diff --git a/test/client-old/spec/controllers/chatCtrlSpec.js b/test/client-old/spec/controllers/chatCtrlSpec.js
index 81a19f8efc..2b5d2a0f45 100644
--- a/test/client-old/spec/controllers/chatCtrlSpec.js
+++ b/test/client-old/spec/controllers/chatCtrlSpec.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 'use strict';
 
 describe("Chat Controller", function() {
-  var scope, ctrl, user, $rootScope, $controller;
+  var scope, ctrl, user, $rootScope, $controller, $httpBackend, html;
 
   beforeEach(function() {
     module(function($provide) {
       $provide.value('User', {});
     });
 
-    inject(function(_$rootScope_, _$controller_){
+    inject(function(_$rootScope_, _$controller_, _$compile_, _$httpBackend_){
       user = specHelper.newUser();
       user._id = "unique-user-id";
       $rootScope = _$rootScope_;
@@ -16,13 +16,20 @@ describe("Chat Controller", function() {
       scope = _$rootScope_.$new();
 
       $controller = _$controller_;
+      $httpBackend = _$httpBackend_;
 
       // Load RootCtrl to ensure shared behaviors are loaded
       $controller('RootCtrl',  {$scope: scope, User: {user: user}});
 
-      ctrl = $controller('ChatCtrl', {$scope: scope});
+      html = _$compile_('<div><form ng-submit="postChat(group, message.content)"><textarea submit-on-meta-enter ng-model="message.content" ng-model-options="{debounce: 250}"></textarea></form></div>')(scope);
+      document.body.appendChild(html[0]);
+      ctrl = $controller('ChatCtrl', {$scope: scope, $element: html});
     });
   });
+  
+  afterEach(function() {
+    html.remove();
+  });
 
   describe('copyToDo', function() {
     it('when copying a user message it opens modal with information from message', function() {
@@ -68,5 +75,47 @@ describe("Chat Controller", function() {
       }));
     });
   });
+  
+  it('updates model on enter key press', function() {
+    // Set initial state of the page with some dummy data.
+    scope.group = { name: 'group' };
+    
+    // The main controller is going to try to fetch the template right off. 
+    // No big deal, just return an empty string.
+    $httpBackend.when('GET', 'partials/main.html').respond('');
+
+    // Let the page settle, and the controllers set their initial state.
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+
+    // Watch for calls to postChat & make sure it doesn't do anything.
+    let postChatSpy = sandbox.stub(scope, 'postChat');
+    
+    // Pretend we typed 'aaa' into the textarea.
+    var textarea = html.find('textarea');    
+    textarea[0].value = 'aaa';
+    let inputEvent = new Event('input');
+    textarea[0].dispatchEvent(inputEvent);
+
+    // Give a change for the ng-model watchers to notice that the value in the
+    // textarea has changed.
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    
+    // Since no time has elapsed and we debounce the model change, we should 
+    // see no model update just yet.
+    expect(scope.message.content).to.equal('');
+    
+    // Now, press the enter key in the textarea. We use jquery here to paper 
+    // over browser differences with initializing the keyboard event.
+    var keyboardEvent = jQuery.Event('keydown', {keyCode: 13, key: 'Enter', metaKey: true});
+    jQuery(textarea).trigger(keyboardEvent);
+
+    // Now, allow the model to update given the changes to the page still
+    // without letting any time elapse...
+    $rootScope.$digest();
+    
+    // ... and nevertheless seeing the desired call to postChat with the right
+    // data. Yay!
+    postChatSpy.should.have.been.calledWith(scope.group, 'aaa');
+  });
 });
 
diff --git a/website/client-old/js/controllers/chatCtrl.js b/website/client-old/js/controllers/chatCtrl.js
index 9c5b8124f0..99ef552c9c 100644
--- a/website/client-old/js/controllers/chatCtrl.js
+++ b/website/client-old/js/controllers/chatCtrl.js
@@ -60,12 +60,6 @@ habitrpg.controller('ChatCtrl', ['$scope', 'Groups', 'Chat', 'User', '$http', 'A
         });
     }
 
-    $scope.keyDownListener = function (e) {
-      if (e.key === 'Enter' && (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey)) {
-        $scope.postChat($scope.group, $scope.message.content);
-      }
-    };
-
     $scope.deleteChatMessage = function(group, message){
       if(message.uuid === User.user.id || (User.user.backer && User.user.contributor.admin)){
         var previousMsg = (group.chat && group.chat[0]) ? group.chat[0].id : false;
diff --git a/website/client-old/js/directives/submit-form-on-enter.directive.js b/website/client-old/js/directives/submit-form-on-enter.directive.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31ad88253c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/client-old/js/directives/submit-form-on-enter.directive.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+'use strict';
+
+(function(){
+
+  angular
+    .module('habitrpg')
+    .directive('submitOnMetaEnter', submitOnMetaEnter);
+
+  function submitOnMetaEnter() {
+    return {
+      restrict: 'A',
+      link: function($scope, element, attrs) {
+        element.on('keydown', function(event) {
+          if (event.key === 'Enter' && (event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey)) {
+            // Note that we use the normal browser way to invoke the submit
+            // event, because jquery's triggerHandler executes events in a
+            // strange order!
+            var event = new Event('submit');
+            element[0].form.dispatchEvent(event);
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}());
diff --git a/website/client-old/manifest.json b/website/client-old/manifest.json
index 537c83074f..5e7f31c037 100644
--- a/website/client-old/manifest.json
+++ b/website/client-old/manifest.json
@@ -76,13 +76,14 @@
             "js/directives/close-menu.directive.js",
             "js/directives/expand-menu.directive.js",
             "js/directives/from-now.directive.js",
+            "js/directives/focus-element.directive.js",
             "js/directives/habitrpg-tasks.directive.js",
             "js/directives/hrpg-sort-checklist.directive.js",
             "js/directives/hrpg-sort-tags.directive.js",
             "js/directives/hrpg-sort-tasks.directive.js",
             "js/directives/popover-html-popup.directive.js",
             "js/directives/popover-html.directive.js",
-            "js/directives/focus-element.directive.js",
+            "js/directives/submit-form-on-enter.directive.js",
             "js/directives/when-scrolled.directive.js",
 
             "js/controllers/authCtrl.js",
diff --git a/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade b/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
index 4b79a0ad55..98a44f9b47 100644
--- a/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
+++ b/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ div.chat-form.guidelines-not-accepted(ng-if='!user.flags.communityGuidelinesAcce
 
 form.chat-form(ng-if='user.flags.communityGuidelinesAccepted' ng-submit='postChat(group,message.content)')
   div(ng-controller='AutocompleteCtrl')
-    textarea.form-control(rows=4, ng-keydown='keyDownListener($event)', ng-model='message.content', updateinterval='250', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete placeholder="{{group._id == TAVERN_ID ? env.t('tavernCommunityGuidelinesPlaceholder') : ''}}", ng-disabled='_sending == true')
+    textarea.form-control(rows=4, submit-on-meta-enter, ng-model='message.content', ng-model-options='{debounce: 250}', updateinterval='250', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete placeholder="{{group._id == TAVERN_ID ? env.t('tavernCommunityGuidelinesPlaceholder') : ''}}", ng-disabled='_sending == true')
     span.user-list
       ul.list-at-user(ng-show="query")
         li(ng-repeat='msg in response | filter:filterUser | limitTo: 5', ng-click='performCompletion(msg)')