diff --git a/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js b/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
index dff71085cf..a17487c3b8 100644
--- a/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
+++ b/public/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
     }
   ])
 
-  .controller('AutocompleteCtrl', ['$scope', 'Groups', 'User', 'InputCaret', function ($scope,Groups,User,InputCaret) {
+  .controller('AutocompleteCtrl', ['$scope', '$timeout', 'Groups', 'User', 'InputCaret', function ($scope,$timeout,Groups,User,InputCaret) {
     $scope.clearUserlist = function() {
       $scope.response = [];
       $scope.usernames = [];
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
     
     $scope.addNewUser = function(user) {
       if($.inArray(user.user,$scope.usernames) == -1) {
+        user.username = user.user;
         $scope.usernames.push(user.user);
         $scope.response.push(user);
       }
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
       }
     }
     
+    $scope.$watch('group.chat',$scope.chatChanged);
+    
     $scope.caretChanged = function(newCaretPos) {
       var relativeelement = $('.-options');
       var textarea = $('.chat-textarea');
@@ -119,12 +122,20 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
       }
     }
     
-    $scope.$watch('group.chat',$scope.chatChanged);
-    $scope.$watch(function () { return $scope.caretPos; },$scope.caretChanged);
+    $scope.updateTimer = false;
+    
+    $scope.$watch(function () { return $scope.caretPos; },function(newCaretPos) {
+      if($scope.updateTimer){
+        $timeout.cancel($scope.updateTimer)
+      }  
+      $scope.updateTimer = $timeout(function(){
+        $scope.caretChanged(newCaretPos);
+      },$scope.watchDelay)
+    });
   }])
   
   .controller('ChatCtrl', ['$scope', 'Groups', 'User', function($scope, Groups, User){
-    $scope._chatMessage = '';
+    $scope.message = {content:''};
     $scope._sending = false;
 
     $scope.postChat = function(group, message){
@@ -137,7 +148,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
         }else if(data.message){
           group.chat.unshift(data.message);
         }
-        $scope._chatMessage = '';
+        $scope.message.content = '';
         $scope._sending = false;
       }, function(err){
         $scope._sending = false;
diff --git a/views/options/social/chat-box.jade b/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
index 445d629e59..da44d93ebc 100644
--- a/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
+++ b/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-form(ng-submit='postChat(group,_chatMessage)')
+form(ng-submit='postChat(group,message.content)')
   .-options
     //FIXME ng-model makes this painfully slow! using jquery for now, which is really non-angular-like
     .control-group.option-large(ng-controller='AutocompleteCtrl')
-      textarea.chat-textarea.option-content(style='height:6em;', ui-keypress='{13:"postChat(group,_chatMessage)"}', ng-model='_chatMessage', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete)
+      textarea.chat-textarea.option-content(style='height:6em;', ui-keypress='{13:"postChat(group,message.content)"}', ng-model='message.content', updateinterval='250', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete)
       span.user-list(ng-show='!isAtListHidden')
         ul.list-at-user
           li(ng-repeat='user in users | filter:query.text | limitTo: 5', ng-click='autoComplete(user)')