diff --git a/src/typeahead/input.js b/src/typeahead/input.js
index 88a007cb..0fc8c323 100644
--- a/src/typeahead/input.js
+++ b/src/typeahead/input.js
@@ -43,7 +43,10 @@ var Input = (function() {
 
     // if no hint, noop all the hint related functions
     if (this.$hint.length === 0) {
-      this.setHintValue = this.getHintValue = this.clearHint = _.noop;
+      this.clearHint =
+      this.setHintValue =
+      this.getHintValue =
+      this.clearHintIfInvalid = _.noop;
     }
 
     // ie7 and ie8 don't support the input event
@@ -192,7 +195,8 @@ var Input = (function() {
     setInputValue: function setInputValue(value, silent) {
       this.$input.val(value);
 
-      !silent && this._checkInputValue();
+      // silent prevents any additional events from being triggered
+      silent ? this.clearHint() : this._checkInputValue();
     },
 
     getHintValue: function getHintValue() {
@@ -204,11 +208,21 @@ var Input = (function() {
     },
 
     resetInputValue: function resetInputValue() {
-      this.$input.val(this.query);
+      this.setInputValue(this.query, true);
     },
 
     clearHint: function clearHint() {
-      this.$hint.val('');
+      this.setHintValue('');
+    },
+
+    clearHintIfInvalid: function clearHintIfInvalid() {
+      var val, hint, valIsPrefixOfHint;
+
+      val = this.getInputValue();
+      hint = this.getHintValue();
+      valIsPrefixOfHint = val !== hint && hint.indexOf(val) === 0;
+
+      (val === '' || !valIsPrefixOfHint) && this.clearHint();
     },
 
     getLanguageDirection: function getLanguageDirection() {
diff --git a/src/typeahead/typeahead.js b/src/typeahead/typeahead.js
index 3f6e399d..17595f4d 100644
--- a/src/typeahead/typeahead.js
+++ b/src/typeahead/typeahead.js
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ var Typeahead = (function() {
     _onCursorMoved: function onCursorMoved() {
       var datum = this.dropdown.getDatumForCursor();
 
-      this.input.clearHint();
       this.input.setInputValue(datum.value, true);
 
       this.eventBus.trigger('cursorchanged', datum.raw, datum.datasetName);
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ var Typeahead = (function() {
     },
 
     _onQueryChanged: function onQueryChanged(e, query) {
-      this.input.clearHint();
+      this.input.clearHintIfInvalid();
 
       query.length >= this.minLength ?
         this.dropdown.update(query) :
@@ -224,19 +223,19 @@ var Typeahead = (function() {
     },
 
     _updateHint: function updateHint() {
-      var datum, inputValue, query, escapedQuery, frontMatchRegEx, match;
+      var datum, val, query, escapedQuery, frontMatchRegEx, match;
 
       datum = this.dropdown.getDatumForTopSuggestion();
 
       if (datum && this.dropdown.isVisible() && !this.input.hasOverflow()) {
-        inputValue = this.input.getInputValue();
-        query = Input.normalizeQuery(inputValue);
+        val = this.input.getInputValue();
+        query = Input.normalizeQuery(val);
         escapedQuery = _.escapeRegExChars(query);
 
-        frontMatchRegEx = new RegExp('^(?:' + escapedQuery + ')(.*$)', 'i');
+        frontMatchRegEx = new RegExp('^(?:' + escapedQuery + ')(.+$)', 'i');
         match = frontMatchRegEx.exec(datum.value);
 
-        this.input.setHintValue(inputValue + (match ? match[1] : ''));
+        match ? this.input.setHintValue(val + match[1]) : this.input.clearHint();
       }
     },
 
@@ -256,7 +255,6 @@ var Typeahead = (function() {
     },
 
     _select: function select(datum) {
-      this.input.clearHint();
       this.input.setQuery(datum.value);
       this.input.setInputValue(datum.value, true);
 
@@ -281,8 +279,6 @@ var Typeahead = (function() {
     },
 
     setVal: function setVal(val) {
-      this.input.clearHint();
-
       if (this.isActivated) {
         this.input.setInputValue(val);
       }
diff --git a/test/input_view_spec.js b/test/input_view_spec.js
index 0d3d416f..67294e74 100644
--- a/test/input_view_spec.js
+++ b/test/input_view_spec.js
@@ -299,6 +299,32 @@ describe('Input', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#clearHintIfInvalid', function() {
+    it('should clear hint if input value is empty string', function() {
+      this.view.setInputValue('', true);
+      this.view.setHintValue('cheese');
+      this.view.clearHintIfInvalid();
+
+      expect(this.view.getHintValue()).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('should clear hint if input value is not prefix of input', function() {
+      this.view.setInputValue('milk', true);
+      this.view.setHintValue('cheese');
+      this.view.clearHintIfInvalid();
+
+      expect(this.view.getHintValue()).toBe('');
+    });
+
+    it('should not clear hint if input value is prefix of input', function() {
+      this.view.setInputValue('che', true);
+      this.view.setHintValue('cheese');
+      this.view.clearHintIfInvalid();
+
+      expect(this.view.getHintValue()).toBe('cheese');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#getLanguageDirection', function() {
     it('should return the language direction of the input', function() {
       this.$input.css('direction', 'ltr');
diff --git a/test/typeahead_view_spec.js b/test/typeahead_view_spec.js
index a1eef77d..27005392 100644
--- a/test/typeahead_view_spec.js
+++ b/test/typeahead_view_spec.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ describe('Typeahead', function() {
       this.dropdown.trigger('suggestionClicked');
 
       expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(this.input.clearHint).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(this.input.setQuery).toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value);
       expect(this.input.setInputValue)
       .toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value, true);
@@ -51,12 +50,6 @@ describe('Typeahead', function() {
       this.dropdown.getDatumForCursor.andReturn(testDatum);
     });
 
-    it('should clear the hint', function() {
-      this.dropdown.trigger('cursorMoved');
-
-      expect(this.input.clearHint).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    });
-
     it('should update the input value', function() {
       this.dropdown.trigger('cursorMoved');
 
@@ -201,7 +194,6 @@ describe('Typeahead', function() {
       this.input.trigger('enterKeyed', $e);
 
       expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(this.input.clearHint).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(this.input.setQuery).toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value);
       expect(this.input.setInputValue)
       .toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value, true);
@@ -233,7 +225,6 @@ describe('Typeahead', function() {
         this.input.trigger('tabKeyed', $e);
 
         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(this.input.clearHint).toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(this.input.setQuery).toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value);
         expect(this.input.setInputValue)
         .toHaveBeenCalledWith(testDatum.value, true);
@@ -446,10 +437,10 @@ describe('Typeahead', function() {
   });
 
   describe('when input triggers queryChanged', function() {
-    it('should clear the hint', function() {
+    it('should clear the hint if it has become invalid', function() {
       this.input.trigger('queryChanged', testDatum.value);
 
-      expect(this.input.clearHint).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(this.input.clearHintIfInvalid).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     it('should empty dropdown if the query is empty', function() {