diff --git a/endpoints/trigger.py b/endpoints/trigger.py
index dd8d30eec..a0f945704 100644
--- a/endpoints/trigger.py
+++ b/endpoints/trigger.py
@@ -65,6 +65,27 @@ class TriggerProviderException(Exception):
   pass
 
 
+def _determine_build_ref(run_parameters, get_branch_sha, get_tag_sha, default_branch):
+  run_parameters = run_parameters or {}
+
+  kind = ''
+  value = ''
+
+  if 'refs' in run_parameters:
+    kind = run_parameters['refs']['kind']
+    value = run_parameters['refs']['name']
+  elif 'branch_name' in run_parameters:
+    kind = 'branch'
+    value = run_parameters['branch_name']
+
+  kind = kind or 'branch'
+  value = value or default_branch
+
+  ref = 'refs/tags/' + value if kind == 'tag' else 'refs/heads/' + value
+  commit_sha = get_tag_sha(value) if kind == 'tag' else get_branch_sha(value)
+  return (commit_sha, ref)
+
+
 def find_matching_branches(config, branches):
   if 'branchtag_regex' in config:
     try:
@@ -548,16 +569,25 @@ class BitbucketBuildTrigger(BuildTriggerHandler):
     run_parameters = run_parameters or {}
     repository = self._get_repository_client()
 
-    # Find the branch to build.
-    branch_name = run_parameters.get('branch_name') or self._get_default_branch(repository)
+    def get_branch_sha(branch_name):
+      # Lookup the commit SHA for the branch.
+      (result, data, _) = repository.get_branches()
+      if not result or not branch_name in data:
+        raise TriggerStartException('Could not find branch commit SHA')
 
-    # Lookup the commit SHA for the branch.
-    (result, data, _) = repository.get_branches()
-    if not result or not branch_name in data:
-      raise TriggerStartException('Could not find branch commit SHA')
+      return data[branch_name]['node']
 
-    commit_sha = data[branch_name]['node']
-    ref = 'refs/heads/%s' % (branch_name)
+    def get_tag_sha(tag_name):
+      # Lookup the commit SHA for the tag.
+      (result, data, _) = repository.get_tags()
+      if not result or not tag_name in data:
+        raise TriggerStartException('Could not find tag commit SHA')
+
+      return data[tag_name]['node']
+
+    # Find the branch or tag to build.
+    (commit_sha, ref) = _determine_build_ref(run_parameters, get_branch_sha, get_tag_sha,
+                                             self._get_default_branch(repository))
 
     return self._prepare_build(commit_sha, ref, True)
 
@@ -945,22 +975,32 @@ class GithubBuildTrigger(BuildTriggerHandler):
   def manual_start(self, run_parameters=None):
     config = self.config
     source = config['build_source']
-    run_parameters = run_parameters or {}
 
     try:
       gh_client = self._get_client()
-
-      # Lookup the branch and its associated current SHA.
       repo = gh_client.get_repo(source)
-      branch_name = run_parameters.get('branch_name') or repo.default_branch
-      branch = repo.get_branch(branch_name)
-      commit_sha = branch.commit.sha
-      ref = 'refs/heads/%s' % (branch_name)
-
-      return self._prepare_build(ref, commit_sha, True, repo=repo)
+      default_branch = repo.default_branch
     except GithubException as ghe:
       raise TriggerStartException(ghe.data['message'])
 
+    def get_branch_sha(branch_name):
+      branch = repo.get_branch(branch_name)
+      return branch.commit.sha
+
+    def get_tag_sha(tag_name):
+      tags = {tag.name: tag for tag in repo.get_tags()}
+      if not tag_name in tags:
+        raise TriggerStartException('Could not find tag in repository')
+
+      return tags[tag_name].commit.sha
+
+    # Find the branch or tag to build.
+    (commit_sha, ref) = _determine_build_ref(run_parameters, get_branch_sha, get_tag_sha,
+                                             default_branch)
+
+    return self._prepare_build(ref, commit_sha, True, repo=repo)
+
+
   def list_field_values(self, field_name):
     if field_name == 'refs':
       branches = self.list_field_values('branch_name')
@@ -1446,29 +1486,36 @@ class GitLabBuildTrigger(BuildTriggerHandler):
     return self._prepare_build(commit['id'], ref, False)
 
   def manual_start(self, run_parameters=None):
-    run_parameters = run_parameters or {}
     gl_client = self._get_authorized_client()
 
     repo = gl_client.getproject(self.config['build_source'])
     if repo is False:
       raise TriggerStartException('Could not find repository')
 
