diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/complete.py b/src/calibre/gui2/complete.py
index bb9e0cb4c9..8110618bac 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/complete.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/complete.py
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ __copyright__ = '2011, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 
-from PyQt4.Qt import QLineEdit, QAbstractListModel, Qt, \
-        QApplication, QCompleter
+from PyQt4.Qt import (QLineEdit, QAbstractListModel, Qt,
+        QApplication, QCompleter, QMetaObject)
 
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key, lower
 from calibre.gui2 import NONE
@@ -182,14 +182,22 @@ class MultiCompleteComboBox(EnComboBox):
     def set_add_separator(self, what):
         self.lineEdit().set_add_separator(what)
 
-
+    def show_initial_value(self, what):
+        what = unicode(what)
+        le = self.lineEdit()
+        if not what.strip():
+            QMetaObject.invokeMethod(self, 'clearEditText',
+                    Qt.QueuedConnection)
+        else:
+            self.setEditText(what)
+            le.selectAll()
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from PyQt4.Qt import QDialog, QVBoxLayout
     app = QApplication([])
     d = QDialog()
     d.setLayout(QVBoxLayout())
-    le = MultiCompleteLineEdit(d)
+    le = MultiCompleteComboBox(d)
     d.layout().addWidget(le)
     le.all_items = ['one', 'otwo', 'othree', 'ooone', 'ootwo', 'oothree']
     d.exec_()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
index 81d25c1f5e..60b8e3445d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/delegates.py
@@ -128,8 +128,7 @@ class TextDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate): # {{{
             for item in sorted(complete_items, key=sort_key):
                 editor.addItem(item)
             ct = index.data(Qt.DisplayRole).toString()
-            editor.setEditText(ct)
-            editor.lineEdit().selectAll()
+            editor.show_initial_value(ct)
         else:
             editor = EnLineEdit(parent)
         return editor
@@ -170,8 +169,7 @@ class CompleteDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate): # {{{
             for item in sorted(all_items, key=sort_key):
                 editor.addItem(item)
             ct = index.data(Qt.DisplayRole).toString()
-            editor.setEditText(ct)
-            editor.lineEdit().selectAll()
+            editor.show_initial_value(ct)
         else:
             editor = EnLineEdit(parent)
         return editor
@@ -190,8 +188,7 @@ class LanguagesDelegate(QStyledItemDelegate): # {{{
         editor = LanguagesEdit(parent=parent)
         editor.init_langs(index.model().db)
         ct = index.data(Qt.DisplayRole).toString()
-        editor.setEditText(ct)
-        editor.lineEdit().selectAll()
+        editor.show_initial_value(ct)
         return editor
 
     def setModelData(self, editor, model, index):