diff -r -U4 irssi-0.8.10/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c
--- irssi-0.8.10/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c	2005-10-19 03:13:20.000000000 +0100
+++ irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c	2006-02-15 13:49:08.000000000 +0000
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@
 static int keep_privates_count, keep_publics_count;
 static int completion_lowercase;
 static const char *completion_char, *cmdchars;
 static GSList *global_lastmsgs;
-static int completion_auto, completion_strict;
+static int completion_auto, completion_strict, completion_from_blank_line;
 
 #define SERVER_LAST_MSG_ADD(server, nick) \
 	last_msg_add(&((MODULE_SERVER_REC *) MODULE_DATA(server))->lastmsgs, \
 		     nick, TRUE, keep_privates_count)
@@ -642,8 +642,9 @@
 	if (server == NULL || !server->connected)
 		return;
 
 	if (*linestart == '\0' && *word == '\0') {
+		if (!completion_from_blank_line) return;
 		/* pressed TAB at the start of line - add /MSG */
                 prefix = g_strdup_printf("%cmsg", *cmdchars);
 		*list = completion_msg(server, NULL, "", prefix);
 		if (*list == NULL)
@@ -1101,8 +1102,9 @@
 	completion_char = settings_get_str("completion_char");
 	cmdchars = settings_get_str("cmdchars");
 	completion_auto = settings_get_bool("completion_auto");
 	completion_strict = settings_get_bool("completion_strict");
+	completion_from_blank_line = settings_get_bool("completion_from_blank_line");
 
 	if (*completion_char == '\0') {
                 /* this would break.. */
 		completion_auto = FALSE;
@@ -1116,8 +1118,9 @@
 	settings_add_int("completion", "completion_keep_publics", 50);
 	settings_add_int("completion", "completion_keep_privates", 10);
 	settings_add_bool("completion", "completion_nicks_lowercase", FALSE);
 	settings_add_bool("completion", "completion_strict", FALSE);
+	settings_add_bool("completion", "completion_from_blank_line", TRUE);
 
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "expand_escapes", FALSE);
 
 	read_settings();