diff --git a/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.spec.ts b/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.spec.ts
index c4a0ea8..a081de5 100644
--- a/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.spec.ts
@@ -291,6 +291,19 @@ describe('InboxComposeComponent', () => {
       component.recipientResolve(event)
       expect(component.currentRecipientValue).toEqual("alice.eth")
     })
+    it('should trim whitespace from currentRecipientValue', () => {
+      let event = { target: { value: " alice.eth " } }
+
+      component.recipientResolve(event)
+      expect(component.currentRecipientValue).toEqual("alice.eth")
+    })
+    it('should trim whitespace from the call to recipientAddressChanged', () => {
+      let event = { target: { value: " alice.eth " } }
+      spyOn(component.recipientAddressChanged, 'next').and.callThrough()
+
+      component.recipientResolve(event)
+      expect(component.recipientAddressChanged.next).toHaveBeenCalledWith("alice.eth")
+    })
     xit('should call the resolveAddress thru the private recipientAddressChanged subscription next function with the event.target.value', () => {
       let event = { target: { value: "alice.eth" } }
       spyOn(component, 'resolveAddress').and.callThrough()
diff --git a/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.ts b/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.ts
index 7d3d216..7a5a859 100644
--- a/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/inbox/inbox-compose/inbox-compose.component.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class InboxComposeComponent implements OnInit {
   private subscription
   public currentRecipientValue
 
-  private recipientAddressChanged = new Subject<string>();
+  public recipientAddressChanged = new Subject<string>();
   public recipientLoadingIcon = ""
   public recipientLoadingText = ""
   public messageToField = ""
@@ -136,17 +136,19 @@ export class InboxComposeComponent implements OnInit {
    * @param event the event from keyup
    */
   public recipientResolve(event) {
-    if (event.target.value == "") {
+    let eventVal = event.target.value.trim();
+    if (eventVal == "") {
       this.setRecipientLoadingIcon("clear")
       this.setRecipientLoadingText()
       this.resetModelToField()
-    } else if (this.currentRecipientValue != event.target.value) {
+    } else if (this.currentRecipientValue != eventVal) {
       this.setRecipientLoadingIcon("loading")
       this.setRecipientLoadingText()
       this.resetModelToField()
     }
-    this.currentRecipientValue = event.target.value
-    this.recipientAddressChanged.next(event.target.value);
+    this.currentRecipientValue = eventVal
+    this.recipientAddressChanged.next(eventVal);
+
   }
 
   /**