diff --git a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index b3759e528..424bacf5a 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -3367,7 +3367,12 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
         evt.preventDefault();
       }
     }
-    //hide the dropdownso
+
+    hideEditBarDropdowns();
+  }
+
+  function hideEditBarDropdowns()
+  {
     if(window.parent.parent.padeditbar){ // required in case its in an iframe should probably use parent..  See Issue 327 https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues/327
       window.parent.parent.padeditbar.toggleDropDown("none");
     }
@@ -4984,6 +4989,8 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
     $(document).on("keypress", handleKeyEvent);
     $(document).on("keyup", handleKeyEvent);
     $(document).on("click", handleClick);
+    // dropdowns on edit bar need to be closed on clicks on both pad inner and pad outer
+    $(outerWin.document).on("click", hideEditBarDropdowns);
     // Disabled: https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues/2546
     // Will break OL re-numbering: https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/pull/2533
     // $(document).on("cut", handleCut);
diff --git a/src/static/js/pad.js b/src/static/js/pad.js
index c967e4615..4fefadf38 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pad.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pad.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * This code is mostly from the old Etherpad. Please help us to comment this code. 
+ * This code is mostly from the old Etherpad. Please help us to comment this code.
  * This helps other people to understand this code better and helps them to improve it.
  * TL;DR COMMENTS ON THIS FILE ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED
  */
@@ -99,15 +99,15 @@ function getParams()
       setting.callback(value);
     }
   }
-  
+
   // Then URL applied stuff
   var params = getUrlVars()
-  
+
   for(var i = 0; i < getParameters.length; i++)
   {
     var setting = getParameters[i];
     var value = params[setting.name];
-    
+
     if(value && (value == setting.checkVal || setting.checkVal == null))
     {
       setting.callback(value);
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function sendClientReady(isReconnect, messageType)
     token = "t." + randomString();
     createCookie("token", token, 60);
   }
-  
+
   var sessionID = decodeURIComponent(readCookie("sessionID"));
   var password = readCookie("password");
 
@@ -169,14 +169,14 @@ function sendClientReady(isReconnect, messageType)
     "token": token,
     "protocolVersion": 2
   };
-  
+
   //this is a reconnect, lets tell the server our revisionnumber
   if(isReconnect == true)
   {
     msg.client_rev=pad.collabClient.getCurrentRevisionNumber();
     msg.reconnect=true;
   }
-  
+
   socket.json.send(msg);
 }
 
@@ -203,12 +203,12 @@ function handshake()
   socket.once('connect', function () {
     sendClientReady(false);
   });
-  
+
   socket.on('reconnect', function () {
     pad.collabClient.setChannelState("CONNECTED");
     pad.sendClientReady(true);
   });
-  
+
   socket.on('reconnecting', function() {
     pad.collabClient.setChannelState("RECONNECTING");
   });
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function handshake()
         $("#passwordinput").focus();
       }
     }
-    
+
     //if we haven't recieved the clientVars yet, then this message should it be
     else if (!receivedClientVars && obj.type == "CLIENT_VARS")
     {
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ function handshake()
       clientVars = obj.data;
       clientVars.userAgent = "Anonymous";
       clientVars.collab_client_vars.clientAgent = "Anonymous";
- 
+
       //initalize the pad
       pad._afterHandshake();
       initalized = true;
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ function handshake()
       {
         pad.changeViewOption('noColors', true);
       }
-      
+
       if (settings.rtlIsTrue == true)
       {
         pad.changeViewOption('rtlIsTrue', true);
@@ -335,6 +335,12 @@ function handshake()
         console.warn(obj);
         padconnectionstatus.disconnected(obj.disconnect);
         socket.disconnect();
+
+        // block user from making any change to the pad
+        padeditor.disable();
+        padeditbar.disable();
+        padimpexp.disable();
+
         return;
       }
       else
@@ -345,13 +351,13 @@ function handshake()
   });
   // Bind the colorpicker
   var fb = $('#colorpicker').farbtastic({ callback: '#mycolorpickerpreview', width: 220});
-  // Bind the read only button  
+  // Bind the read only button
   $('#readonlyinput').on('click',function(){
     padeditbar.setEmbedLinks();
   });
 }
 
-$.extend($.gritter.options, { 
+$.extend($.gritter.options, {
   position: 'bottom-right', // defaults to 'top-right' but can be 'bottom-left', 'bottom-right', 'top-left', 'top-right' (added in 1.7.1)
   fade: false, // dont fade, too jerky on mobile
   time: 6000 // hang on the screen for...
@@ -424,7 +430,7 @@ var pad = {
     if(window.history && window.history.pushState)
     {
       $('#chattext p').remove(); //clear the chat messages
-      window.history.pushState("", "", newHref);      
+      window.history.pushState("", "", newHref);
       receivedClientVars = false;
       sendClientReady(false, 'SWITCH_TO_PAD');
     }
@@ -731,20 +737,20 @@ var pad = {
       pad.diagnosticInfo.disconnectedMessage = message;
       pad.diagnosticInfo.padId = pad.getPadId();
       pad.diagnosticInfo.socket = {};
-      
-      //we filter non objects from the socket object and put them in the diagnosticInfo 
+
+      //we filter non objects from the socket object and put them in the diagnosticInfo
       //this ensures we have no cyclic data - this allows us to stringify the data
       for(var i in socket.socket)
       {
         var value = socket.socket[i];
         var type = typeof value;
-        
+
         if(type == "string" || type == "number")
         {
           pad.diagnosticInfo.socket[i] = value;
         }
       }
-    
+
       pad.asyncSendDiagnosticInfo();
       if (typeof window.ajlog == "string")
       {
diff --git a/src/static/js/pad_editbar.js b/src/static/js/pad_editbar.js
index dd1c377a3..9cf357aad 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pad_editbar.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pad_editbar.js
@@ -259,18 +259,25 @@ var padeditbar = (function()
       // hide all modules and remove highlighting of all buttons
       if(moduleName == "none")
       {
-        var returned = false
+        var returned = false;
         for(var i=0;i<self.dropdowns.length;i++)
         {
+          var thisModuleName = self.dropdowns[i];
+
           //skip the userlist
-          if(self.dropdowns[i] == "users")
+          if(thisModuleName == "users")
             continue;
 
