diff --git a/tests/unit/autocomplete/core.js b/tests/unit/autocomplete/core.js
index 41be5ae6a..9cfac3917 100644
--- a/tests/unit/autocomplete/core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/autocomplete/core.js
@@ -398,4 +398,28 @@ asyncTest( "Search if the user retypes the same value (#7434)", function() {
 	} );
 } );
 
+asyncTest( "Close on click outside when focus remains", function() {
+	expect( 2 );
+
+	var element = $( "#autocomplete" ).autocomplete( {
+		source: [ "java", "javascript" ],
+		delay: 0
+	} );
+	var menu = element.autocomplete( "widget" );
+
+	$( "body" ).on( "mousedown", function( event ) {
+		event.preventDefault();
+	} );
+
+	element.val( "j" ).autocomplete( "search", "j" );
+	setTimeout(function() {
+		ok( menu.is( ":visible" ), "menu displays initially" );
+		$( "body" ).simulate( "mousedown" );
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			ok( menu.is( ":hidden" ), "menu closes after clicking elsewhere" );
+			start();
+		} );
+	} );
+} );
+
 } );
diff --git a/ui/widgets/autocomplete.js b/ui/widgets/autocomplete.js
index 4067f871f..20d6d2fdd 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/autocomplete.js
+++ b/ui/widgets/autocomplete.js
@@ -245,24 +245,6 @@ $.widget( "ui.autocomplete", {
 						this.element.trigger( "focus" );
 					}
 				} );
-
-				// Clicking on the scrollbar causes focus to shift to the body
-				// but we can't detect a mouseup or a click immediately afterward
-				// so we have to track the next mousedown and close the menu if
-				// the user clicks somewhere outside of the autocomplete
-				var menuElement = this.menu.element[ 0 ];
-				if ( !$( event.target ).closest( ".ui-menu-item" ).length ) {
-					this._delay( function() {
-						var that = this;
-						this.document.one( "mousedown", function( event ) {
-							if ( event.target !== that.element[ 0 ] &&
-									event.target !== menuElement &&
-									!$.contains( menuElement, event.target ) ) {
-								that.close();
-							}
-						} );
-					} );
-				}
 			},
 			menufocus: function( event, ui ) {
 				var label, item;
@@ -368,6 +350,20 @@ $.widget( "ui.autocomplete", {
 		}
 	},
 
+	_isEventTargetInWidget: function( event ) {
+		var menuElement = this.menu.element[ 0 ];
+
+		return event.target === this.element[ 0 ] ||
+			event.target === menuElement ||
+			$.contains( menuElement, event.target );
+	},
+
+	_closeOnClickOutside: function( event ) {
+		if ( !this._isEventTargetInWidget( event ) ) {
+			this.close();
+		}
+	},
+
 	_appendTo: function() {
 		var element = this.options.appendTo;
 
@@ -496,6 +492,10 @@ $.widget( "ui.autocomplete", {
 	},
 
 	_close: function( event ) {
+
+		// Remove the handler that closes the menu on outside clicks
+		this._off( this.document, "mousedown" );
+
 		if ( this.menu.element.is( ":visible" ) ) {
 			this.menu.element.hide();
 			this.menu.blur();
@@ -546,6 +546,11 @@ $.widget( "ui.autocomplete", {
 		if ( this.options.autoFocus ) {
 			this.menu.next();
 		}
+
+		// Listen for interactions outside of the widget (#6642)
+		this._on( this.document, {
+			mousedown: "_closeOnClickOutside"
+		} );
 	},
 
 	_resizeMenu: function() {