diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index cbf37143..571e73b1 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -596,8 +596,8 @@ void menu(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     }
 
     context.input_handler().menu(choices,
-        [=](int choice, Context& context) {
-            if (choice >= 0 and choice < commands.size())
+        [=](int choice, MenuEvent event, Context& context) {
+            if (event == MenuEvent::Validate and choice >= 0 and choice < commands.size())
               CommandManager::instance().execute(commands[choice], context);
         }, context);
 }
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index ec461845..d3cd8460 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public:
             context.ui().print_status("");
             reset_normal_mode();
             int selected = m_selected - m_choices.begin();
-            m_callback(selected, context);
+            m_callback(selected, MenuEvent::Validate, context);
             return;
         }
         else if (key == Key::Escape or key == Key{ Key::Modifiers::Control, 'c' })
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ public:
             {
                 context.ui().menu_hide();
                 reset_normal_mode();
+                int selected = m_selected - m_choices.begin();
+                m_callback(selected, MenuEvent::Abort, context);
             }
         }
         else if (key == Key::Down or
@@ -178,8 +180,7 @@ public:
             auto it = std::find_if(m_selected+1, m_choices.end(), match_filter);
             if (it == m_choices.end())
                 it = std::find_if(m_choices.begin(), m_selected, match_filter);
-            m_selected = it;
-            context.ui().menu_select(m_selected - m_choices.begin());
+            select(it, context);
         }
         else if (key == Key::Up or
                  key == Key::BackTab or
@@ -190,8 +191,7 @@ public:
             auto it = std::find_if(selected+1, m_choices.rend(), match_filter);
             if (it == m_choices.rend())
                 it = std::find_if(m_choices.rbegin(), selected, match_filter);
-            m_selected = it.base()-1;
-            context.ui().menu_select(m_selected - m_choices.begin());
+            select(it.base()-1, context);
         }
         else if (key == '/' and not m_edit_filter)
         {
@@ -206,8 +206,7 @@ public:
             auto it = std::find_if(m_selected, m_choices.end(), match_filter);
             if (it == m_choices.end())
                 it = std::find_if(m_choices.begin(), m_selected, match_filter);
-            m_selected = it;
-            context.ui().menu_select(m_selected - m_choices.begin());
+            select(it, context);
         }
 
         if (m_edit_filter)
@@ -222,6 +221,14 @@ private:
     const ChoiceList m_choices;
     ChoiceList::const_iterator m_selected;
 
+    void select(ChoiceList::const_iterator it, Context& context)
+    {
+        m_selected = it;
+        int selected = m_selected - m_choices.begin();
+        context.ui().menu_select(selected);
+        m_callback(selected, MenuEvent::Select, context);
+    }
+
     boost::regex m_filter = boost::regex(".*");
     bool         m_edit_filter = false;
     LineEditor   m_filter_editor;
diff --git a/src/input_handler.hh b/src/input_handler.hh
index 3d520d27..efba4fcb 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.hh
+++ b/src/input_handler.hh
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ namespace Kakoune
 class Editor;
 class Context;
 
-using MenuCallback = std::function<void (int, Context&)>;
+enum class MenuEvent
+{
+    Select,
+    Abort,
+    Validate
+};
+using MenuCallback = std::function<void (int, MenuEvent, Context&)>;
 
 enum class PromptEvent
 {