diff --git a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_events.js b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_events.js
index c60e47f22..a0ff2abce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_events.js
+++ b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_events.js
@@ -186,8 +186,40 @@ test("close", function() {
 	el.remove();
 });
 
+//handling of deprecated beforeclose (vs beforeClose) option
+//Ticket #4669 http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4669
+//TODO: remove in 1.9pre
+test("beforeclose", function() {
+	expect(10);
+
+	el = $('<div></div>').dialog({
+		beforeclose: function(ev, ui) {
+			ok(true, '.dialog("close") fires beforeClose callback');
+			equals(this, el[0], "context of callback");
+			equals(ev.type, 'dialogbeforeclose', 'event type in callback');
+			same(ui, {}, 'ui hash in callback');
+			return false;
+		}
+	});
+	el.dialog('close');
+	isOpen('beforeclose (deprecated) callback should prevent dialog from closing');
+	el.remove();
+
+	el = $('<div></div>').dialog();
+	el.dialog('option', 'beforeclose', function(ev, ui) {
+		ok(true, '.dialog("close") fires beforeClose callback');
+		equals(this, el[0], "context of callback");
+		equals(ev.type, 'dialogbeforeclose', 'event type in callback');
+		same(ui, {}, 'ui hash in callback');
+		return false;
+	});
+	el.dialog('close');
+	isOpen('beforeclose (deprecated) callback should prevent dialog from closing');
+	el.remove();
+});
+
 test("beforeClose", function() {
-	expect(9);
+	expect(14);
 
 	el = $('<div></div>').dialog({
 		beforeClose: function(ev, ui) {
@@ -202,6 +234,18 @@ test("beforeClose", function() {
 	isOpen('beforeClose callback should prevent dialog from closing');
 	el.remove();
 
+	el = $('<div></div>').dialog();
+	el.dialog('option', 'beforeClose', function(ev, ui) {
+		ok(true, '.dialog("close") fires beforeClose callback');
+		equals(this, el[0], "context of callback");
+		equals(ev.type, 'dialogbeforeclose', 'event type in callback');
+		same(ui, {}, 'ui hash in callback');
+		return false;
+	});
+	el.dialog('close');
+	isOpen('beforeClose callback should prevent dialog from closing');
+	el.remove();
+
 	el = $('<div></div>').dialog().bind('dialogbeforeclose', function(ev, ui) {
 		ok(true, '.dialog("close") triggers dialogbeforeclose event');
 		equals(this, el[0], "context of event");
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
index 8c7eee234..98dfd3cf9 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 				.html(title)
 				.prependTo(uiDialogTitlebar);
 
+		//handling of deprecated beforeclose (vs beforeClose) option
+		//Ticket #4669 http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4669
+		//TODO: remove in 1.9pre
+		if ($.isFunction(options.beforeclose) && !$.isFunction(options.beforeClose)) {
+			options.beforeClose = options.beforeclose;
+		}
+
 		uiDialogTitlebar.find("*").add(uiDialogTitlebar).disableSelection();
 
 		(options.draggable && $.fn.draggable && self._makeDraggable());
@@ -451,6 +458,12 @@ $.widget("ui.dialog", {
 			resize = false;
 		
 		switch (key) {
+			//handling of deprecated beforeclose (vs beforeClose) option
+			//Ticket #4669 http://dev.jqueryui.com/ticket/4669
+			//TODO: remove in 1.9pre
+			case "beforeclose":
+				key = "beforeClose";
+				break;
 			case "buttons":
 				self._createButtons(value);
 				break;