diff --git a/platform/commonUI/dialog/bundle.js b/platform/commonUI/dialog/bundle.js
index 009cafba0e..b191e1b0fe 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/dialog/bundle.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/dialog/bundle.js
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ define([
                     "depends": [
                         "overlayService",
                         "$q",
-                        "$log"
+                        "$log",
+                        "$document"
                     ]
                 },
                 {
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/dialog/src/DialogService.js b/platform/commonUI/dialog/src/DialogService.js
index 61e3673dd6..e744549ffa 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/dialog/src/DialogService.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/dialog/src/DialogService.js
@@ -35,11 +35,15 @@ define(
          * @memberof platform/commonUI/dialog
          * @constructor
          */
-        function DialogService(overlayService, $q, $log) {
+        function DialogService(overlayService, $q, $log, $document) {
             this.overlayService = overlayService;
             this.$q = $q;
             this.$log = $log;
             this.activeOverlay = undefined;
+
+            this.findBody = function () {
+                return $document.find('body');
+            };
         }
 
         /**
@@ -76,13 +80,22 @@ define(
             // Cancel or X button click
             function cancel() {
                 deferred.reject();
+                self.findBody().off('keydown', handleEscKeydown);
                 self.dismissOverlay(overlay);
             }
 
+            function handleEscKeydown(event){
+              if (event.keyCode === 27) {
+                cancel();
+              }
+            }
+
             // Add confirm/cancel callbacks
             model.confirm = confirm;
             model.cancel = cancel;
 
+            this.findBody().on('keydown', handleEscKeydown);
+
             if (this.canShowDialog(model)) {
                 // Add the overlay using the OverlayService, which
                 // will handle actual insertion into the DOM
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/dialog/test/DialogServiceSpec.js b/platform/commonUI/dialog/test/DialogServiceSpec.js
index e8b987b996..e7cde7b24c 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/dialog/test/DialogServiceSpec.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/dialog/test/DialogServiceSpec.js
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ define(
                 mockLog,
                 mockOverlay,
                 mockDeferred,
+                mockDocument,
+                mockBody,
                 dialogService;
 
             beforeEach(function () {
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ define(
                     "deferred",
                     ["resolve", "reject"]
                 );
+                mockDocument = jasmine.createSpyObj(
+                  "$document",
+                  ["find"]
+                );
+                mockBody = angular.element(document.createElement('body'));
+                spyOn(mockBody, 'on').andCallThrough();
+                spyOn(mockBody, 'off').andCallThrough();
+
+                mockDocument.find.andReturn(mockBody);
+
                 mockDeferred.promise = "mock promise";
 
                 mockQ.defer.andReturn(mockDeferred);
@@ -64,7 +76,8 @@ define(
                 dialogService = new DialogService(
                     mockOverlayService,
                     mockQ,
-                    mockLog
+                    mockLog,
+                    mockDocument
                 );
             });
 
@@ -130,6 +143,38 @@ define(
                 );
             });
 
+            it("adds a keydown event listener to the body", function () {
+              dialogService.getUserInput({}, {});
+              expect(mockDocument.find).toHaveBeenCalledWith("body");
+              expect(mockBody.on).toHaveBeenCalledWith("keydown", jasmine.any(Function));
+            });
+
+            it("destroys the event listener when the dialog is cancelled", function () {
+              dialogService.getUserInput({}, {});
+              mockOverlayService.createOverlay.mostRecentCall.args[1].cancel();
+              expect(mockBody.off).toHaveBeenCalledWith("keydown", jasmine.any(Function));
+            });
+
+            it("cancels the dialog when an escape keydown event is triggered", function () {
+              dialogService.getUserInput({}, {});
+              mockBody.triggerHandler({
+                  type: 'keydown',
+                  keyCode: 27
+              });
+              expect(mockDeferred.reject).toHaveBeenCalled();
+              expect(mockDeferred.resolve).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
+            it("ignores non escape keydown events", function () {
+              dialogService.getUserInput({}, {});
+              mockBody.triggerHandler({
+                  type: 'keydown',
+                  keyCode: 13
+              });
+              expect(mockDeferred.reject).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+              expect(mockDeferred.resolve).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
             describe("the blocking message dialog", function () {
                 var dialogModel = {};
                 var dialogHandle;