diff --git a/spec/atom/command-interpreter-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/command-interpreter-spec.coffee
index 13f6ab209..7ad07cf65 100644
--- a/spec/atom/command-interpreter-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/command-interpreter-spec.coffee
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ describe "CommandInterpreter", ->
   beforeEach ->
     buffer = new Buffer(require.resolve 'fixtures/sample.js')
     editor = new Editor({buffer})
-    interpreter = new CommandInterpreter(editor)
+    interpreter = new CommandInterpreter()
 
   describe "substitution", ->
     it "performs the substitution within the current dot", ->
       editor.selection.setBufferRange([[6, 0], [6, 44]])
-      interpreter.eval('s/current/foo/')
+      interpreter.eval(editor, 's/current/foo/')
       expect(buffer.lineForRow(6)).toBe '      foo < pivot ? left.push(current) : right.push(current);'
 
diff --git a/spec/atom/command-panel-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/command-panel-spec.coffee
index d728b8987..c4a127681 100644
--- a/spec/atom/command-panel-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/command-panel-spec.coffee
@@ -40,3 +40,21 @@ describe "CommandPanel", ->
       commandPanel.editor.trigger keydownEvent('escape')
       expect(rootView.find('.command-panel')).not.toExist()
 
+  describe "when return is pressed on the panel's editor", ->
+    it "calls execute", ->
+      spyOn(commandPanel, 'execute')
+      rootView.trigger 'command-panel:toggle'
+      commandPanel.editor.insertText 's/hate/love/g'
+      commandPanel.editor.trigger keydownEvent('enter')
+
+      expect(commandPanel.execute).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+  describe ".execute()", ->
+    it "executes the command and closes the command panel", ->
+      rootView.activeEditor().setText("i hate love")
+      rootView.activeEditor().getSelection().setBufferRange [[0,0], [0,Infinity]]
+      rootView.trigger 'command-panel:toggle'
+      commandPanel.editor.insertText 's/hate/love/'
+      commandPanel.execute()
+      expect(rootView.activeEditor().getText()).toBe "i love love"
+      expect(rootView.find('.command-panel')).not.toExist()
diff --git a/src/atom/command-interpreter.coffee b/src/atom/command-interpreter.coffee
index a6a8ab2b0..bfcf5a4c0 100644
--- a/src/atom/command-interpreter.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/command-interpreter.coffee
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ PEG = require 'pegjs'
 
 module.exports =
 class CommandInterpreter
-  constructor: (@editor) ->
+  constructor: ->
     @parser = PEG.buildParser(fs.read(require.resolve 'commands.pegjs'))
 
-  eval: (command) ->
+  eval: (editor, command) ->
     operation = @parser.parse(command)
-    operation.perform(@editor)
+    operation.perform(editor)
 
diff --git a/src/atom/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee b/src/atom/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
index acecfdb11..b032c1a15 100644
--- a/src/atom/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
@@ -17,4 +17,3 @@ class Substitution
     endPosition = buffer.positionForCharacterIndex(matchEndIndex)
 
     buffer.change([startPosition, endPosition], @replaceText)
-
diff --git a/src/atom/command-panel.coffee b/src/atom/command-panel.coffee
index 6e8f7f568..611ecabd3 100644
--- a/src/atom/command-panel.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/command-panel.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {View} = require 'space-pen'
+CommandInterpreter = require 'command-interpreter'
 Editor = require 'editor'
 
 module.exports =
@@ -8,14 +9,20 @@ class CommandPanel extends View
       @div ':', class: 'prompt', outlet: 'prompt'
       @subview 'editor', new Editor
 
+  commandInterpreter: null
+
   initialize: ({@rootView})->
     requireStylesheet 'command-panel.css'
     window.keymap.bindKeys '.command-panel .editor',
       escape: 'command-panel:toggle'
+      enter: 'command-panel:execute'
 
     @rootView.on 'command-panel:toggle', => @toggle()
+    @rootView.on 'command-panel:execute', => @execute()
     @editor.addClass 'single-line'
 
+    @commandInterpreter = new CommandInterpreter()
+
   toggle: ->
     if @parent().length
       @detach()
@@ -26,3 +33,6 @@ class CommandPanel extends View
       @editor.focus()
       @editor.buffer.setText('')
 
+  execute: ->
+    @commandInterpreter.eval(@rootView.activeEditor(), @editor.getText())
+    @toggle()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/atom/editor.coffee b/src/atom/editor.coffee
index 2781917f1..f445513eb 100644
--- a/src/atom/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/editor.coffee
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class Editor extends View
     @on 'select-left', => @selectLeft()
     @on 'select-up', => @selectUp()
     @on 'select-down', => @selectDown()
-    @on 'newline', =>  @insertText("\n")
+    @on 'newline', => @insertText("\n")
     @on 'backspace', => @backspace()
     @on 'delete', => @delete()
     @on 'cut', => @cutSelection()
@@ -371,6 +371,9 @@ class Editor extends View
   selectToScreenPosition: (position) -> @selection.selectToScreenPosition(position)
   selectToBufferPosition: (position) -> @selection.selectToBufferPosition(position)
 
+  setText: (text) -> @buffer.setText(text)
+  getText: -> @buffer.getText()
+
   insertText: (text) ->
     { text, shouldOutdent } = @autoIndentText(text)
     @selection.insertText(text)