diff --git a/ace.d.ts b/ace.d.ts
index f962515bd57..f867d4f319d 100644
--- a/ace.d.ts
+++ b/ace.d.ts
@@ -1065,6 +1065,8 @@ export namespace Ace {
     exactMatch?: boolean;
     inlineEnabled?: boolean;
     parentNode?: HTMLElement;
+    setSelectOnHover?: Boolean;
+    stickySelectionDelay?: Number;
     emptyMessage?(prefix: String): String;
     getPopup(): AcePopup;
     showPopup(editor: Editor, options: CompletionOptions): void;
diff --git a/src/autocomplete.js b/src/autocomplete.js
index cc308eefee0..9f241194030 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete.js
+++ b/src/autocomplete.js
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ class Autocomplete {
         this.parentNode = null;
         this.setSelectOnHover = false;
 
+        /**
+         *  @property {number} stickySelectionDelay - a numerical value that determines after how many ms the popup selection will become 'sticky'.
+         *  Normally, when new elements are added to an open popup, the selection is reset to the first row of the popup. If sticky, the focus will remain
+         *  on the currently selected item when new items are added to the popup. Set to a negative value to disable this feature and never set selection to sticky.
+         */
+        this.stickySelectionDelay = 500;
+
         this.blurListener = this.blurListener.bind(this);
         this.changeListener = this.changeListener.bind(this);
         this.mousedownListener = this.mousedownListener.bind(this);
@@ -74,6 +81,10 @@ class Autocomplete {
         }.bind(this));
 
         this.tooltipTimer = lang.delayedCall(this.updateDocTooltip.bind(this), 50);
+
+        this.stickySelectionTimer = lang.delayedCall(function() {
+            this.stickySelection = true;
+        }.bind(this), this.stickySelectionDelay);
     }
 
     $init() {
@@ -83,7 +94,7 @@ class Autocomplete {
             e.stop();
         }.bind(this));
         this.popup.focus = this.editor.focus.bind(this.editor);
-        this.popup.on("show", this.$onPopupChange.bind(this));
+        this.popup.on("show", this.$onPopupShow.bind(this));
         this.popup.on("hide", this.$onHidePopup.bind(this));
         this.popup.on("select", this.$onPopupChange.bind(this));
         this.popup.on("changeHoverMarker", this.tooltipTimer.bind(null, null));
@@ -106,6 +117,8 @@ class Autocomplete {
             this.inlineRenderer.hide();
         }
         this.hideDocTooltip();
+        this.stickySelectionTimer.cancel();
+        this.stickySelection = false;
     }
 
     $onPopupChange(hide) {
@@ -120,6 +133,13 @@ class Autocomplete {
         this.tooltipTimer.call(null, null);
     }
 
+    $onPopupShow(hide) {
+        this.$onPopupChange(hide);
+        this.stickySelection = false;
+        if (this.stickySelectionDelay >= 0)
+            this.stickySelectionTimer.schedule(this.stickySelectionDelay);
+    }
+
     observeLayoutChanges() {
         if (this.$elements || !this.editor) return;
         window.addEventListener("resize", this.onLayoutChange, {passive: true});
@@ -194,6 +214,8 @@ class Autocomplete {
         this.popup.autoSelect = this.autoSelect;
         this.popup.setSelectOnHover(this.setSelectOnHover);
 
+        var previousSelectedItem = this.popup.data[this.popup.getRow()];
+
         this.popup.setData(this.completions.filtered, this.completions.filterText);
         if (this.editor.textInput.setAriaOptions) {
             this.editor.textInput.setAriaOptions({
@@ -204,7 +226,13 @@ class Autocomplete {
 
         editor.keyBinding.addKeyboardHandler(this.keyboardHandler);
         
-        this.popup.setRow(this.autoSelect ? 0 : -1);
+        var newRow = this.popup.data.indexOf(previousSelectedItem);
+
+        if (newRow && this.stickySelection)
+            this.popup.setRow(this.autoSelect ? newRow : -1);
+        else
+            this.popup.setRow(this.autoSelect ? 0 : -1);
+
         if (!keepPopupPosition) {
             this.popup.setTheme(editor.getTheme());
             this.popup.setFontSize(editor.getFontSize());
diff --git a/src/autocomplete_test.js b/src/autocomplete_test.js
index 899ade64363..776ba08dc76 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete_test.js
+++ b/src/autocomplete_test.js
@@ -614,6 +614,118 @@ module.exports = {
 
 
         done();
+    },
+    "test: should maintain selection on fast completer item when slow completer results come in": function(done) {
+        var editor = initEditor("hello world\n");
+        
+        var slowCompleter = {
+            getCompletions: function (editor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+                var completions = [
+                    {
+                        caption: "slow option 1",
+                        value: "s1",
+                        score: 3
+                    }, {
+                        caption: "slow option 2",
+                        value: "s2",
+                        score: 0
+                    }
+                ];
+                setTimeout(() => {
+                    callback(null,  completions);
+                }, 200);
+            }
+        };
+
+        var fastCompleter = {
+            getCompletions: function (editor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+                var completions = [
+                    {
+                        caption: "fast option 1",
+                        value: "f1",
+                        score: 2
+                    }, {
+                        caption: "fast option 2",
+                        value: "f2",
+                        score: 1
+                    }
+                ];
+                callback(null, completions);
+            }
+        };
+
+        editor.completers = [fastCompleter, slowCompleter];
+        
+        var completer = Autocomplete.for(editor);
+        completer.stickySelectionDelay = 100;
+        user.type("Ctrl-Space");
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.isOpen, true);    
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.data.length, 2); 
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.getRow(), 0);
+
+        setTimeout(() => {
+            completer.popup.renderer.$loop._flush();
+            assert.equal(completer.popup.data.length, 4);
+            assert.equal(completer.popup.getRow(), 1);
+     
+            done();
+        }, 500);    
+    },
+    "test: should not maintain selection on fast completer item when slow completer results come in when stickySelectionDelay negative": function(done) {
+        var editor = initEditor("hello world\n");
+        
+        var slowCompleter = {
+            getCompletions: function (editor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+                var completions = [
+                    {
+                        caption: "slow option 1",
+                        value: "s1",
+                        score: 3
+                    }, {
+                        caption: "slow option 2",
+                        value: "s2",
+                        score: 0
+                    }
+                ];
+                setTimeout(() => {
+                    callback(null,  completions);
+                }, 200);
+            }
+        };
+
+        var fastCompleter = {
+            getCompletions: function (editor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+                var completions = [
+                    {
+                        caption: "fast option 1",
+                        value: "f1",
+                        score: 2
+                    }, {
+                        caption: "fast option 2",
+                        value: "f2",
+                        score: 1
+                    }
+                ];
+                callback(null, completions);
+            }
+        };
+
+        editor.completers = [fastCompleter, slowCompleter];
+        
+        var completer = Autocomplete.for(editor);
+        completer.stickySelectionDelay = -1;
+        user.type("Ctrl-Space");
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.isOpen, true);    
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.data.length, 2); 
+        assert.equal(completer.popup.getRow(), 0);
+
+        setTimeout(() => {
+            completer.popup.renderer.$loop._flush();
+            assert.equal(completer.popup.data.length, 4);
+            assert.equal(completer.popup.getRow(), 0);
+     
+            done();
+        }, 500);    
     }
 };