diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
index 88230062fe..0ee3c2082d 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposer.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export default class MessageComposer extends React.Component {
         this.onToggleMarkdownClicked = this.onToggleMarkdownClicked.bind(this);
         this.onInputStateChanged = this.onInputStateChanged.bind(this);
         this.onEvent = this.onEvent.bind(this);
+        this.onPageUnload = this.onPageUnload.bind(this);
 
         this.state = {
             autocompleteQuery: '',
@@ -64,12 +65,21 @@ export default class MessageComposer extends React.Component {
         // marked as encrypted.
         // XXX: fragile as all hell - fixme somehow, perhaps with a dedicated Room.encryption event or something.
         MatrixClientPeg.get().on("event", this.onEvent);
+
+        window.addEventListener('beforeunload', this.onPageUnload);
     }
 
     componentWillUnmount() {
         if (MatrixClientPeg.get()) {
             MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener("event", this.onEvent);
         }
+        window.removeEventListener('beforeunload', this.onPageUnload);
+    }
+
+    onPageUnload(event) {
+        if (this.messageComposerInput) {
+            this.messageComposerInput.sentHistory.saveLastTextEntry();
+        }
     }
 
     onEvent(event) {