diff --git a/atuin/src/shell/atuin.bash b/atuin/src/shell/atuin.bash
index 6257d2c9d52..d05859d22e7 100644
--- a/atuin/src/shell/atuin.bash
+++ b/atuin/src/shell/atuin.bash
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ __atuin_history() {
     # shellcheck disable=SC2048,SC2086
     HISTORY="$(ATUIN_SHELL_BASH=t ATUIN_LOG=error atuin search $* -i -- "${READLINE_LINE}" 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3)"
 
+    # We do nothing when the search is canceled.
+    [[ $HISTORY ]] || return 0
+
     if [[ $HISTORY == __atuin_accept__:* ]]
     then
       HISTORY=${HISTORY#__atuin_accept__:}
diff --git a/atuin/src/shell/atuin.zsh b/atuin/src/shell/atuin.zsh
index 7091382ae50..491ff9ac3a5 100644
--- a/atuin/src/shell/atuin.zsh
+++ b/atuin/src/shell/atuin.zsh
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ _atuin_search() {
     if [[ -n $output ]]; then
         RBUFFER=""
         LBUFFER=$output
-    fi
 
-    if [[ $LBUFFER == __atuin_accept__:* ]]
-    then
-        LBUFFER=${LBUFFER#__atuin_accept__:}
-        zle accept-line
+        if [[ $LBUFFER == __atuin_accept__:* ]]
+        then
+            LBUFFER=${LBUFFER#__atuin_accept__:}
+            zle accept-line
+        fi
     fi
 }