diff --git a/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/components/Autocompleter.java b/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/components/Autocompleter.java
index 1286b64c3..fc192aea5 100644
--- a/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/components/Autocompleter.java
+++ b/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/components/Autocompleter.java
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ public class Autocompleter extends ComboBox {
     protected String resultsLimit;
     protected String transport;
     protected String preload;
+    protected String keyValue;
     
     public Autocompleter(ValueStack stack, HttpServletRequest request,
             HttpServletResponse response) {
@@ -303,8 +304,13 @@ public class Autocompleter extends ComboBox {
         if (preload != null)
             addParameter("preload", findValue(preload, Boolean.class));
         
-        String keyNameExpr = "%{" + keyName + "}";
-        addParameter("key", findString(keyNameExpr));
+        if (keyValue != null)
+            addParameter("nameKeyValue", findString(keyValue));
+        else {
+            String keyNameExpr = "%{" + keyName + "}";
+            addParameter("nameKeyValue", findString(keyNameExpr));
+        }
+        
         
         if (beforeNotifyTopics != null)
             addParameter("beforeNotifyTopics", findString(beforeNotifyTopics));
@@ -507,4 +513,9 @@ public class Autocompleter extends ComboBox {
     public void setPreload(String preload) {
         this.preload = preload;
     }
+
+    @StrutsTagAttribute(description="Initial key value")
+    public void setKeyValue(String keyValue) {
+        this.keyValue = keyValue;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTag.java b/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTag.java
index 5e26e9f56..969852457 100644
--- a/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTag.java
+++ b/plugins/dojo/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTag.java
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public class AutocompleterTag extends ComboBoxTag {
     protected String resultsLimit;
     protected String transport;
     protected String preload;
+    protected String keyValue;
     
     public Component getBean(ValueStack stack, HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) {
         return new Autocompleter(stack, req, res);
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ public class AutocompleterTag extends ComboBoxTag {
         autocompleter.setResultsLimit(resultsLimit);
         autocompleter.setTransport(transport);
         autocompleter.setPreload(preload);
+        autocompleter.setKeyValue(keyValue);
     }
 
     public void setAutoComplete(String autoComplete) {
@@ -211,4 +213,8 @@ public class AutocompleterTag extends ComboBoxTag {
     public void setPreload(String preload) {
         this.preload = preload;
     }
+
+    public void setKeyValue(String keyValue) {
+        this.keyValue = keyValue;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/dojo/src/main/resources/template/ajax/autocompleter.ftl b/plugins/dojo/src/main/resources/template/ajax/autocompleter.ftl
index c9c57b4ec..e7daf46e1 100644
--- a/plugins/dojo/src/main/resources/template/ajax/autocompleter.ftl
+++ b/plugins/dojo/src/main/resources/template/ajax/autocompleter.ftl
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@
 <#if parameters.nameValue?if_exists != "">
  initialValue="${parameters.nameValue}"<#rt/>
 </#if>
-<#if parameters.key?if_exists != "">
- initialKey="${parameters.key}"<#rt/>
+<#if parameters.nameKeyValue?if_exists != "">
+ initialKey="${parameters.nameKeyValue}"<#rt/>
 </#if>
 <#if parameters.readonly?default(false)>
  readonly="readonly"<#rt/>
diff --git a/plugins/dojo/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTest.java b/plugins/dojo/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTest.java
index 95c38ee74..62e91b332 100644
--- a/plugins/dojo/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTest.java
+++ b/plugins/dojo/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/AutocompleterTest.java
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public class AutocompleterTest extends AbstractUITagTest {
         tag.setResultsLimit("2");
         tag.setTransport("m");
         tag.setPreload("true");
+        tag.setKeyValue("key");
         tag.doStartTag();
         tag.doEndTag();
 
diff --git a/plugins/dojo/src/test/resources/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/Autocompleter-1.txt b/plugins/dojo/src/test/resources/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/Autocompleter-1.txt
index 4f0943082..335cd262b 100644
--- a/plugins/dojo/src/test/resources/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/Autocompleter-1.txt
+++ b/plugins/dojo/src/test/resources/org/apache/struts2/dojo/views/jsp/ui/Autocompleter-1.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
  name="f"
  keyName="i"
  initialValue="g"
+ initialKey="key"
  valueNotifyTopics="l"
  indicator="h"
  loadOnType="true"