diff --git a/browse/js/accept-transmittal.js b/browse/js/accept-transmittal.js
index 101b74b..eb89e40 100644
--- a/browse/js/accept-transmittal.js
+++ b/browse/js/accept-transmittal.js
@@ -173,8 +173,12 @@
             box.querySelector('#acc-cancel').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 close(); reject(new Error('cancelled'));
             });
+            // Close on a genuine backdrop click only — not when a drag that began
+            // inside the dialog (selecting text in an input) ends out here.
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            overlay.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === overlay); });
             overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
-                if (e.target === overlay) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
+                if (e.target === overlay && pressedBackdrop) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
             });
             document.addEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
 
diff --git a/browse/js/create-transmittal.js b/browse/js/create-transmittal.js
index 5bea4ff..e95c781 100644
--- a/browse/js/create-transmittal.js
+++ b/browse/js/create-transmittal.js
@@ -82,8 +82,12 @@
             box.querySelector('#ct-cancel').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 close(); reject(new Error('cancelled'));
             });
+            // Close on a genuine backdrop click only — not when a drag that began
+            // inside the dialog (selecting text in an input) ends out here.
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            overlay.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === overlay); });
             overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
-                if (e.target === overlay) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
+                if (e.target === overlay && pressedBackdrop) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
             });
             document.addEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
             submit.addEventListener('click', function () {
diff --git a/browse/js/events.js b/browse/js/events.js
index ee52c78..9a9b21b 100644
--- a/browse/js/events.js
+++ b/browse/js/events.js
@@ -848,7 +848,11 @@
             function close() { if (overlay.parentNode) overlay.parentNode.removeChild(overlay); }
             function cancel() { close(); resolve(null); }
             box.querySelector('#pp-cancel').addEventListener('click', cancel);
-            overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === overlay) cancel(); });
+            // Close on a genuine backdrop click only — NOT when a drag that began
+            // inside the dialog (e.g. selecting text in an input) ends out here.
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            overlay.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === overlay); });
+            overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === overlay && pressedBackdrop) cancel(); });
             box.querySelector('#pp-submit').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 var sel = box.querySelector('input[name="pp-party"]:checked');
                 if (!sel) { statusError('Pick a party.'); return; }
diff --git a/browse/js/stage.js b/browse/js/stage.js
index 2c23c81..4d83d19 100644
--- a/browse/js/stage.js
+++ b/browse/js/stage.js
@@ -195,8 +195,10 @@
             box.querySelector('#stage-cancel').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 close(); reject(new Error('cancelled'));
             });
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            overlay.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === overlay); });
             overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
-                if (e.target === overlay) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
+                if (e.target === overlay && pressedBackdrop) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
             });
             box.querySelector('#stage-submit').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 var sel = box.querySelector('input[name="stage-target"]:checked');
@@ -246,8 +248,10 @@
             box.querySelector('#unstage-cancel').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 close(); reject(new Error('cancelled'));
             });
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            overlay.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === overlay); });
             overlay.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
-                if (e.target === overlay) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
+                if (e.target === overlay && pressedBackdrop) { close(); reject(new Error('cancelled')); }
             });
             box.querySelector('#unstage-submit').addEventListener('click', function () {
                 var target = input.value.trim();
diff --git a/classifier/js/copy.js b/classifier/js/copy.js
index e2dae98..df2be4c 100644
--- a/classifier/js/copy.js
+++ b/classifier/js/copy.js
@@ -326,7 +326,9 @@
             row.appendChild(go); row.appendChild(cancel);
             box.appendChild(h); box.appendChild(p); box.appendChild(sel); box.appendChild(row);
             back.appendChild(box);
-            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back) finish(null); });
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            back.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === back); });
+            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back && pressedBackdrop) finish(null); });
             document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey);
             document.body.appendChild(back);
         });
@@ -359,7 +361,9 @@
             row.appendChild(btn('Cancel', 'btn-secondary', null));
             box.appendChild(h); box.appendChild(p); box.appendChild(row);
             back.appendChild(box);
-            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back) finish(null); });
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            back.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === back); });
+            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back && pressedBackdrop) finish(null); });
             document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey);
             document.body.appendChild(back);
         });
diff --git a/classifier/js/dir-picker.js b/classifier/js/dir-picker.js
index 0788d42..5e5c337 100644
--- a/classifier/js/dir-picker.js
+++ b/classifier/js/dir-picker.js
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@
             btns.appendChild(go); btns.appendChild(cancel);
             box.appendChild(h); box.appendChild(p); box.appendChild(treeWrap); box.appendChild(btns);
             back.appendChild(box);
-            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back) finish([]); });
+            var pressedBackdrop = false;
+            back.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === back); });
+            back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back && pressedBackdrop) finish([]); });
             document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey);
             document.body.appendChild(back);
 
diff --git a/classifier/js/target-tree.js b/classifier/js/target-tree.js
index 57336d9..7b8a412 100644
--- a/classifier/js/target-tree.js
+++ b/classifier/js/target-tree.js
@@ -726,7 +726,11 @@
         var body = el('div', 'scratch-modal__body'); box.appendChild(body);
         var foot = el('div', 'copy-choice__btns'); box.appendChild(foot);
         back.appendChild(box);
-        back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back) close(); });
+        // Close on a genuine backdrop click only — not when a drag that began in
+        // the paste textarea (selecting text) ends out on the backdrop.
+        var pressedBackdrop = false;
+        back.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) { pressedBackdrop = (e.target === back); });
+        back.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (e.target === back && pressedBackdrop) close(); });
         document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey);
         document.body.appendChild(back);
         return { body: body, foot: foot, close: close };