diff --git a/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.spec.tsx b/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.spec.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1fbc8d0fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.spec.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import React, { type ReactNode } from 'react';
+import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { FormProvider, useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
+import ProfileSkills from './ProfileSkills';
+
+type FormWrapperProps = {
+  children: ReactNode;
+};
+
+const FormWrapper = ({ children }: FormWrapperProps) => {
+  const methods = useForm({
+    defaultValues: {
+      skills: [],
+    },
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <QueryClientProvider client={new QueryClient()}>
+      <FormProvider {...methods}>{children}</FormProvider>
+    </QueryClientProvider>
+  );
+};
+
+const renderComponent = () =>
+  render(
+    <FormWrapper>
+      <ProfileSkills name="skills" />
+    </FormWrapper>,
+  );
+
+const advanceDebounce = () => {
+  act(() => {
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(300);
+  });
+};
+
+describe('ProfileSkills', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllTimers();
+    jest.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the input empty after clearing a pending debounced query', () => {
+    renderComponent();
+
+    const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Search skills');
+
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'R' } });
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: '' } });
+
+    expect(input).toHaveValue('');
+
+    advanceDebounce();
+
+    expect(input).toHaveValue('');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the input empty after submitting while a debounced query is pending', () => {
+    renderComponent();
+
+    const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText('Search skills');
+
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'R' } });
+    advanceDebounce();
+
+    expect(input).toHaveValue('R');
+
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'A' } });
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { code: 'Enter', key: 'Enter' });
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'R' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(input).toHaveValue('');
+
+    advanceDebounce();
+
+    expect(input).toHaveValue('');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.tsx b/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.tsx
index 3039501f05..70412150b8 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.tsx
+++ b/packages/shared/src/features/profile/components/ProfileSkills.tsx
@@ -30,8 +30,17 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
   const { data: autocompleteKeywords, isFetching } = useQuery(
     getKeywordAutocompleteOptions(query),
   );
+  const hasAutocompleteKeywords = (autocompleteKeywords?.length ?? 0) > 0;
 
-  const [debouncedQuery] = useDebounceFn<string>((data) => setQuery(data), 300);
+  const [debouncedQuery, cancelDebouncedQuery] = useDebounceFn<string>(
+    (data) => setQuery(data ?? ''),
+    300,
+  );
+
+  const clearQuery = () => {
+    cancelDebouncedQuery();
+    setQuery('');
+  };
 
   const handlePopoverClose: PopoverContentProps['onInteractOutside'] = (e) => {
     if (e.target === inputRef.current) {
@@ -66,7 +75,7 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
               Skills
             </Typography>
 
-            <Popover open={open && autocompleteKeywords?.length > 0}>
+            <Popover open={open && hasAutocompleteKeywords}>
               <PopoverAnchor asChild>
                 <TextField
                   inputRef={(ref) => {
@@ -76,14 +85,16 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
                   label="Search skills"
                   leftIcon={<SearchIcon size={IconSize.Small} />}
                   rightIcon={
-                    isFetching && <GenericLoaderSpinner size={IconSize.Small} />
+                    isFetching ? (
+                      <GenericLoaderSpinner size={IconSize.Small} />
+                    ) : undefined
                   }
                   hint="Add commas (,) to add multiple skills. Press Enter to submit them."
                   hintIcon={<FeedbackIcon />}
                   value={query}
                   onChange={({ target }) => {
                     if (target.value === '') {
-                      return setQuery('');
+                      return clearQuery();
                     }
 
                     return debouncedQuery(target.value);
@@ -105,13 +116,13 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
 
                       if (newSkills.length === 0) {
                         if (query) {
-                          setQuery('');
+                          clearQuery();
                         }
                         return;
                       }
 
                       field.onChange([...skills, ...newSkills]);
-                      setQuery('');
+                      clearQuery();
                       return;
                     }
 
@@ -141,11 +152,11 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
                         key={keyword}
                         tag={{ name: keyword }}
                         isSelected={isSelected}
-                        onClick={({ tag }) => {
+                        onClick={() => {
                           if (isSelected) {
-                            removeSkill(tag.name);
+                            removeSkill(keyword);
                           } else {
-                            addSkill(tag.name);
+                            addSkill(keyword);
                           }
                         }}
                       />
@@ -162,8 +173,8 @@ const ProfileSkills = ({ name }: ProfileSkillsProps): ReactElement => {
                     key={skill}
                     tag={{ name: skill }}
                     isSelected
-                    onClick={({ tag }) => {
-                      removeSkill(tag.name);
+                    onClick={() => {
+                      removeSkill(skill);
                     }}
                   />
                 ))}