-          var module = $("#" + self.dropdowns[i]);
+          var module = $("#" + thisModuleName);
+
+          //skip any "force reconnect" message
+          var isAForceReconnectMessage = module.find('button#forcereconnect:visible').length > 0;
+          if(isAForceReconnectMessage)
+            continue;
 
           if(module.css('display') != "none")
           {
-            $("li[data-key=" + self.dropdowns[i] + "] > a").removeClass("selected");
+            $("li[data-key=" + thisModuleName + "] > a").removeClass("selected");
             module.slideUp("fast", cb);
             returned = true;
           }
@@ -283,16 +290,17 @@ var padeditbar = (function()
         // respectively add highlighting to the corresponding button
         for(var i=0;i<self.dropdowns.length;i++)
         {
-          var module = $("#" + self.dropdowns[i]);
+          var thisModuleName = self.dropdowns[i];
+          var module = $("#" + thisModuleName);
 
           if(module.css('display') != "none")
           {
-            $("li[data-key=" + self.dropdowns[i] + "] > a").removeClass("selected");
+            $("li[data-key=" + thisModuleName + "] > a").removeClass("selected");
             module.slideUp("fast");
           }
-          else if(self.dropdowns[i]==moduleName)
+          else if(thisModuleName==moduleName)
           {
-            $("li[data-key=" + self.dropdowns[i] + "] > a").addClass("selected");
+            $("li[data-key=" + thisModuleName + "] > a").addClass("selected");
             module.slideDown("fast", cb);
           }
         }
diff --git a/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js b/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80752e4b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+describe('Pad modal', function() {
+  context('when modal is a "force reconnect" message', function() {
+    var MODAL_SELECTOR = '#connectivity .slowcommit';
+
+    beforeEach(function(done) {
+      helper.newPad(function() {
+        // force a "slowcommit" error
+        helper.padChrome$.window.pad.handleChannelStateChange('DISCONNECTED', 'slowcommit');
+
+        // wait for modal to be displayed
+        var $modal = helper.padChrome$(MODAL_SELECTOR);
+        helper.waitFor(function() {
+          return $modal.is(':visible');
+        }, 50000).done(done);
+      });
+
+      this.timeout(60000);
+    });
+
+    it('disables editor', function(done) {
+      expect(isEditorDisabled()).to.be(true);
+
+      done();
+    });
+
+    context('and user clicks on editor', function() {
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        clickOnPadInner();
+      });
+
+      it('does not close the modal', function(done) {
+        var $modal = helper.padChrome$(MODAL_SELECTOR);
+        var modalIsVisible = $modal.is(':visible');
+
+        expect(modalIsVisible).to.be(true);
+
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    context('and user clicks on pad outer', function() {
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        clickOnPadOuter();
+      });
+
+      it('does not close the modal', function(done) {
+        var $modal = helper.padChrome$(MODAL_SELECTOR);
+        var modalIsVisible = $modal.is(':visible');
+
+        expect(modalIsVisible).to.be(true);
+
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  // we use "settings" here, but other modals have the same behaviour
+  context('when modal is not an error message', function() {
+    var MODAL_SELECTOR = '#settings';
+
+    beforeEach(function(done) {
+      helper.newPad(function() {
+        openSettingsAndWaitForModalToBeVisible(done);
+      });
+
+      this.timeout(60000);
+    });
+
+    it('does not disable editor', function(done) {
+      expect(isEditorDisabled()).to.be(false);
+      done();
+    });
+
+    context('and user clicks on editor', function() {
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        clickOnPadInner();
+      });
+
+      it('closes the modal', function(done) {
+        expect(isModalOpened(MODAL_SELECTOR)).to.be(false);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    context('and user clicks on pad outer', function() {
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        clickOnPadOuter();
+      });
+
+      it('closes the modal', function(done) {
+        expect(isModalOpened(MODAL_SELECTOR)).to.be(false);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  var clickOnPadInner = function() {
+    var $editor = helper.padInner$('#innerdocbody');
+    $editor.click();
+  }
+
+  var clickOnPadOuter = function() {
+    var $lineNumbersColumn = helper.padOuter$('#sidedivinner');
+    $lineNumbersColumn.click();
+  }
+
+  var openSettingsAndWaitForModalToBeVisible = function(done) {
+    helper.padChrome$('.buttonicon-settings').click();
+
+    // wait for modal to be displayed
+    var modalSelector = '#settings';
+    helper.waitFor(function() {
+      return isModalOpened(modalSelector);
+    }, 10000).done(done);
+  }
+
+  var isEditorDisabled = function() {
+    var editorDocument = helper.padOuter$("iframe[name='ace_inner']").get(0).contentDocument;
+    var editorBody     = editorDocument.getElementById('innerdocbody');
+
+    var editorIsDisabled = editorBody.contentEditable === 'false' // IE/Safari
+                        || editorDocument.designMode === 'off'; // other browsers
+
+    return editorIsDisabled;
+  }
+
+  var isModalOpened = function(modalSelector) {
+    var $modal = helper.padChrome$(modalSelector);
+    return $modal.is(':visible');
+  }
+});