-    branch_name = run_parameters.get('branch_name') or repo['default_branch']
+    def get_tag_sha(tag_name):
+      tags = gl_client.getrepositorytags(repo['id'])
+      if tags is False:
+        raise TriggerStartException('Could not find tags')
 
-    branches = gl_client.getbranches(repo['id'])
-    if branches is False:
-      raise TriggerStartException('Could not find branches')
+      for tag in tags:
+        if tag['name'] == tag_name:
+          return tag['commit']['id']
 
-    commit = None
-    for branch in branches:
-      if branch['name'] == branch_name:
-        commit = branch['commit']
-    if commit is None:
       raise TriggerStartException('Could not find commit')
 
-    ref = 'refs/heads/%s' % branch_name
+    def get_branch_sha(branch_name):
+      branch = gl_client.getbranch(repo['id'], branch_name)
+      if branch is False:
+        raise TriggerStartException('Could not find branch')
 
-    return self._prepare_build(commit['id'], ref, True)
+      return branch['commit']['id']
+
+    # Find the branch or tag to build.
+    (commit_sha, ref) = _determine_build_ref(run_parameters, get_branch_sha, get_tag_sha,
+                                             repo['default_branch'])
+
+
+    return self._prepare_build(commit_sha, ref, True)
 
   def get_repository_url(self):
     gl_client = self._get_authorized_client()
diff --git a/static/css/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.css b/static/css/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa0bd0054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/css/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.css
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+.dropdown-select-direct {
+  margin: 10px;
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .dropdown-select-direct-icon {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 6px;
+  left: 6px;
+  z-index: 2;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .dropdown-select-direct-icon.fa {
+  top: 10px;
+  left: 8px;
+  font-size: 20px;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .dropdown-select-direct-icon.none-icon {
+  color: #ccc;
+  display: inline;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct.has-item .dropdown-direct-icon-icon {
+  display: inline;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct.has-item .dropdown-direct-icon-icon.none-icon {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct input.form-control[readonly] {
+    cursor: pointer;
+    background-color: #fff;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .lookahead-input {
+  padding-left: 32px;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .twitter-typeahead {
+  display: block !important;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .twitter-typeahead .tt-hint {
+  padding-left: 32px;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .dropdown {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 0px;
+  top: 0px;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-direct .dropdown button.dropdown-toggle {
+  border-top-left-radius: 0px;
+  border-bottom-left-radius: 0px;
+}
diff --git a/static/directives/dropdown-select-direct.html b/static/directives/dropdown-select-direct.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67364e21d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/directives/dropdown-select-direct.html
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<div class="dropdown-select-element dropdown-select-direct-element" ng-class="selectedItem ? 'has-item' : ''">
+  <div class="current-item">
+    <i class="none-icon fa fa-lg" ng-class="noneIcon" ng-if="noneIcon"></i>
+    <i class="fa fa-lg dropdown-select-direct-icon" ng-repeat="item in items"
+       ng-class="iconMap[item[iconKey]]"
+       ng-show="selectedItem[valueKey] == item[valueKey]"></i>
+
+    <input type="text" class="lookahead-input form-control" placeholder="{{ placeholder }}"></input>
+  </div>
+  <div class="dropdown">
+    <button class="btn btn-default dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown">
+      <span class="caret"></span>
+    </button>
+
+    <ul class="dropdown-menu scrollable-menu" role="menu">
+      <li ng-repeat="item in items">
+        <a href="javascript:void(0)" ng-click="setItem(item)">
+        <i class="fa" ng-class="iconMap[item[iconKey]]"></i>{{ item[titleKey] }}</a>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/static/directives/manual-trigger-build-dialog.html b/static/directives/manual-trigger-build-dialog.html
index 701d49b35..5f0477ae4 100644
--- a/static/directives/manual-trigger-build-dialog.html
+++ b/static/directives/manual-trigger-build-dialog.html
@@ -12,18 +12,36 @@
         <form name="runForm" id="runForm">
           <table width="100%">
             <tr ng-repeat="field in runParameters">
-                <td class="field-title" valign="top">{{ field.title }}:</td>
+                <td class="field-title" valign="middle">{{ field.title }}:</td>
                 <td>
                   <div ng-switch on="field.type">
-                    <span ng-switch-when="option">
-                      <span class="quay-spinner" ng-show="!fieldOptions[field.name]"></span>
+                    <!-- Autocomplete -->
+                    <div ng-switch-when="autocomplete">
+                      <span class="cor-loader-inline" ng-show="!fieldOptions[field.name]"></span>
+                      <div class="dropdown-select-direct"
+                           placeholder="'Enter or select ' + field.title"
+                           selected-item="parameters[field.name]"
+                           value-key="name"
