diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/containers/modal_container.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/containers/modal_container.jsx
index cd7d63a4a9c..abc419c7452 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/containers/modal_container.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/containers/modal_container.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,19 @@ const Modal = React.createClass({
     url: React.PropTypes.string,
     isVisible: React.PropTypes.bool,
     onCloseClicked: React.PropTypes.func,
-    onOverlayClicked: React.PropTypes.func
+    onOverlayClicked: React.PropTypes.func,
+    registerOnKeyDownHandler: React.PropTypes.func
+  },
+
+  componentDidMount() {
+    this.props.registerOnKeyDownHandler(this.onKeyDown);
+  },
+
+  onKeyDown (e) {
+    if (e.keyCode == 27 /* Escape key */) {
+      this.props.onCloseClicked();
+      e.preventDefault();
+    }
   },
 
   render () {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/index.jsx b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/index.jsx
index 9b5469bbd75..c354ccabe87 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/index.jsx
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/features/ui/index.jsx
@@ -17,8 +17,20 @@ const UI = React.createClass({
   render () {
     const layoutBreakpoint = 1024;
 
+    let onKeyDownHandler = null;
+
+    const dispatchKeyDown = (e) => {
+      if (onKeyDownHandler != null) {
+        onKeyDownHandler(e);
+      }
+    };
+
+    const registerOnKeyDownHandler = (cb) => {
+      onKeyDownHandler = cb;
+    };
+
     return (
-      <div style={{ flex: '0 0 auto', display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', width: '100%', height: '100%', background: '#1a1c23' }}>
+      <div style={{ flex: '0 0 auto', display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', width: '100%', height: '100%', background: '#1a1c23' }} onKeyDown={dispatchKeyDown}>
         <MediaQuery maxWidth={layoutBreakpoint}>
           <TabsBar />
         </MediaQuery>
@@ -38,7 +50,7 @@ const UI = React.createClass({
 
         <NotificationsContainer />
         <LoadingBarContainer style={{ backgroundColor: '#2b90d9', left: '0', top: '0' }} />
-        <ModalContainer />
+        <ModalContainer registerOnKeyDownHandler={registerOnKeyDownHandler} />
       </div>
     );
   }