diff --git a/lib/ajax-chosen.js b/lib/ajax-chosen.js
index c9e3123..946f006 100644
--- a/lib/ajax-chosen.js
+++ b/lib/ajax-chosen.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         val = $.trim($(this).val());
         msg = val.length < options.minTermLength ? options.keepTypingMsg : options.lookingForMsg + (" '" + val + "'");
         select.next('.chzn-container').find('.no-results').text(msg);
-        if (val === $(this).data('prevVal')) {
+        if (untrimmed_val === $(this).data('prevVal')) {
           return false;
         }
         $(this).data('prevVal', val);
diff --git a/lib/ajax-chosen.min.js b/lib/ajax-chosen.min.js
index 108fa0d..7abe0a0 100644
--- a/lib/ajax-chosen.min.js
+++ b/lib/ajax-chosen.min.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 (function($){return $.fn.ajaxChosen=function(settings,callback,chosenOptions){var chosenXhr,defaultOptions,options,select;if(settings==null){settings={};}
 if(chosenOptions==null){chosenOptions={};}
-defaultOptions={minTermLength:3,afterTypeDelay:500,jsonTermKey:"term",keepTypingMsg:"Keep typing...",lookingForMsg:"Looking for"};select=this;chosenXhr=null;options=$.extend({},defaultOptions,$(select).data(),settings);this.chosen(chosenOptions?chosenOptions:{});return this.each(function(){return $(this).next('.chzn-container').find(".search-field > input, .chzn-search > input").bind('keyup',function(){var field,msg,success,untrimmed_val,val;untrimmed_val=$(this).val();val=$.trim($(this).val());msg=val.length<options.minTermLength?options.keepTypingMsg:options.lookingForMsg+(" '"+val+"'");select.next('.chzn-container').find('.no-results').text(msg);if(val===$(this).data('prevVal')){return false;}
+defaultOptions={minTermLength:3,afterTypeDelay:500,jsonTermKey:"term",keepTypingMsg:"Keep typing...",lookingForMsg:"Looking for"};select=this;chosenXhr=null;options=$.extend({},defaultOptions,$(select).data(),settings);this.chosen(chosenOptions?chosenOptions:{});return this.each(function(){return $(this).next('.chzn-container').find(".search-field > input, .chzn-search > input").bind('keyup',function(){var field,msg,success,untrimmed_val,val;untrimmed_val=$(this).val();val=$.trim($(this).val());msg=val.length<options.minTermLength?options.keepTypingMsg:options.lookingForMsg+(" '"+val+"'");select.next('.chzn-container').find('.no-results').text(msg);if(untrimmed_val===$(this).data('prevVal')){return false;}
 $(this).data('prevVal',val);if(this.timer){clearTimeout(this.timer);}
 if(val.length<options.minTermLength){return false;}
 field=$(this);if(options.data==null){options.data={};}
diff --git a/src/ajax-chosen.coffee b/src/ajax-chosen.coffee
index 74a4fb6..b8f8ff7 100644
--- a/src/ajax-chosen.coffee
+++ b/src/ajax-chosen.coffee
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ do ($ = jQuery) ->
           select.next('.chzn-container').find('.no-results').text(msg)
 
           # If input text has not changed ... do nothing
-          return false if val is $(@).data('prevVal')
+          return false if untrimmed_val is $(@).data('prevVal')
 
           # Set the current search term so we don't execute the ajax call if
           # the user hits a key that isn't an input letter/number/symbol