diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue
index 28f9f8109880cd78e33ad999c904493ee57a7858..f13eb399fd1442c3c89effc01907ed90cdb3c773 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   inputPlaceholderConfidentialTextMap,
   inputPlaceholderTextMap,
 } from '../constants';
+import { ENTER_KEY, TAB_KEY } from '../../lib/utils/keys';
 import IssueToken from './issue_token.vue';
 
 const SPACE_FACTOR = 1;
@@ -167,6 +168,13 @@ export default {
     onFocus() {
       this.isInputFocused = true;
     },
+    onKeydown(event) {
+      if ([ENTER_KEY, TAB_KEY].includes(event.key)) {
+        const { value } = this.$refs.input;
+
+        this.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value, event });
+      }
+    },
     setupAutoComplete() {
       const $input = $(this.$refs.input);
 
@@ -231,6 +239,7 @@ export default {
             @input="onInput"
             @focus="onFocus"
             @blur="onBlur"
+            @keydown="onKeydown"
             @keyup.escape.exact="$emit('addIssuableFormCancel')"
           />
         </li>
diff --git a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root.vue b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root.vue
index 3d2c7be84f9be9e2b820a0df6e992b10995b0229..a5f79e0505569beb1c9969030ddb0e298fac86a1 100644
--- a/ee/app/assets/javascripts/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root.vue
+++ b/ee/app/assets/javascripts/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root.vue
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <script>
+import { ENTER_KEY, TAB_KEY } from '~/lib/utils/keys';
 import RelatedIssuableInput from '~/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue';
 import { TYPE_MERGE_REQUEST } from '~/issues/constants';
 
@@ -60,6 +61,18 @@ export default {
         this.inputValue = '';
       }
     },
+    onKeyFinish({ value, event }) {
+      const isTab = event.key === TAB_KEY;
+      const isEnter = event.key === ENTER_KEY;
+      const isUnmodifiedEnter = isEnter && !(event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey);
+
+      if (isTab || isUnmodifiedEnter) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        event.stopPropagation();
+
+        this.onBlur(value);
+      }
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
@@ -75,6 +88,7 @@ export default {
       @addIssuableFormInput="onAddIssuable"
       @pendingIssuableRemoveRequest="removeReference"
       @addIssuableFormBlur="onBlur"
+      @addIssuableFinishEntry="onKeyFinish"
     />
     <input
       v-for="ref in references"
diff --git a/ee/spec/frontend/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root_spec.js b/ee/spec/frontend/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root_spec.js
index d35e23ad717dbd5ac221212d787618a6e468a616..7ecb3fd5711a31da68d14323e5be81adf8b871de 100644
--- a/ee/spec/frontend/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root_spec.js
+++ b/ee/spec/frontend/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root_spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { shallowMount } from '@vue/test-utils';
 import { nextTick } from 'vue';
+import { ENTER_KEY, TAB_KEY } from '~/lib/utils/keys';
 import BlockingMrInputRoot from 'ee/projects/merge_requests/blocking_mr_input_root.vue';
 import RelatedIssuableInput from '~/related_issues/components/related_issuable_input.vue';
 
@@ -71,6 +72,84 @@ describe('blocking mr input root', () => {
     expect(wrapper.vm.references).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
+  describe('"finish" keystrokes (Enter or Tab)', () => {
+    const mockEvent = {
+      preventDefault: jest.fn(),
+      stopPropagation: jest.fn(),
+      ctrlKey: false,
+      key: ENTER_KEY,
+      metaKey: false,
+    };
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      mockEvent.ctrlKey = false;
+      mockEvent.key = ENTER_KEY;
+      mockEvent.metaKey = false;
+      mockEvent.preventDefault.mockReset();
+      mockEvent.stopPropagation.mockReset();
+    });
+
+    it.each`
+      description | event
+      ${'tabs'}   | ${mockEvent}
+      ${'enters'} | ${mockEvent}
+    `('prevent the default event behavior for $description', ({ event }) => {
+      createComponent();
+
+      getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: 'x', event });
+
+      expect(event.preventDefault).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(event.stopPropagation).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it('do not add empty references', () => {
+      createComponent();
+
+      getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: '', event: mockEvent });
+
+      expect(wrapper.vm.references).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('add new tokens', () => {
+      createComponent();
+
+      getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: '!1', event: mockEvent });
+      getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: '!2', event: mockEvent });
+
+      expect(wrapper.vm.references).toEqual(['!1', '!2']);
+    });
+
+    describe('with modifiers', () => {
+      it.each`
+        modifier  | event
+        ${'Cmd'}  | ${{ ...mockEvent, metaKey: true, key: TAB_KEY }}
+        ${'Ctrl'} | ${{ ...mockEvent, ctrlKey: true, key: TAB_KEY }}
+      `('$modifier does not affect the Tab handler', ({ event }) => {
+        createComponent();
+
+        getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: '!1', event });
+
+        expect(event.preventDefault).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(event.stopPropagation).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(wrapper.vm.references).toEqual(['!1']);
+      });
+
+      it.each`
+        modifier  | event
+        ${'Cmd'}  | ${{ ...mockEvent, metaKey: true }}
+        ${'Ctrl'} | ${{ ...mockEvent, ctrlKey: true }}
+      `('$modifier skips the special handler for Enter', ({ event }) => {
+        createComponent();
+
+        getInput().vm.$emit('addIssuableFinishEntry', { value: '!1', event });
+
+        expect(event.preventDefault).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+        expect(event.stopPropagation).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+        expect(wrapper.vm.references).toEqual([]);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('hidden inputs', () => {
     const createHiddenInputExpectation = (selector) => (bool) => {
       expect(wrapper.find(selector).element.value).toBe(`${bool}`);