diff --git a/desktop/playwright.config.ts b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
index 813b7b968a..a76cc78406 100644
--- a/desktop/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
         "**/timeline-no-shift.spec.ts",
         "**/human-edit-agent-content.spec.ts",
         "**/empty-edit-delete.spec.ts",
+        "**/channel-autocomplete.spec.ts",
         "**/reaction-order.spec.ts",
         "**/reaction-names.spec.ts",
         "**/inbox-reactions.spec.ts",
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useChannelLinks.lifecycle.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useChannelLinks.lifecycle.test.mjs
index e9b4ed928c..67e078e2b9 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useChannelLinks.lifecycle.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useChannelLinks.lifecycle.test.mjs
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ function enterEvent() {
 for (const [name, text, cursor] of [
   ["replacing the loaded edit", "Edited, not deleted", 19],
   ["clearing the loaded edit", "", 0],
-  ["moving before the channel reference", "Welcome to #general", 0],
+  [
+    "receiving an update with the cursor before the reference",
+    "Welcome to #general",
+    0,
+  ],
 ]) {
   test(`${name} releases Enter before the debounce expires`, async (t) => {
     const { act, renderHook } = await import("@testing-library/react");
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useRichTextEditor.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useRichTextEditor.ts
index 837822f01f..db5a5aea89 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useRichTextEditor.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useRichTextEditor.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export type RichTextEditorOptions = {
    * ArrowUp fall through to normal caret movement.
    */
   onEditLastOwnMessage?: () => boolean;
-  /** When true, plain Enter is passed through (e.g. to select an autocomplete item). */
+  /** When true, plain Enter is reserved for the composer's autocomplete handler. */
   isAutocompleteOpen?: React.RefObject<boolean>;
   /**
    * Called when the user clicks an existing link in the editor. The link
@@ -315,7 +315,9 @@ export function useRichTextEditor({
           addKeyboardShortcuts() {
             return {
               Enter: ({ editor: ed }) => {
-                if (isAutocompleteOpen?.current) return false;
+                // Block splitBlock without stopping DOM propagation: the
+                // composer's React handler selects the autocomplete item.
+                if (isAutocompleteOpen?.current) return true;
                 if (!onSubmitRef.current) return false;
 
                 const fenceResult = handleCodeFenceEnter(ed);
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/channel-autocomplete.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/channel-autocomplete.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ec24e8475
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/channel-autocomplete.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import { expect, test, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+
+import { installMockBridge } from "../helpers/bridge";
+
+async function openComposer(
+  page: Page,
+  surface: "channel" | "thread" | "forum",
+) {
+  await installMockBridge(page);
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+  if (surface === "thread") {
+    await page.locator('[data-message-id="mock-general-alice"]').hover();
+    await page.getByTestId("reply-message-mock-general-alice").click();
+    return page
+      .getByTestId("message-thread-panel")
+      .getByTestId("message-input");
+  }
+  if (surface === "forum") {
+    await page.getByTestId("channel-watercooler").click();
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Start a new post..." }).click();
+  }
+  return page.getByTestId("message-input");
+}
+
+function channelSuggestion(page: Page) {
+  return page.getByRole("button", { name: "#general stream", exact: true });
+}
+
+for (const surface of ["channel", "thread", "forum"] as const) {
+  test(`Enter selects a channel in the ${surface} composer without splitting or submitting`, async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const input = await openComposer(page, surface);
+    await input.pressSequentially("#gener");
+    await expect(channelSuggestion(page)).toBeVisible();
+    await input.press("Enter");
+
+    // Assert literal text (including the separator), document shape and focus:
+    // hook-only tests cannot catch ProseMirror splitting before React handles Enter.
+    await expect.poll(() => input.textContent()).toBe("#general ");
+    await expect(input.locator("p")).toHaveCount(1);
+    await expect(input.locator("br")).toHaveCount(0);
+    await expect(input).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(channelSuggestion(page)).toBeHidden();
+
+    // Autocomplete must relinquish the next Enter to ordinary submission.
+    await page.keyboard.type("selected channel");
+    await input.press("Enter");
+    await expect
+      .poll(() =>
+        page.evaluate(() => {
+          const content = "#general selected channel";
+          const signed = (window.__BUZZ_E2E_SIGNED_EVENTS__ ?? []).filter(
+            (event) => event.content === content,
+          );
+          if (signed.length) return signed.length;
+          return (window.__BUZZ_E2E_COMMAND_LOG__ ?? []).filter(
+            (call) =>
+              call.command === "send_channel_message" &&
+              (call.payload as { content?: string }).content === content,
+          ).length;
+        }),
+      )
+      .toBe(1);
+  });
+}
+
+for (const key of ["Tab", "Escape", "Shift+Enter"] as const) {
+  test(`channel autocomplete preserves ${key} behavior`, async ({ page }) => {
+    const input = await openComposer(page, "channel");
+    await input.fill("#gener");
+    await expect(channelSuggestion(page)).toBeVisible();
+    await input.press(key);
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => input.textContent())
+      .toBe(key === "Tab" ? "#general " : "#gener");
+    await expect(channelSuggestion(page)).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(input.locator("p")).toHaveCount(1);
+    if (key === "Shift+Enter") {
+      await page.keyboard.type("next line");
+      await expect(input).toHaveText("#genernext line");
+      await expect(input.locator("br")).toHaveCount(1);
+    } else {
+      await expect(input.locator("br")).toHaveCount(0);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+for (const [prefix, expected] of [
+  ["@ali", "@alice "],
+  [":joy", "😂 "],
+] as const) {
+  test(`Enter still selects ${prefix} autocomplete without splitting`, async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const input = await openComposer(page, "channel");
+    const dropdown = page.getByTestId(
+      prefix === "@ali" ? "mention-autocomplete" : "emoji-autocomplete",
+    );
+    await input.fill(prefix);
+    await expect(dropdown).toBeVisible();
+    await input.press("Enter");
+    await expect(dropdown).toBeHidden();
+    await expect.poll(() => input.textContent()).toBe(expected);
+    await expect(input.locator("p")).toHaveCount(1);
+    await expect(input.locator("br")).toHaveCount(0);
+    await expect(input).toBeFocused();
+  });
+}