diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
index 71e7fe1..d04911a 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
@@ -884,15 +884,16 @@ class ConsoleWidget(LoggingConfigurable, QtGui.QWidget):
             the prompt region.
         """
         # Select and remove all text below the input buffer.
-        _temp_buffer_filled = False
         cursor = self._get_prompt_cursor()
         prompt = self._continuation_prompt.lstrip()
-        while cursor.movePosition(QtGui.QTextCursor.NextBlock):
-            temp_cursor = QtGui.QTextCursor(cursor)
-            temp_cursor.select(QtGui.QTextCursor.BlockUnderCursor)
-            text = temp_cursor.selection().toPlainText().lstrip()
-            if not text.startswith(prompt):
-                break
+        if(self._temp_buffer_filled):
+            self._temp_buffer_filled = False
+            while cursor.movePosition(QtGui.QTextCursor.NextBlock):
+                temp_cursor = QtGui.QTextCursor(cursor)
+                temp_cursor.select(QtGui.QTextCursor.BlockUnderCursor)
+                text = temp_cursor.selection().toPlainText().lstrip()
+                if not text.startswith(prompt):
+                    break
         else:
             # We've reached the end of the input buffer and no text follows.
             return
@@ -945,7 +946,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(LoggingConfigurable, QtGui.QWidget):
         self._control.moveCursor(QtGui.QTextCursor.End)
         self._control.setTextCursor(cursor)
 
-        _temp_buffer_filled = True
+        self._temp_buffer_filled = True
 
 
     def _context_menu_make(self, pos):