diff --git a/content/events.js b/content/events.js
index b5901af3..04fe1da0 100644
--- a/content/events.js
+++ b/content/events.js
@@ -508,14 +508,16 @@ vimperator.Events = function() //{{{
                     break;
 
                 case vimperator.modes.CARET:
-                    // setting this option will trigger an observer which will care about all other details
-                    // like setting the NORMAL mode
+                    // setting this option will trigger an observer which will
+                    // care about all other details like setting the NORMAL mode
                     vimperator.options.setFirefoxPref("accessibility.browsewithcaret", false);
                     break;
 
                 case vimperator.modes.INSERT:
                     if ((vimperator.modes.extended & vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA) && !vimperator.options["insertmode"])
+                    {
                         vimperator.mode = vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA;
+                    }
                     else
                     {
                         vimperator.modes.reset();
@@ -527,9 +529,11 @@ vimperator.Events = function() //{{{
                 default:
                     // clear any selection made
                     var selection = window.content.getSelection();
-                    try { // a simple if (selection) does not work
+                    try
+                    { // a simple if (selection) does not seem to work
                         selection.collapseToStart();
-                    } catch (e) { }
+                    }
+                    catch (e) { }
                     vimperator.commandline.clear();
 
                     vimperator.modes.reset();
diff --git a/content/modes.js b/content/modes.js
index d0ddb2ac..60afaafe 100644
--- a/content/modes.js
+++ b/content/modes.js
@@ -164,12 +164,13 @@ vimperator.modes = (function()
         },
 
         // helper function to set both modes in one go
+        // if silent == true, you also need to take care of the mode handling changes yourself
         set: function(main_mode, extended_mode, silent)
         {
             // if a main mode is set, the extended is always cleared
             if (typeof main_mode === "number")
             {
-                if (main_mode != main)
+                if (!silent && main_mode != main)
                     handleModeChange(main, main_mode);
 
                 main = main_mode;
diff --git a/content/ui.js b/content/ui.js
index 578d85cd..336daade 100644
--- a/content/ui.js
+++ b/content/ui.js
@@ -288,6 +288,15 @@ vimperator.CommandLine = function() //{{{
         this.clear();
     }
 
+    this.clear = function()
+    {
+        multiline_input_widget.collapsed = true;
+        multiline_output_widget.collapsed = true;
+        completionlist.hide();
+
+        setLine("", this.HL_NORMAL);
+    };
+
     // TODO: add :messages entry
     // vimperator.echo uses different order of flags as it omits the hightlight group, change v.commandline.echo argument order? --mst
     this.echo = function(str, highlight_group, flags)
@@ -354,15 +363,6 @@ vimperator.CommandLine = function() //{{{
         }, 10);
     };
 
-    this.clear = function()
-    {
-        multiline_input_widget.collapsed = true;
-        multiline_output_widget.collapsed = true;
-        completionlist.hide();
-
-        setLine("", this.HL_NORMAL);
-    };
-
     this.onEvent = function(event)
     {
         var command = this.getCommand();
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ vimperator.CommandLine = function() //{{{
                 history.add(command);
                 vimperator.modes.reset(true); //FIXME: use mode stack
                 completionlist.hide();
+                vimperator.focusContent(false);
                 vimperator.statusline.updateProgress(""); // we may have a "match x of y" visible
                 return vimperator.triggerCallback("submit", mode, command);
             }
@@ -650,6 +651,9 @@ vimperator.CommandLine = function() //{{{
 
         switch (key)
         {
+            case "<Esc>":
+                return; // handled globally in events.js:onEscape()
+
             case ":":
                 vimperator.commandline.open(":", "", vimperator.modes.EX);
                 return;