+                           title-key="name"
+                           icon-key="kind"
+                           icon-map="field.iconMap"
+                           items="fieldOptions[field.name]"
+                           ng-show="fieldOptions[field.name]"></div>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <!-- Option -->
+                    <div ng-switch-when="option">
+                      <span class="cor-loader-inline" ng-show="!fieldOptions[field.name]"></span>
                       <select ng-model="parameters[field.name]" ng-show="fieldOptions[field.name]"
                               ng-options="value for value in fieldOptions[field.name]"
                               required>
                       </select>
-                    </span>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <!-- String -->
                     <input type="text" class="form-control" ng-model="parameters[field.name]"  ng-switch-when="string" required>
-                    <!-- TODO(jschorr): unify the ability to create an input box with all the usual features -->
+
+                    <!-- Regex -->
                     <div ng-switch-when="regex">
                       <input type="text" class="form-control" ng-model="parameters[field.name]"
                              ng-pattern="getPattern(field)"
diff --git a/static/js/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.js b/static/js/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c1fd28db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/js/directives/ui/dropdown-select-direct.js
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/**
+ * An element which displays a dropdown select box which is (optionally) editable. This box
+ * is displayed with an <input> and a menu on the right.
+ */
+angular.module('quay').directive('dropdownSelectDirect', function ($compile) {
+  var directiveDefinitionObject = {
+    priority: 0,
+    templateUrl: '/static/directives/dropdown-select-direct.html',
+    replace: true,
+    transclude: true,
+    restrict: 'C',
+    scope: {
+      'selectedItem': '=selectedItem',
+
+      'placeholder': '=placeholder',
+      'items': '=items',
+      'iconMap': '=iconMap',
+
+      'valueKey': '@valueKey',
+      'titleKey': '@titleKey',
+      'iconKey': '@iconKey',
+
+      'noneIcon': '@noneIcon',
+
+      'clearValue': '=clearValue'
+    },
+    controller: function($scope, $element, $rootScope) {
+      if (!$rootScope.__dropdownSelectCounter) {
+        $rootScope.__dropdownSelectCounter = 1;
+      }
+
+      $scope.placeholder = $scope.placeholder || '';
+      $scope.internalItem = null;
+
+      // Setup lookahead.
+      var input = $($element).find('.lookahead-input');
+
+      $scope.setItem = function(item) {
+        $scope.selectedItem = item;
+      };
+
+      $scope.$watch('clearValue', function(cv) {
+        if (cv) {
+          $scope.selectedItem = null;
+          $(input).val('');
+        }
+      });
+
+      $scope.$watch('selectedItem', function(item) {
+        if ($scope.selectedItem == $scope.internalItem) {
+          // The item has already been set due to an internal action.
+          return;
+        }
+
+        if ($scope.selectedItem != null) {
+          $(input).val(item[$scope.valueKey]);
+        } else {
+          $(input).val('');
+        }
+      });
+
+      $scope.$watch('items', function(items) {
+        $(input).off();
+        if (!items || !$scope.valueKey) {
+          return;
+        }
+
+        var formattedItems = [];
+        for (var i = 0; i < items.length; ++i) {
+          var currentItem = items[i];
+          var formattedItem = {
+            'value': currentItem[$scope.valueKey],
+            'item': currentItem
+          };
+
+          formattedItems.push(formattedItem);
+        }
+
+        var dropdownHound = new Bloodhound({
+          name: 'dropdown-items-' + $rootScope.__dropdownSelectCounter,
+          local: formattedItems,
+          datumTokenizer: function(d) {
+            return Bloodhound.tokenizers.whitespace(d.val || d.value || '');
+          },
+          queryTokenizer: Bloodhound.tokenizers.whitespace
+        });
+        dropdownHound.initialize();
+
+        $(input).typeahead({}, {
+          source: dropdownHound.ttAdapter(),
+          templates: {
+            'suggestion': function (datum) {
+              template = datum['template'] ? datum['template'](datum) : datum['value'];
+              return template;
+            }
+          }
+        });
+
+        $(input).on('input', function(e) {
+          $scope.$apply(function() {
+            $scope.internalItem = null;
+            $scope.selectedItem = null;
+          });
+        });
+
+        $(input).on('typeahead:selected', function(e, datum) {
+          $scope.$apply(function() {
+            $scope.internalItem = datum['item'];
+            $scope.selectedItem = datum['item'];
+          });
+        });
+
+        $rootScope.__dropdownSelectCounter++;
+      });
+    }
+  };
+  return directiveDefinitionObject;
+});
diff --git a/static/js/directives/ui/manual-trigger-build-dialog.js b/static/js/directives/ui/manual-trigger-build-dialog.js
index 28d3bd93e..b05d579f6 100644
--- a/static/js/directives/ui/manual-trigger-build-dialog.js
+++ b/static/js/directives/ui/manual-trigger-build-dialog.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ angular.module('quay').directive('manualTriggerBuildDialog', function () {
     controller: function($scope, $element, ApiService, TriggerService) {
       $scope.parameters = {};
       $scope.fieldOptions = {};
+      $scope.lookaheadItems = {};
 
