diff --git a/modules/modes/add_note.js b/modules/modes/add_note.js
index fa924d505..b257663cd 100644
--- a/modules/modes/add_note.js
+++ b/modules/modes/add_note.js
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ export function modeAddNote(context) {
         context
             .selectedNoteID(note.id)
             .enter(modeSelectNote(context, note.id).newFeature(true));
-
-        // autofocus the description field
-        context.container()
-            .select('.sidebar textarea.new-comment-input').node().focus();
     }
 
 
diff --git a/modules/modes/select_note.js b/modules/modes/select_note.js
index 7a22496a3..d8f6cbd9f 100644
--- a/modules/modes/select_note.js
+++ b/modules/modes/select_note.js
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export function modeSelectNote(context, selectedNoteID) {
         selectNote();
 
         var sidebar = context.ui().sidebar;
-        sidebar.show(_noteEditor.note(note));
+        sidebar.show(_noteEditor.note(note).newNote(_newFeature));
 
         // expand the sidebar, avoid obscuring the note if needed
         sidebar.expand(sidebar.intersects(note.extent()));
diff --git a/modules/ui/note_editor.js b/modules/ui/note_editor.js
index f6d0adac9..f16a71339 100644
--- a/modules/ui/note_editor.js
+++ b/modules/ui/note_editor.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
     // var formFields = uiFormFields(context);
 
     var _note;
+    var _newNote;
     // var _fieldsArr;
 
 
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
             .call(noteComments.note(_note))
             .call(noteSaveSection);
 
-
         var footer = selection.selectAll('.footer')
             .data([0]);
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
                 return _note.isNew() ? t('note.newDescription') : t('note.newComment');
             });
 
-        noteSaveEnter
+        var commentTextarea = noteSaveEnter
             .append('textarea')
             .attr('class', 'new-comment-input')
             .attr('placeholder', t('note.inputPlaceholder'))
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
             .on('input.note-input', changeInput)
             .on('blur.note-input', changeInput);
 
+        if (_newNote) {
+            // autofocus the comment field for new notes
+            commentTextarea.node().focus();
+        }
+
         // update
         noteSave = noteSaveEnter
             .merge(noteSave)
@@ -430,6 +435,12 @@ export function uiNoteEditor(context) {
         return noteEditor;
     };
 
+    noteEditor.newNote = function(val) {
+        if (!arguments.length) return _newNote;
+        _newNote = val;
+        return noteEditor;
+    };
+
 
     return utilRebind(noteEditor, dispatch, 'on');
 }