diff --git a/src/picker/components/Picker/Picker.js b/src/picker/components/Picker/Picker.js
index 30ac902..b6cc7f3 100644
--- a/src/picker/components/Picker/Picker.js
+++ b/src/picker/components/Picker/Picker.js
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ export function createRoot (target, props) {
           updateCurrentEmojis(newEmojis)
           updateSearchMode(true)
         }
-      } else if (currentGroup) {
+      } else {
         const { id: currentGroupId } = currentGroup
         // avoid race condition where currentGroupId is -1 and customEmoji is undefined/empty
         if (currentGroupId !== -1 || (customEmoji && customEmoji.length)) {
@@ -544,11 +544,12 @@ export function createRoot (target, props) {
       case 'ArrowUp':
         return goToNextOrPrevious(true)
       case 'Enter':
-        if (state.activeSearchItem !== -1) {
+        if (state.activeSearchItem === -1) {
+          // focus the first option in the list since the list must be non-empty at this point (it's verified above)
+          state.activeSearchItem = 0
+        } else { // there is already an active search item
           halt(event)
           return clickEmoji(state.currentEmojis[state.activeSearchItem].id)
-        } else if (state.currentEmojis.length) {
-          state.activeSearchItem = 0
         }
     }
   }
@@ -652,6 +653,7 @@ export function createRoot (target, props) {
   function onClickSkinToneButton (event) {
     state.skinTonePickerExpanded = !state.skinTonePickerExpanded
     state.activeSkinTone = state.currentSkinTone
+    // this should always be true, since the button is obscured by the listbox, so this `if` is just to be sure
     if (state.skinTonePickerExpanded) {
       halt(event)
       requestAnimationFrame(() => focus('skintone-list'))
@@ -672,10 +674,6 @@ export function createRoot (target, props) {
   })
 
   function onSkinToneOptionsKeydown (event) {
-    if (!state.skinTonePickerExpanded) {
-      return
-    }
-
     const changeActiveSkinTone = async nextSkinTone => {
       halt(event)
       state.activeSkinTone = nextSkinTone
@@ -703,9 +701,6 @@ export function createRoot (target, props) {
   }
 
   function onSkinToneOptionsKeyup (event) {
-    if (!state.skinTonePickerExpanded) {
-      return
-    }
     switch (event.key) {
       case ' ':
         // enter on keydown, space on keyup. this is just how browsers work for buttons
diff --git a/src/picker/components/Picker/framework.js b/src/picker/components/Picker/framework.js
index 851ee88..b60d66a 100644
--- a/src/picker/components/Picker/framework.js
+++ b/src/picker/components/Picker/framework.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ function doChildrenNeedRerender (parentNode, newChildren) {
     oldChild = oldChild.nextSibling
     oldChildrenCount++
   }
+  /* istanbul ignore if */
   if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' && oldChildrenCount !== parentNode.children.length) {
     throw new Error('parentNode.children.length is different from oldChildrenCount, it should not be')
   }
diff --git a/test/spec/picker/Picker.test.js b/test/spec/picker/Picker.test.js
index dcdce42..e971ca6 100644
--- a/test/spec/picker/Picker.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/picker/Picker.test.js
@@ -178,6 +178,16 @@ describe('Picker tests', () => {
     await waitFor(() => expect(queryAllByRole('listbox', { name: 'Skin tones' })).toHaveLength(0))
   })
 
+  test('Click skintone button while picker is open', async () => {
+    // this should not be possible since the picker covers the button when it's open,
+    // but this is for test coverage, and just to be safe
+    await openSkintoneListbox(container)
+    await fireEvent.click(getByRole('button', { name: /Choose a skin tone/ }))
+
+    // listbox closes
+    await waitFor(() => expect(queryAllByRole('listbox', { name: 'Skin tones' })).toHaveLength(0))
+  })
+
   test('nav keyboard test', async () => {
     getByRole('tab', { name: 'Smileys and emoticons', selected: true }).focus()
 
@@ -339,6 +349,19 @@ describe('Picker tests', () => {
     ), { timeout: 5000 })
   }, 10000)
 
+  test('press enter on an empty search list', async () => {
+    await tick(120)
+    type(getByRole('combobox'), 'xxxyyyzzzhahaha')
+    await waitFor(() => expect(queryAllByRole('option')).toHaveLength(0))
+    expect(getByRole('combobox').getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBeFalsy()
+    await tick(120)
+    fireEvent.keyDown(getByRole('combobox'), { key: 'Enter', code: 'Enter' })
+    await tick(120)
+    // should do nothing basically since there's nothing to search for
+    expect(queryAllByRole('option')).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect(getByRole('combobox').getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBeFalsy()
+  }, 10000)
+
   test('press enter to make first search item active - custom emoji', async () => {
     picker.customEmoji = [
       {