diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.js b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.js
index 0cca26d5663..4e107c2d594 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.js
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ export class Composer extends Component {
             },
         });
         this.suggestion = this.store.user ? useSuggestion() : undefined;
+        this.markEventHandled = markEventHandled;
         if (this.props.dropzoneRef && this.allowUpload) {
             useDropzone(
                 this.props.dropzoneRef,
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.xml
index c3707c915f1..b48e4290a4c 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/composer.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
                             t-on-input="onInput"
                             t-on-focusin="onFocusin"
                             t-on-focusout="() => this.props.composer.isFocused = false"
+                            t-on-click="(ev) => markEventHandled(ev, 'composer.onClickTextarea')"
                             t-on-paste="onPaste"
                             t-model="props.composer.textInputContent"
                             t-att-placeholder="placeholder"
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.js b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.js
index d91a523a69b..178cfe320a2 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.js
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ import {
     useRef,
     useState,
 } from "@odoo/owl";
-import { markEventHandled } from "../utils/misc";
+import { markEventHandled, isEventHandled } from "../utils/misc";
+import { onExternalClick } from "@mail/utils/hooks";
 
 export class NavigableList extends Component {
     static components = { ImStatus };
@@ -41,6 +42,17 @@ export class NavigableList extends Component {
         this.hotkeysToRemove = [];
 
         useExternalListener(window, "keydown", this.onKeydown, true);
+        onExternalClick("root", async (ev) => {
+            // Let event be handled by bubbling handlers first.
+            await new Promise(setTimeout);
+            if (
+                isEventHandled(ev, "composer.onClickTextarea") ||
+                isEventHandled(ev, "channelSelector.onClickInput")
+            ) {
+                return;
+            }
+            this.close();
+        });
         // position and size
         usePosition(() => this.props.anchorRef, {
             popper: "root",
@@ -72,6 +84,9 @@ export class NavigableList extends Component {
     }
 
     open() {
+        if (this.state.isLoading) {
+            return;
+        }
         this.load().then(() => {
             this.state.open = true;
             this.navigate("first");
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.xml
index 8a2488cc62f..2b359c18544 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/composer/navigable_list.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
         <div class="o-mail-NavigableList bg-white m-0 p-0" t-ref="root" t-att-class="props.class">
             <div t-if="show" class="o-open border" t-on-mousedown.prevent="">
                 <div t-if="state.isLoading" class="o-mail-NavigableList-item">
-                    <a href="#" class="">
+                    <a href="#" class="d-flex align-items-center w-100 py-2 px-4">
                         <i class="fa fa-spin fa-circle-o-notch"/>
                         <t t-esc="props.placeholder"/>
                     </a>
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.js b/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.js
index 918c68481f9..dffe1083b1d 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { useService } from "@web/core/utils/hooks";
 import { getActiveHotkey } from "@web/core/hotkeys/hotkey_service";
 import { Component, onMounted, useRef, useState } from "@odoo/owl";
 import { cleanTerm } from "@mail/utils/format";
-import { createLocalId, isEventHandled } from "@mail/utils/misc";
+import { createLocalId, isEventHandled, markEventHandled } from "@mail/utils/misc";
 import { _t } from "@web/core/l10n/translation";
 
 export class ChannelSelector extends Component {
@@ -30,10 +30,11 @@ export class ChannelSelector extends Component {
         if (this.props.autofocus) {
             onMounted(() => this.inputRef.el.focus());
         }
+        this.markEventHandled = markEventHandled;
     }
 
-    async fetchSuggestions(term) {
-        const cleanedTerm = cleanTerm(term);
+    async fetchSuggestions() {
+        const cleanedTerm = cleanTerm(this.state.value);
         if (cleanedTerm) {
             if (this.props.category.id === "channels") {
                 const domain = [
@@ -79,6 +80,13 @@ export class ChannelSelector extends Component {
                         partner: this.store.self,
                     });
                 }
+                if (suggestions.length === 0) {
+                    suggestions.push({
+                        classList: "o-mail-ChannelSelector-suggestion",
+                        label: _t("No results found"),
+                        unselectable: true,
+                    });
+                }
                 return suggestions;
             }
         }
@@ -184,7 +192,7 @@ export class ChannelSelector extends Component {
                 this.props.category.id === "channels"
                     ? "mail.ChannelSelector.channel"
                     : "mail.ChannelSelector.chat",
-            options: this.fetchSuggestions(this.state.value),
+            options: this.fetchSuggestions(),
         };
     }
 }
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.xml
index b5402c14dee..5fe427a168a 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/discuss/channel_selector.xml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
             t-att-placeholder="inputPlaceholder"
             t-model="state.value"
             t-ref="input"
+            t-on-click="(ev) => markEventHandled(ev, 'channelSelector.onClickInput')"
             t-on-keydown="onKeydownInput"
             type="text"
         />
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/src/web/messaging_menu/messaging_menu.xml b/addons/mail/static/src/web/messaging_menu/messaging_menu.xml
index cbacc052b6b..7fd189f9348 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/src/web/messaging_menu/messaging_menu.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/static/src/web/messaging_menu/messaging_menu.xml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
                         <ChannelSelector category="category" autofocus="true"/>
                     </div>
                 </t>
-                <button t-if="!env.inDiscussApp or (env.inDiscussApp and store.discuss.activeTab === 'chat' and !state.addingChat)" t-att-class="env.inDiscussApp ? 'w-100 p-2 btn btn-secondary border-bottom bg-light' : 'btn btn-link o-mail-MessagingMenu-new'" t-on-click.stop="onClickNewMessage">
+                <button t-if="!env.inDiscussApp or (env.inDiscussApp and store.discuss.activeTab === 'chat' and !state.addingChat)" t-att-class="env.inDiscussApp ? 'w-100 p-2 btn btn-secondary border-bottom bg-light' : 'btn btn-link'" t-on-click.stop="onClickNewMessage">
                     <t t-if="env.inDiscussApp">Start a conversation</t>
                     <t t-else="">New Message</t>
                 </button>
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/tests/chat_window/chat_window_new_message_tests.js b/addons/mail/static/tests/chat_window/chat_window_new_message_tests.js
index 9472fb63d5d..678901c2ba6 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/tests/chat_window/chat_window_new_message_tests.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/tests/chat_window/chat_window_new_message_tests.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ QUnit.module("chat window: new message");
 QUnit.test("basic rendering", async (assert) => {
     await start();
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow");
     assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow-header");
     assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow-header .o-mail-ChatWindow-name");
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ QUnit.test("basic rendering", async (assert) => {
 QUnit.test("focused on open [REQUIRE FOCUS]", async (assert) => {
     await start();
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     assert.strictEqual(
         document.activeElement,
         $(".o-mail-ChatWindow .o-mail-ChannelSelector input")[0]
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ QUnit.test("focused on open [REQUIRE FOCUS]", async (assert) => {
 QUnit.test("close", async (assert) => {
     await start();
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     await click(".o-mail-ChatWindow-header .o-mail-ChatWindow-command[title='Close chat window']");
     assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow");
 });
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ QUnit.test("close", async (assert) => {
 QUnit.test("fold", async (assert) => {
     await start();
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow-content");
     assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChannelSelector");
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ QUnit.test(
 
