diff --git a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/autocompleter/AutoCompleteListener.java b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/autocompleter/AutoCompleteListener.java
index df2e0fac3fc..1bf03082a06 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/autocompleter/AutoCompleteListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/sf/jabref/gui/autocompleter/AutoCompleteListener.java
@@ -69,10 +69,10 @@ public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
         }
         // Cycle through alternative completions when user presses PGUP/PGDN:
         else if ((e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_PAGE_DOWN) && (textToInsert != null)) {
-            cycle((JTextComponent) e.getSource(), 1);
+            cycleSuggestion((JTextComponent) e.getSource(), 1);
             e.consume();
         } else if ((e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_PAGE_UP) && (textToInsert != null)) {
-            cycle((JTextComponent) e.getSource(), -1);
+            cycleSuggestion((JTextComponent) e.getSource(), -1);
             e.consume();
         }
         //        else if ((e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_BACK_SPACE)) {
@@ -91,39 +91,42 @@ else if (e.getKeyChar() == KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED) {
         }
     }
 
-    private void cycle(JTextComponent comp, int increment) {
+    private void cycleSuggestion(JTextComponent textField, int increment) {
         assert (lastCompletions != null);
         assert (!lastCompletions.isEmpty());
+
         lastShownCompletion += increment;
         if (lastShownCompletion >= lastCompletions.size()) {
             lastShownCompletion = 0;
         } else if (lastShownCompletion < 0) {
             lastShownCompletion = lastCompletions.size() - 1;
         }
-        String sno = lastCompletions.get(lastShownCompletion);
-        textToInsert = sno.substring(lastBeginning.length() - 1);
 
-        StringBuilder alltext = new StringBuilder(comp.getText());
+        // new suggestion
+        String newSuggestion = lastCompletions.get(lastShownCompletion);
+        textToInsert = newSuggestion.substring(lastBeginning.length() - 1);
+
+        // replace suggestion selection with new suggestion
+        StringBuilder text = new StringBuilder(textField.getText());
 
-        int oldSelectionStart = comp.getSelectionStart();
-        int oldSelectionEnd = comp.getSelectionEnd();
+        int oldSelectionStart = textField.getSelectionStart();
+        int oldSelectionEnd = textField.getSelectionEnd();
 
         // replace prefix with new prefix
-        int startPos = comp.getSelectionStart() - lastBeginning.length();
-        alltext.delete(startPos, oldSelectionStart);
-        alltext.insert(startPos, sno.subSequence(0, lastBeginning.length()));
+        int startPos = textField.getSelectionStart() - lastBeginning.length();
+        text.delete(startPos, oldSelectionStart);
+        text.insert(startPos, newSuggestion.subSequence(0, lastBeginning.length()));
 
         // replace suffix with new suffix
-        alltext.delete(oldSelectionStart, oldSelectionEnd);
-        //int cp = oldSelectionEnd - deletedChars;
-        alltext.insert(oldSelectionStart, textToInsert.substring(1));
-
-        LOGGER.debug(alltext.toString());
-        comp.setText(alltext.toString());
-        //comp.setCaretPosition(cp+textToInsert.length()-1);
-        comp.select(oldSelectionStart, (oldSelectionStart + textToInsert.length()) - 1);
-        lastCaretPosition = comp.getCaretPosition();
-        LOGGER.debug("ToSetIn: '" + textToInsert + "'");
+        text.delete(oldSelectionStart, oldSelectionEnd);
+        text.insert(oldSelectionStart, textToInsert.substring(1));
+
+        // set new suggestion
+        textField.setText(text.toString());
+        // highlight auto-complete part
+        textField.select(oldSelectionStart, (oldSelectionStart + textToInsert.length()) - 1);
+        // update caret position
+        lastCaretPosition = textField.getCaretPosition();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -183,44 +186,42 @@ private void setUnmodifiedTypedLetters(JTextComponent comp, boolean lastBeginnin
      * Start a new completion attempt (instead of treating a continuation of an existing word or an interrupt of the
      * current word)
      */
-    private void startCompletion(StringBuffer currentword, KeyEvent e) {
+    private void startCompletion(String currentWord, KeyEvent e) {
         JTextComponent textField = (JTextComponent) e.getSource();
-        String word = currentword.toString();
-        List<String> completed = completer.complete(word);
+        List<String> suggestions = completer.complete(currentWord);
 
-        int no = 0; // We use the first word in the array of completions.
-        if ((completed != null) && (!completed.isEmpty())) {
-            lastShownCompletion = 0;
-            lastCompletions = completed;
-            String sno = completed.get(no);
-
-            // these two lines obey the user's input
-            //textToInsert = Character.toString(ch);
-            //textToInsert = textToInsert.concat(sno.substring(word.length()));
-            // BUT we obey the completion
-            textToInsert = sno.substring(word.length() - 1);
-
-            LOGGER.debug("textToInsert: >" + textToInsert + '<');
-
-            StringBuilder alltext = new StringBuilder(textField.getText());
-            int cp = textField.getCaretPosition();
-            alltext.insert(cp, textToInsert);
-            textField.setText(alltext.toString());
-            textField.setCaretPosition(cp);
-            textField.select(cp + 1, (cp + 1 + sno.length()) - word.length());
-            e.consume();
-            lastCaretPosition = textField.getCaretPosition();
-            char ch = e.getKeyChar();
+        if (suggestions == null || suggestions.isEmpty()) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-            LOGGER.debug("Appending >" + ch + '<');
+        lastShownCompletion = 0;
+        lastCompletions = suggestions;
+        // we use the first word inside the suggestions
+        String suggestedWord = suggestions.get(0);
+
+        // these two lines obey the user's input
+        //textToInsert = Character.toString(ch);
+        //textToInsert = textToInsert.concat(suggestedWord.substring(word.length()));
+        // BUT we obey the completion
+        textToInsert = suggestedWord.substring(currentWord.length() - 1);
+
+        StringBuilder alltext = new StringBuilder(textField.getText());
+        int cp = textField.getCaretPosition();
+        alltext.insert(cp, textToInsert);
+        textField.setText(alltext.toString());
+        textField.setCaretPosition(cp);
+        textField.select(cp + 1, (cp + 1 + suggestedWord.length()) - currentWord.length());
+        e.consume();
+        lastCaretPosition = textField.getCaretPosition();
+        char ch = e.getKeyChar();
 
-            if (word.length() <= 1) {
-                lastBeginning = Character.toString(ch);
-            } else {
-                lastBeginning = word.substring(0, word.length() - 1).concat(Character.toString(ch));
-            }
-        }
+        LOGGER.debug("Appending >" + ch + '<');
 
+        if (currentWord.length() <= 1) {
+            lastBeginning = Character.toString(ch);
+        } else {
+            lastBeginning = currentWord.substring(0, currentWord.length() - 1).concat(Character.toString(ch));
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -240,6 +241,7 @@ public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
                 JTextComponent comp = (JTextComponent) e.getSource();
 
                 // don't do auto completion inside words
+                // TODO: ac not working as expected, e.g. Appstand, Application -> App -> Apps (no completion here)
                 try {
                     char pos = comp.getText().charAt(comp.getCaretPosition());
                     if (!Character.isWhitespace(pos)) {
@@ -335,7 +337,7 @@ public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
                 // only "real characters" end up here
                 assert (!Character.isISOControl(ch));
                 currentword.append(ch);
-                startCompletion(currentword, e);
+                startCompletion(currentword.toString(), e);
                 return;
             } else {
                 if (Character.isWhitespace(ch)) {