diff --git a/src/dialog/Dialog.ts b/src/dialog/Dialog.ts
index 78b270aaf7..881c803b33 100644
--- a/src/dialog/Dialog.ts
+++ b/src/dialog/Dialog.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { WidgetBase } from '@dojo/widget-core/WidgetBase';
 import { ThemeableMixin, ThemeableProperties, theme } from '@dojo/widget-core/mixins/Themeable';
 import { v } from '@dojo/widget-core/d';
 import uuid from '@dojo/core/uuid';
+import { Keys } from '../common/util';
+import { createHandle } from '@dojo/core/lang';
 
 import * as css from './styles/dialog.m.css';
 import * as iconCss from '../common/styles/icons.m.css';
@@ -65,6 +67,22 @@ export default class Dialog extends DialogBase<DialogProperties> {
 		!this.properties.modal && this._onCloseClick();
 	}
 
+	private _onKeyUp(event: KeyboardEvent) {
+		if (event.which === Keys.Escape) {
+			this._onCloseClick();
+		}
+	}
+
+	constructor() {
+		super();
+
+		const keyUpFunc = this._onKeyUp.bind(this);
+		document.addEventListener('keyup', keyUpFunc);
+		this.own(createHandle(() => {
+			document.removeEventListener('keyup', keyUpFunc);
+		}));
+	}
+
 	render(): DNode {
 		const {
 			closeable = true,
@@ -82,7 +100,9 @@ export default class Dialog extends DialogBase<DialogProperties> {
 
 		this._wasOpen = open;
 
-		return v('div', { classes: this.classes(css.root) }, open ? [
+		return v('div', {
+			classes: this.classes(css.root)
+		}, open ? [
 			v('div', {
 				classes: this.classes(underlay ? css.underlayVisible : null).fixed(css.underlay),
 				enterAnimation: animations.fadeIn,
diff --git a/src/dialog/tests/unit/Dialog.ts b/src/dialog/tests/unit/Dialog.ts
index eae0cf6b4f..4315098f32 100644
--- a/src/dialog/tests/unit/Dialog.ts
+++ b/src/dialog/tests/unit/Dialog.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import Dialog, { DialogProperties } from '../../Dialog';
 import * as css from '../../styles/dialog.m.css';
 import * as iconCss from '../../../common/styles/icons.m.css';
 import * as animations from '../../../common/styles/animations.m.css';
+import { Keys } from '../../../common/util';
 
 const compareId = compareProperty((value: any) => {
 	return typeof value === 'string';
@@ -207,6 +208,32 @@ registerSuite('Dialog', {
 				selector: `.${css.underlay}`
 			});
 			assert.isTrue(onRequestClose.called, 'onRequestClose is called when the underlay is clicked and modal is false');
+		},
+
+		escapeKey() {
+			const onRequestClose = sinon.stub();
+
+			widget.setProperties({
+				open: true,
+				onRequestClose
+			});
+			widget.getRender();
+
+			widget.sendEvent('keyup', {
+				eventInit: <KeyboardEventInit> {
+					which: Keys.Down
+				}
+			});
+
+			assert.isTrue(onRequestClose.notCalled);
+
+			widget.sendEvent('keyup', {
+				eventInit: <KeyboardEventInit> {
+					which: Keys.Escape
+				}
+			});
+
+			assert.isTrue(onRequestClose.calledOnce);
 		}
 	}
 });