diff --git a/lib/elements/autocomplete.js b/lib/elements/autocomplete.js
index fecbff3e..8e06da21 100644
--- a/lib/elements/autocomplete.js
+++ b/lib/elements/autocomplete.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const getIndex = (arr, valOrTitle) => {
  * @param {String} [opts.style='default'] Render style
  * @param {String} [opts.fallback] Fallback message - initial to default value
  * @param {String} [opts.initial] Index of the default value
+ * @param {Boolean} [opts.clearFirst] The first ESCAPE keypress will clear the input
  * @param {Stream} [opts.stdin] The Readable stream to listen to
  * @param {Stream} [opts.stdout] The Writable stream to write readline data to
  * @param {String} [opts.noMatches] The no matches found label
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ class AutocompletePrompt extends Prompt {
     this.select = this.initial || opts.cursor || 0;
     this.i18n = { noMatches: opts.noMatches || 'no matches found' };
     this.fallback = opts.fallback || this.initial;
+    this.clearFirst = opts.clearFirst || false;
     this.suggestions = [];
     this.input = '';
     this.limit = opts.limit || 10;
@@ -96,8 +98,22 @@ class AutocompletePrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    if (this.clearFirst && this.input.length > 0) {
+      this.reset();
+    } else {
+      this.done = this.exited = true; 
+      this.aborted = false;
+      this.fire();
+      this.render();
+      this.out.write('\n');
+      this.close();
+    }
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
+    this.exited = false;
     this.fire();
     this.render();
     this.out.write('\n');
@@ -106,7 +122,7 @@ class AutocompletePrompt extends Prompt {
 
   submit() {
     this.done = true;
-    this.aborted = false;
+    this.aborted = this.exited = false;
     this.fire();
     this.render();
     this.out.write('\n');
@@ -222,7 +238,7 @@ class AutocompletePrompt extends Prompt {
     let { startIndex, endIndex } = entriesToDisplay(this.select, this.choices.length, this.limit);
 
     this.outputText = [
-      style.symbol(this.done, this.aborted),
+      style.symbol(this.done, this.aborted, this.exited),
       color.bold(this.msg),
       style.delimiter(this.completing),
       this.done && this.suggestions[this.select]
diff --git a/lib/elements/confirm.js b/lib/elements/confirm.js
index 12167cec..7a9173f1 100644
--- a/lib/elements/confirm.js
+++ b/lib/elements/confirm.js
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ class ConfirmPrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
     this.fire();
diff --git a/lib/elements/date.js b/lib/elements/date.js
index 75e3c6d5..71ff6082 100644
--- a/lib/elements/date.js
+++ b/lib/elements/date.js
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ class DatePrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
     this.error = false;
diff --git a/lib/elements/multiselect.js b/lib/elements/multiselect.js
index a0b1fc9c..99b393fa 100644
--- a/lib/elements/multiselect.js
+++ b/lib/elements/multiselect.js
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ class MultiselectPrompt extends Prompt {
     return this.value.filter(v => v.selected);
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
     this.fire();
diff --git a/lib/elements/number.js b/lib/elements/number.js
index a077dcf3..dc3efe9e 100644
--- a/lib/elements/number.js
+++ b/lib/elements/number.js
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ class NumberPrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     let x = this.value;
     this.value = x !== `` ? x : this.initial;
diff --git a/lib/elements/prompt.js b/lib/elements/prompt.js
index 3ed54b47..b7933300 100644
--- a/lib/elements/prompt.js
+++ b/lib/elements/prompt.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class Prompt extends EventEmitter {
     this.in = opts.stdin || process.stdin;
     this.out = opts.stdout || process.stdout;
     this.onRender = (opts.onRender || (() => void 0)).bind(this);
-    const rl = readline.createInterface(this.in);
+    const rl = readline.createInterface({ input:this.in, escapeCodeTimeout:50 });
     readline.emitKeypressEvents(this.in, rl);
 
     if (this.in.isTTY) this.in.setRawMode(true);
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class Prompt extends EventEmitter {
       this.in.removeListener('keypress', keypress);
       if (this.in.isTTY) this.in.setRawMode(false);
       rl.close();
-      this.emit(this.aborted ? 'abort' : 'submit', this.value);
+      this.emit(this.aborted ? 'abort' : this.exited ? 'exit' : 'submit', this.value);
       this.closed = true;
     };
 
