diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/compose.ts b/app/soapbox/actions/compose.ts
index be6137450..3b4b0ab5b 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/compose.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/compose.ts
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ interface ComposeSuggestionSelectAction {
 
 const selectComposeSuggestion = (composeId: string, position: number, token: string | null, suggestion: AutoSuggestion, path: Array<string | number>) =>
   (dispatch: AppDispatch, getState: () => RootState) => {
-    let completion, startPosition;
+    let completion = '', startPosition = position;
 
     if (typeof suggestion === 'object' && suggestion.id) {
       completion    = isNativeEmoji(suggestion) ? suggestion.native : suggestion.colons;
@@ -659,8 +659,6 @@ const selectComposeSuggestion = (composeId: string, position: number, token: str
       startPosition = position;
     }
 
-    if (!startPosition || !completion) return;
-
     const action: ComposeSuggestionSelectAction = {
       type: COMPOSE_SUGGESTION_SELECT,
       id: composeId,