diff --git a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_core.js b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_core.js
index 9292eca9f7a..e85759dc9ad 100644
--- a/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/dialog/dialog_core.js
@@ -147,4 +147,17 @@ asyncTest( "Prevent tabbing out of dialogs", function() {
 	});
 });
 
+asyncTest( "#9048: multiple modal dialogs opened and closed in different order", function() {
+	expect( 1 );
+	$( "#dialog1, #dialog2" ).dialog({ autoOpen: false, modal:true });
+	$( "#dialog1" ).dialog( "open" );
+	$( "#dialog2" ).dialog( "open" );
+	$( "#dialog1" ).dialog( "close" );
+	setTimeout(function() {
+		$( "#dialog2" ).dialog( "close" );
+		$( "#favorite-animal" ).focus();
+		ok( true, "event handlers cleaned up (no errors thrown)" );
+		start();
+	});
+});
 })(jQuery);
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
index cb62155e590..f2bc906fdb0 100644
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.dialog.js
@@ -678,16 +678,14 @@ $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 			this._delay(function() {
 				// Handle .dialog().dialog("close") (#4065)
 				if ( $.ui.dialog.overlayInstances ) {
-					this._on( this.document, {
-						focusin: function( event ) {
-							if ( !$( event.target ).closest(".ui-dialog").length &&
-									// TODO: Remove hack when datepicker implements
-									// the .ui-front logic (#8989)
-									!$( event.target ).closest(".ui-datepicker").length ) {
-								event.preventDefault();
-								$(".ui-dialog:visible:last .ui-dialog-content")
-									.data("ui-dialog")._focusTabbable();
-							}
+					this.document.bind( "focusin.dialog", function( event ) {
+						if ( !$( event.target ).closest(".ui-dialog").length &&
+								// TODO: Remove hack when datepicker implements
+								// the .ui-front logic (#8989)
+								!$( event.target ).closest(".ui-datepicker").length ) {
+							event.preventDefault();
+							$(".ui-dialog:visible:last .ui-dialog-content")
+								.data("ui-dialog")._focusTabbable();
 						}
 					});
 				}
@@ -712,7 +710,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 			$.ui.dialog.overlayInstances--;
 
 			if ( !$.ui.dialog.overlayInstances ) {
-				this._off( this.document, "focusin" );
+				this.document.unbind( "focusin.dialog" );
 			}
 			this.overlay.remove();
 			this.overlay = null;