diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import { userSearchIndexForPotentialMembers } from 'lib/selectors/user-selectors';
 import { getPotentialMemberItems } from 'lib/shared/search-utils';
+import { threadIsPending } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils';
 import type { AccountUserInfo, UserListItem } from 'lib/types/user-types';
 
 import Label from '../components/label.react';
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@
   +inputState: InputState,
 };
 
+type ActiveThreadBehaviour = 'renew-active-thread' | 'keep-active-thread';
+
 function ChatThreadComposer(props: Props): React.Node {
   const { userInfoInputArray, otherUserInfos, threadID, inputState } = props;
 
@@ -105,15 +108,26 @@
     usernameInputText,
   ]);
 
-  const hideSearch = React.useCallback(() => {
-    dispatch({
-      type: updateNavInfoActionType,
-      payload: {
-        chatMode: 'view',
-        activeChatThreadID: threadID,
-      },
-    });
-  }, [dispatch, threadID]);
+  const hideSearch = React.useCallback(
+    (threadBehaviour: ActiveThreadBehaviour = 'keep-active-thread') => {
+      dispatch({
+        type: updateNavInfoActionType,
+        payload: {
+          chatMode: 'view',
+          activeChatThreadID:
+            threadBehaviour === 'keep-active-thread' ||
+            !threadIsPending(threadID)
+              ? threadID
+              : null,
+        },
+      });
+    },
+    [dispatch, threadID],
+  );
+
+  const onCloseSearch = React.useCallback(() => {
+    hideSearch('renew-active-thread');
+  }, [hideSearch]);
 
   const tagsList = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!userInfoInputArray?.length) {
@@ -155,7 +169,7 @@
             placeholder="Select users for chat"
           />
         </div>
-        <div className={css.closeSearch} onClick={hideSearch}>
+        <div className={css.closeSearch} onClick={onCloseSearch}>
           <SWMansionIcon size={25} icon="cross" />
         </div>
       </div>
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-list-item.react.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
   const { id: threadID, currentUser } = threadInfo;
 
   const ancestorThreads = useAncestorThreads(threadInfo);
-  const onClick = useOnClickThread(item.threadInfo);
 
   const timeZone = useSelector(state => state.timeZone);
   const lastActivity = shortAbsoluteDate(
@@ -42,6 +41,21 @@
   );
 
   const active = useThreadIsActive(threadID);
+  const isCreateMode = useSelector(
+    state => state.navInfo.chatMode === 'create',
+  );
+
+  const onClick = useOnClickThread(item.threadInfo);
+
+  const conditionalOnClick = React.useCallback(
+    (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLAnchorElement>) => {
+      if (!isCreateMode || !active) {
+        onClick(event);
+      }
+    },
+    [isCreateMode, active, onClick],
+  );
+
   const containerClassName = React.useMemo(
     () =>
       classNames({
@@ -130,7 +144,7 @@
 
   return (
     <>
-      <div className={containerClassName} onClick={onClick}>
+      <div className={containerClassName} onClick={conditionalOnClick}>
         <div className={css.colorContainer}>
           <div className={css.colorSplotchContainer}>
             <div className={css.dotContainer}>{unreadDot}</div>
diff --git a/web/selectors/nav-selectors.js b/web/selectors/nav-selectors.js
--- a/web/selectors/nav-selectors.js
+++ b/web/selectors/nav-selectors.js
@@ -140,24 +140,22 @@
       );
       event.preventDefault();
       const { id: threadID } = thread;
+
+      let payload;
       if (threadID.includes('pending')) {
-        dispatch({
-          type: updateNavInfoActionType,
-          payload: {
-            chatMode: 'view',
-            activeChatThreadID: threadID,
-            pendingThread: thread,
-          },
-        });
+        payload = {
+          chatMode: 'view',
+          activeChatThreadID: threadID,
+          pendingThread: thread,
+        };
       } else {
-        dispatch({
-          type: updateNavInfoActionType,
-          payload: {
-            chatMode: 'view',
-            activeChatThreadID: threadID,
-          },
-        });
+        payload = {
+          chatMode: 'view',
+          activeChatThreadID: threadID,
+        };
       }
+
+      dispatch({ type: updateNavInfoActionType, payload });
     },
     [dispatch, thread],
   );