlecase
 
 PARAGRAPH_SEPARATOR = '\u2029'
-entity_pat = re.compile(r'&(#{0,1}[a-zA-Z0-9]{1,8});')
 
 def get_highlighter(syntax):
     ans = {'html':HTMLHighlighter, 'css':CSSHighlighter, 'xml':XMLHighlighter}.get(syntax, SyntaxHighlighter)
@@ -762,9 +761,9 @@ class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
             # https://bugreports.qt-project.org/browse/QTBUG-36281
             ev.setAccepted(False)
             return
+        if self.smarts.handle_key_press(ev, self):
+            return
         QPlainTextEdit.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
-        if (ev.key() == Qt.Key_Semicolon or ';' in unicode(ev.text())) and tprefs['replace_entities_as_typed'] and self.syntax == 'html':
-            self.replace_possible_entity()
 
     def replace_possible_unicode_sequence(self):
         c = self.textCursor()
@@ -789,19 +788,6 @@ class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
         c.insertText(safe_chr(num))
         return True
 
-    def replace_possible_entity(self):
-        c = self.textCursor()
-        c.setPosition(c.position() - min(c.positionInBlock(), 10), c.KeepAnchor)
-        text = unicode(c.selectedText()).rstrip('\0')
-        m = entity_pat.search(text)
-        if m is None:
-            return
-        ent = m.group()
-        repl = xml_entity_to_unicode(m)
-        if repl != ent:
-            c.setPosition(c.position() + m.start(), c.KeepAnchor)
-            c.insertText(repl)
-
     def select_all(self):
         c = self.textCursor()
         c.clearSelection()