diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
index f65e07fb34ea8a62f53034a74673e51731fccb86..4be65cdee7e1105df1d7c95379350bb5d568f005 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
@@ -1493,6 +1493,9 @@ public class ConversationFragment extends XmppFragment
             return true;
         });
 
+        if (!activity.xmppConnectionService.getBooleanPreference("message_autocomplete", R.bool.message_autocomplete)) return binding.getRoot();
+        // After here should be only autocomplete setup stuff
+
         Autocomplete.<MucOptions.User>on(binding.textinput)
             .with(activity.getDrawable(R.drawable.background_message_bubble))
             .with(new CharPolicy('@'))
@@ -1516,6 +1519,8 @@ public class ConversationFragment extends XmppFragment
 
                 @Override
                 protected void onQuery(@Nullable CharSequence query) {
+                    if (!activity.xmppConnectionService.getBooleanPreference("message_autocomplete", R.bool.message_autocomplete)) return;
+
                     getRecyclerView().getItemAnimator().endAnimations();
                     final var allUsers = conversation.getMucOptions().getUsers();
                     if (!conversation.getMucOptions().getUsersByRole(MucOptions.Role.MODERATOR).isEmpty()) {
@@ -1607,6 +1612,8 @@ public class ConversationFragment extends XmppFragment
 
                 @Override
                 protected void onQuery(@Nullable CharSequence query) {
+                    if (!activity.xmppConnectionService.getBooleanPreference("message_autocomplete", R.bool.message_autocomplete)) return;
+
                     emojiDebounce.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
                     emojiDebounce.postDelayed(() -> {
                         if (getRecyclerView() == null) return;