         // open "new message" chat window
         await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-        await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+        await click("button:contains(New Message)");
         assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow-header:contains(New message)");
         assert.containsN($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow", 2);
         assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow .o-mail-ChannelSelector");
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ QUnit.test(
         });
         await start();
         await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-        await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+        await click("button:contains(New Message)");
         await insertText(".o-mail-ChannelSelector", "131");
         await click(".o-mail-ChannelSelector-suggestion a");
         assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-ChatWindow-header:contains(New message)");
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ QUnit.test("new message autocomplete should automatically select first result",
     });
     // open "new message" chat window
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     // search for a user in "new message" autocomplete
     await afterNextRender(async () => {
         await insertText(".o-mail-ChannelSelector", "131");
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss/discuss_tests.js b/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss/discuss_tests.js
index ba671edbf50..8d0f615b2e9 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss/discuss_tests.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/tests/discuss/discuss_tests.js
@@ -223,6 +223,31 @@ QUnit.test("can create a group chat conversation", async (assert) => {
     assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-Message");
 });
 
+QUnit.test("chat search should display no result when no matches found", async (assert) => {
+    const { openDiscuss } = await start();
+    await openDiscuss();
+    await click(".o-mail-DiscussSidebar i[title='Start a conversation']");
+    await insertText(".o-mail-ChannelSelector", "Rainbow Panda");
+    assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChannelSelector-suggestion:contains(No results found)");
+});
+
+QUnit.test(
+    "chat search should not be visible when clicking outside of the field",
+    async (assert) => {
+        const pyEnv = await startServer();
+        const partnerId = pyEnv["res.partner"].create({ name: "Panda" });
+        pyEnv["res.users"].create({ partner_id: partnerId });
+        const { openDiscuss } = await start();
+        await openDiscuss();
+        assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-DiscussCategoryItem");
+        await click(".o-mail-DiscussSidebar i[title='Start a conversation']");
+        await insertText(".o-mail-ChannelSelector", "Panda");
+        assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-ChannelSelector-suggestion");
+        await click(".o-mail-DiscussSidebar");
+        assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-ChannelSelector-suggestion");
+    }
+);
+
 QUnit.test("Message following a notification should not be squashed", async (assert) => {
     const pyEnv = await startServer();
     const channelId = pyEnv["mail.channel"].create({
diff --git a/addons/mail/static/tests/messaging_menu/messaging_menu_tests.js b/addons/mail/static/tests/messaging_menu/messaging_menu_tests.js
index 75a7152c1c5..9702afcdaea 100644
--- a/addons/mail/static/tests/messaging_menu/messaging_menu_tests.js
+++ b/addons/mail/static/tests/messaging_menu/messaging_menu_tests.js
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ QUnit.test("respond to notification prompt (granted)", async (assert) => {
 QUnit.test("Is closed after clicking on new message", async (assert) => {
     await start();
     await click(".o_menu_systray i[aria-label='Messages']");
-    await click(".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    await click("button:contains(New Message)");
     assert.containsNone($, ".o-mail-MessagingMenu");
 });
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ QUnit.test("basic rendering", async (assert) => {
     assert.hasClass($('.o-mail-MessagingMenu button:contains("All")'), "fw-bolder");
     assert.doesNotHaveClass($('.o-mail-MessagingMenu button:contains("Chats")'), "fw-bolder");
     assert.doesNotHaveClass($('.o-mail-MessagingMenu button:contains("Channels")'), "fw-bolder");
-    assert.containsOnce($, ".o-mail-MessagingMenu-new");
+    assert.containsOnce($, "button:contains(New Message)");
     assert.containsOnce($, '.o-mail-MessagingMenu:contains("No conversation yet...")');
     await click(".o_menu_systray .dropdown-toggle:has(i[aria-label='Messages'])");
     assert.doesNotHaveClass(