diff --git a/tests/visual/dialog/complex-dialogs.html b/tests/visual/dialog/complex-dialogs.html
index 556336d00..634bfb3d6 100644
--- a/tests/visual/dialog/complex-dialogs.html
+++ b/tests/visual/dialog/complex-dialogs.html
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 		var datepickerDialog = $( "#dialog-datepicker" ).dialog({
 				autoOpen: false,
-				modal: true,
+				modal: true
 			}),
 
 			autocompleteDialog = $( "#dialog-autocomplete" ).dialog({
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
index 93a49cfd6..2b9846b3a 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -256,8 +256,6 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 			this.uiDialog.hide();
 			this._trigger( "close", event );
 		}
-
-		return this;
 	},
 
 	isOpen: function() {
@@ -305,6 +303,23 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 		return this;
 	},
 
+	_keepFocus: function( event ) {
+		function checkFocus() {
+			var activeElement = this.document[ 0 ].activeElement,
+				isActive = this.uiDialog[ 0 ] === activeElement ||
+					$.contains( this.uiDialog[ 0 ], activeElement );
+			if ( !isActive ) {
+				this.uiDialog.focus();
+			}
+		}
+		event.preventDefault();
+		checkFocus.call( this );
+		// support: IE
+		// IE <= 8 doesn't prevent moving focus even with event.preventDefault()
+		// so we check again later
+		this._delay( checkFocus );
+	},
+
 	_createButtons: function( buttons ) {
 		var that = this,
 			hasButtons = false;
@@ -648,6 +663,10 @@ $.extend( $.ui.dialog.overlay, {
 
 		$el.appendTo( document.body );
 
+		$el.bind( "mousedown", function( event ) {
+			dialog._keepFocus( event );
+		});
+
 		if ( $.fn.bgiframe ) {
 			$el.bgiframe();
 		}