       $scope.startTrigger = function() {
         $('#startTriggerDialog').modal('hide');
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ angular.module('quay').directive('manualTriggerBuildDialog', function () {
         var parameters = TriggerService.getRunParameters($scope.trigger.service);
         for (var i = 0; i < parameters.length; ++i) {
           var parameter = parameters[i];
-          if (parameter['type'] == 'option') {
+          if (parameter['type'] == 'option' || parameter['type'] == 'autocomplete') {
             // Load the values for this parameter.
             var params = {
               'repository': $scope.repository.namespace + '/' + $scope.repository.name,
diff --git a/static/js/services/trigger-service.js b/static/js/services/trigger-service.js
index b5566aa18..e597e5628 100644
--- a/static/js/services/trigger-service.js
+++ b/static/js/services/trigger-service.js
@@ -6,15 +6,19 @@ angular.module('quay').factory('TriggerService', ['UtilService', '$sanitize', 'K
     function(UtilService, $sanitize, KeyService, Features, CookieService, Config) {
   var triggerService = {};
 
+  var branch_tag = {
+    'title': 'Branch/Tag',
+    'type': 'autocomplete',
+    'name': 'refs',
+    'iconMap': {
+      'branch': 'fa-code-fork',
+      'tag': 'fa-tag'
+    }
+  };
+
   var triggerTypes = {
     'github': {
-      'run_parameters': [
-        {
-          'title': 'Branch',
-          'type': 'option',
-          'name': 'branch_name'
-        }
-      ],
+      'run_parameters': [branch_tag],
       'get_redirect_url': function(namespace, repository) {
         var redirect_uri = KeyService['githubRedirectUri'] + '/trigger/' +
           namespace + '/' + repository;
@@ -55,13 +59,7 @@ angular.module('quay').factory('TriggerService', ['UtilService', '$sanitize', 'K
     },
 
     'bitbucket': {
-      'run_parameters': [
-        {
-          'title': 'Branch',
-          'type': 'option',
-          'name': 'branch_name'
-        }
-      ],
+      'run_parameters': [branch_tag],
       'get_redirect_url': function(namespace, repository) {
         return Config.getUrl('/bitbucket/setup/' + namespace + '/' + repository);
       },
@@ -84,13 +82,7 @@ angular.module('quay').factory('TriggerService', ['UtilService', '$sanitize', 'K
     },
 
     'gitlab': {
-      'run_parameters': [
-        {
-          'title': 'Branch',
-          'type': 'option',
-          'name': 'branch_name'
-        }
-      ],
+      'run_parameters': [branch_tag],
       'get_redirect_url': function(namespace, repository) {
         var redirect_uri = KeyService['gitlabRedirectUri'] + '/trigger';
         var authorize_url = KeyService['gitlabTriggerAuthorizeUrl'];