diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index 0239fe6c5..515d17a19 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ Fixed
   already worked before)
 - The command completion now updates correctly when changing aliases
 - `:undo` now doesn't undo tabs "closed" by `:tab-detach` anymore.
+- Fixed an issue with hint chars not being cleared correctly when leaving hint
+  mode.
 
 v0.8.3 (unreleased)
 -------------------
diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 11bac4605..c9f0e2639 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ Contributors, sorted by the number of commits in descending order:
 * Antoni Boucher
 * Lamar Pavel
 * Bruno Oliveira
+* Jakub Klinkovský
 * Jan Verbeek
 * Alexander Cogneau
 * Marshall Lochbaum
-* Jakub Klinkovský
 * Felix Van der Jeugt
 * Martin Tournoij
 * Raphael Pierzina
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
index b62968904..805557e94 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ RETURN_KEYS = ['<Return>', '<Ctrl-M>', '<Ctrl-J>', '<Shift-Return>', '<Enter>',
 
 KEY_DATA = collections.OrderedDict([
     ('!normal', collections.OrderedDict([
-        ('clear-keychain ;; leave-mode', ['<Escape>', '<Ctrl-[>']),
+        ('leave-mode', ['<Escape>', '<Ctrl-[>']),
     ])),
 
     ('normal', collections.OrderedDict([
@@ -1683,7 +1683,7 @@ CHANGED_KEY_COMMANDS = [
     (re.compile(r'^scroll ([-\d]+ [-\d]+)$'), r'scroll-px \1'),
 
     (re.compile(r'^search *;; *clear-keychain$'), r'clear-keychain ;; search'),
-    (re.compile(r'^leave-mode$'), r'clear-keychain ;; leave-mode'),
+    (re.compile(r'^clear-keychain *;; *leave-mode$'), r'leave-mode'),
 
     (re.compile(r'^download-remove --all$'), r'download-clear'),
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
index 887f22515..c549c4b8c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
         if match == self.Match.definitive:
             self._debug_log("Definitive match for '{}'.".format(
                 self._keystring))
-            self._keystring = ''
+            self.clear_keystring()
             self.execute(binding, self.Type.chain, count)
         elif match == self.Match.ambiguous:
             self._debug_log("Ambiguous match for '{}'.".format(
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
         elif match == self.Match.none:
             self._debug_log("Giving up with '{}', no matches".format(
                 self._keystring))
-            self._keystring = ''
+            self.clear_keystring()
         else:
             raise AssertionError("Invalid match value {!r}".format(match))
         return match
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
         time = config.get('input', 'timeout')
         if time == 0:
             # execute immediately
-            self._keystring = ''
+            self.clear_keystring()
             self.execute(binding, self.Type.chain, count)
         else:
             # execute in `time' ms
@@ -289,8 +289,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
             command/count: As if passed to self.execute()
         """
         self._debug_log("Executing delayed command now!")
-        self._keystring = ''
-        self.keystring_updated.emit(self._keystring)
+        self.clear_keystring()
         self.execute(command, self.Type.chain, count)
 
     def handle(self, e):
@@ -307,7 +306,9 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
         if handled or not self._supports_chains:
             return handled
         match = self._handle_single_key(e)
-        self.keystring_updated.emit(self._keystring)
+        # don't emit twice if the keystring was cleared in self.clear_keystring
+        if self._keystring:
+            self.keystring_updated.emit(self._keystring)
         return match != self.Match.none
 
     def read_config(self, modename=None):
@@ -366,6 +367,8 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
 
     def clear_keystring(self):
         """Clear the currently entered key sequence."""
-        self._debug_log("discarding keystring '{}'.".format(self._keystring))
-        self._keystring = ''
-        self.keystring_updated.emit(self._keystring)
+        if self._keystring:
+            self._debug_log("discarding keystring '{}'.".format(
+                self._keystring))
+            self._keystring = ''
+            self.keystring_updated.emit(self._keystring)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
index 9aa492062..71a83b9a3 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ class ModeManager(QObject):
             raise NotInModeError("Not in mode {}!".format(mode))
         log.modes.debug("Leaving mode {}{}".format(
             mode, '' if reason is None else ' (reason: {})'.format(reason)))
+        # leaving a mode implies clearing keychain, see
+        # https://github.com/The-Compiler/qutebrowser/issues/1805
+        self.clear_keychain()
         self.mode = usertypes.KeyMode.normal
         self.left.emit(mode, self.mode, self._win_id)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
index 6ef44f47d..1fe6dbeec 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ class TestKeyConfigParser:
             ('search ;; clear-keychain', 'clear-keychain ;; search'),
             ('search;;clear-keychain', 'clear-keychain ;; search'),
             ('search;;foo', None),
-            ('leave-mode', 'clear-keychain ;; leave-mode'),
+            ('clear-keychain ;; leave-mode', 'leave-mode'),
             ('leave-mode ;; foo', None),
 
             ('download-remove --all', 'download-clear'),