diff --git a/src/components/assistants/generic/value-assistant.jsx b/src/components/assistants/generic/value-assistant.jsx
index a50400f..85d4e00 100644
--- a/src/components/assistants/generic/value-assistant.jsx
+++ b/src/components/assistants/generic/value-assistant.jsx
@@ -50,8 +50,12 @@ export class ValueAssistant extends Assistant {
   @Bind
   onTypedTextChanged (newText) {
     this.setState({
+      activeSuggestion: -1,
       typedText: newText
     });
+    if (this.machineState) {
+      this.machineState.previewValue = null;
+    }
   }
 
   @Bind
diff --git a/src/components/builders/generic/value-builder.jsx b/src/components/builders/generic/value-builder.jsx
index 47b36f0..94269b6 100644
--- a/src/components/builders/generic/value-builder.jsx
+++ b/src/components/builders/generic/value-builder.jsx
@@ -108,12 +108,15 @@ export class ValueBuilder extends Builder {
   }
 
   @Bind
-  @Debounce(250) // 250ms debounce
   handleKeyUp (e) {
+    this.machineState.typedText = e.target.value; // inform state of typed text
+    this.getSuggestions(e);
+  }
+
+  @Debounce(250)
+  getSuggestions (e) {
     const boxed = this.machine.boxedValue;
     this.machineState.fetchSuggestions(this.machineState.unformatUnboxedValue(e.target.value, boxed), boxed, e.target.value);
-    // inform state of typed text
-    this.machineState.typedText = e.target.value;
   }
 
   focus () {