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ class Prompt extends EventEmitter {
   fire() {
     this.emit('state', {
       value: this.value,
-      aborted: !!this.aborted
+      aborted: !!this.aborted,
+      exited: !!this.exited
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/elements/select.js b/lib/elements/select.js
index b7d23cd6..6d6727f7 100644
--- a/lib/elements/select.js
+++ b/lib/elements/select.js
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ class SelectPrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
     this.fire();
diff --git a/lib/elements/text.js b/lib/elements/text.js
index f4f8e6c9..eee731b5 100644
--- a/lib/elements/text.js
+++ b/lib/elements/text.js
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ class TextPrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.value = this.value || this.initial;
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
diff --git a/lib/elements/toggle.js b/lib/elements/toggle.js
index 24e1aa2a..bad612ce 100644
--- a/lib/elements/toggle.js
+++ b/lib/elements/toggle.js
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class TogglePrompt extends Prompt {
     this.render();
   }
 
+  exit() {
+    this.abort();
+  }
+
   abort() {
     this.done = this.aborted = true;
     this.fire();
diff --git a/lib/prompts.js b/lib/prompts.js
index df5d66bc..9f625564 100644
--- a/lib/prompts.js
+++ b/lib/prompts.js
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ function toPrompt(type, args, opts={}) {
     const p = new el[type](args);
     const onAbort = opts.onAbort || noop;
     const onSubmit = opts.onSubmit || noop;
+    const onExit = opts.onExit || noop;
     p.on('state', args.onState || noop);
     p.on('submit', x => res(onSubmit(x)));
+    p.on('exit', x => res(onExit(x)));
     p.on('abort', x => rej(onAbort(x)));
   });
 }
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@ const byTitle = (input, choices) => Promise.resolve(
  * @param {number} [args.limit=10] Max number of results to show
  * @param {string} [args.style="default"] Render style ('default', 'password', 'invisible')
  * @param {String} [args.initial] Index of the default value
+ * @param {boolean} [opts.clearFirst] The first ESCAPE keypress will clear the input
  * @param {String} [args.fallback] Fallback message - defaults to initial value
  * @param {function} [args.onState] On state change callback
  * @param {Stream} [args.stdin] The Readable stream to listen to
diff --git a/lib/util/action.js b/lib/util/action.js
index 2be9bd39..fefbd947 100644
--- a/lib/util/action.js
+++ b/lib/util/action.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 module.exports = (key, isSelect) => {
-  if (key.meta) return;
+  if (key.meta && key.name !== 'escape') return;
   
   if (key.ctrl) {
     if (key.name === 'a') return 'first';
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ module.exports = (key, isSelect) => {
   if (key.name === 'backspace') return 'delete';
   if (key.name === 'delete') return 'deleteForward';
   if (key.name === 'abort') return 'abort';
-  if (key.name === 'escape') return 'abort';
+  if (key.name === 'escape') return 'exit';
   if (key.name === 'tab') return 'next';
   if (key.name === 'pagedown') return 'nextPage';
   if (key.name === 'pageup') return 'prevPage';
diff --git a/lib/util/style.js b/lib/util/style.js
index 982ff81c..1851cc7d 100644
--- a/lib/util/style.js
+++ b/lib/util/style.js
@@ -16,11 +16,12 @@ const render = type => styles[type] || styles.default;
 const symbols = Object.freeze({
   aborted: c.red(figures.cross),
   done: c.green(figures.tick),
+  exited: c.yellow(figures.cross),
   default: c.cyan('?')
 });
 
-const symbol = (done, aborted) =>
-  aborted ? symbols.aborted : done ? symbols.done : symbols.default;
+const symbol = (done, aborted, exited) =>
+  aborted ? symbols.aborted : exited ? symbols.exited : done ? symbols.done : symbols.default;
 
 // between the question and the user's input.
 const delimiter = completing =>
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index e13fb480..4a8b0654 100755
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -799,9 +799,10 @@ You can overwrite how choices are being filtered by passing your own suggest fun
 | limit | `number` | Max number of results to show. Defaults to `10` |
 | style | `string` | Render style (`default`, `password`, `invisible`, `emoji`). Defaults to `'default'` |
 | initial | `string \| number` | Default initial value |
+| clearFirst | `boolean` | The first ESCAPE keypress will clear the input |
 | fallback | `string` | Fallback message when no match is found. Defaults to `initial` value if provided |
 | onRender | `function` | On render callback. Keyword `this` refers to the current prompt |
-| onState | `function` | On state change callback. Function signature is an `object` with two properties: `value` and `aborted` |
+| onState | `function` | On state change callback. Function signature is an `object` with three properties: `value`, `aborted` and `exited` |
 
 Example on what a `suggest` function might look like:
 ```js