diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/src/views/module_edit.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/src/views/module_edit.coffee
index b1157f713e..729c4dc2e9 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/src/views/module_edit.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/src/views/module_edit.coffee
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class CMS.Views.ModuleEdit extends Backbone.View
     event.preventDefault()
     data = @module.save()
     data.metadata = _.extend(data.metadata, @metadata())
-    $modalCover.hide()
+    @hideModal()
     @model.save(data).done( =>
     #   # showToastMessage("Your changes have been saved.", null, 3)
       @module = null
@@ -70,11 +70,15 @@ class CMS.Views.ModuleEdit extends Backbone.View
     event.preventDefault()
     @$el.removeClass('editing')
     @$component_editor().slideUp(150)
+    @hideModal()
+
+  hideModal: ->
     $modalCover.hide()
+    $modalCover.removeClass('is-fixed')
 
   clickEditButton: (event) ->
     event.preventDefault()
     @$el.addClass('editing')
-    $modalCover.show()
+    $modalCover.show().addClass('is-fixed')
     @$component_editor().slideDown(150)
     @loadEdit()
diff --git a/cms/static/js/base.js b/cms/static/js/base.js
index 9fa4489c36..81e37bed72 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/base.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/base.js
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
     $('.expand-collapse-icon').bind('click', toggleSubmodules);
     $('.visibility-options').bind('change', setVisibility);
 
-    $('.unit-history ol a').bind('click', showHistoryModal);
     $modal.bind('click', hideModal);
-    $modalCover.bind('click', hideHistoryModal);
     $modalCover.bind('click', hideModal);
     $('.assets .upload-button').bind('click', showUploadModal);
     $('.upload-modal .close-button').bind('click', hideModal);
@@ -498,9 +496,14 @@ function hideModal(e) {
     if(e) {
         e.preventDefault();
     }
-    $('.file-input').unbind('change', startUpload);
-    $modal.hide();
-    $modalCover.hide();
+    // Unit editors do not want the modal cover to hide when users click outside
+    // of the editor. Users must press Cancel or Save to exit the editor.
+    // module_edit adds and removes the "is-fixed" class.
+    if (!$modalCover.hasClass("is-fixed")) {
+        $('.file-input').unbind('change', startUpload);
+        $modal.hide();
+        $modalCover.hide();
+    }
 }
 
 function onKeyUp(e) {
@@ -530,21 +533,6 @@ function closeComponentEditor(e) {
     $(this).closest('.xmodule_edit').removeClass('editing').find('.component-editor').slideUp(150);
 }
 
-
-function showHistoryModal(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-
-    $modal.show();
-    $modalCover.show();
-}
-
-function hideHistoryModal(e) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-
-    $modal.hide();
-    $modalCover.hide();
-}
-
 function showDateSetter(e) {
     e.preventDefault();
     var $block = $(this).closest('.due-date-input');