diff --git a/js/id/modes/add_point.js b/js/id/modes/add_point.js
index 21d6343e0..82ad283c2 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/add_point.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/add_point.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ iD.modes.AddPoint = function() {
                 iD.actions.AddNode(node),
                 'added a point');
 
-            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(node));
+            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(node, true));
         });
 
         map.keybinding().on('⎋.addpoint', function() {
diff --git a/js/id/modes/draw_area.js b/js/id/modes/draw_area.js
index 196a4de53..2f1fa6304 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/draw_area.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/draw_area.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ iD.modes.DrawArea = function(wayId) {
             if (datum.id === tailId || datum.id === headId) {
                 if (way.nodes.length > 3) {
                     history.undo();
-                    controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way));
+                    controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way, true));
                 } else {
                     // Areas with less than 3 nodes gets deleted
                     history.replace(iD.actions.DeleteWay(way.id));
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ iD.modes.DrawArea = function(wayId) {
         function ret() {
             d3.event.preventDefault();
             history.replace(iD.actions.DeleteNode(node.id));
-            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way));
+            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way, true));
         }
 
         surface
diff --git a/js/id/modes/draw_line.js b/js/id/modes/draw_line.js
index 4be2e5527..8442fbf80 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/draw_line.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/draw_line.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ iD.modes.DrawLine = function(wayId, direction) {
                         iD.actions.AddWayNode(wayId, tailId, index),
                         'added to a line');
 
-                    controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way));
+                    controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way, true));
 
                 } else {
                     history.replace(iD.actions.DeleteWay(way.id));
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ iD.modes.DrawLine = function(wayId, direction) {
                 // finish the way
                 history.undo();
 
-                controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way));
+                controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way, true));
 
             } else if (datum.type === 'node' && datum.id !== node.id) {
                 // connect the way to an existing node
@@ -71,13 +71,14 @@ iD.modes.DrawLine = function(wayId, direction) {
                 controller.enter(iD.modes.DrawLine(wayId, direction));
 
             } else if (datum.type === 'way' || datum.midpoint) {
+                var choice;
                 // connect the way to an existing way
                 if (datum.midpoint) {
                     // if clicked on midpoint
                     datum.id = datum.way;
                     choice = datum;
                 } else {
-                    var choice = iD.util.geo.chooseIndex(datum, d3.mouse(surface.node()), map);
+                    choice = iD.util.geo.chooseIndex(datum, d3.mouse(surface.node()), map);
                 }
 
                 history.replace(
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ iD.modes.DrawLine = function(wayId, direction) {
         function ret() {
             d3.event.preventDefault();
             history.replace(iD.actions.DeleteNode(node.id));
-            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way));
+            controller.enter(iD.modes.Select(way, true));
         }
 
         function undo() {
diff --git a/js/id/modes/select.js b/js/id/modes/select.js
index add2e3750..883acacb1 100644
--- a/js/id/modes/select.js
+++ b/js/id/modes/select.js
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-iD.modes.Select = function(entity) {
+iD.modes.Select = function(entity, initial) {
     var mode = {
         id: 'select',
         button: 'browse',
         entity: entity
     };
 
-    var inspector = iD.ui.inspector(),
+    var inspector = iD.ui.inspector().initial(!!initial),
         behaviors;
 
     function remove() {
diff --git a/js/id/ui/inspector.js b/js/id/ui/inspector.js
index aa3ad3add..7837ba21f 100644
--- a/js/id/ui/inspector.js
+++ b/js/id/ui/inspector.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ iD.ui.inspector = function() {
     var event = d3.dispatch('changeTags', 'changeWayDirection',
         'update', 'remove', 'close', 'splitWay'),
         taginfo = iD.taginfo(),
+        initial = false,
         tagList;
 
     function inspector(selection) {
@@ -194,7 +195,8 @@ iD.ui.inspector = function() {
         helpBtn.append('span')
             .attr('class', 'icon inspect');
 
-        if (tags.length === 1 && tags[0].key === '' && tags[0].value === '') {
+        if (initial && tags.length === 1 &&
+            tags[0].key === '' && tags[0].value === '') {
             focusNewKey();
         }
 
@@ -271,7 +273,7 @@ iD.ui.inspector = function() {
         event.close(entity);
     }
 
-    inspector.tags = function (tags) {
+    inspector.tags = function(tags) {
         if (!arguments.length) {
             tags = {};
             tagList.selectAll('li').each(function() {
@@ -286,5 +288,10 @@ iD.ui.inspector = function() {
         }
     };
 
+    inspector.initial = function(_) {
+        initial = _;
+        return inspector;
+    };
+
     return d3.rebind(inspector, event, 'on');
 };