diff --git a/enaml/qt/q_bubble_view.py b/enaml/qt/q_bubble_view.py
index d2c7d401b..6d6d2133e 100644
--- a/enaml/qt/q_bubble_view.py
+++ b/enaml/qt/q_bubble_view.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 #
 # The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from PyQt4.QtCore import Qt, QSize, QPoint, QMargins, QEvent, pyqtSignal
+from PyQt4.QtCore import (
+    Qt, QSize, QPoint, QMargins, QEvent, pyqtSignal, QPropertyAnimation,
+)
 from PyQt4.QtGui import QWidget, QLayout, QPainter, QPainterPath
 
 from .q_single_widget_layout import QSingleWidgetLayout
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ class QBubbleView(QWidget):
     AnchorLeft = 2
     AnchorRight = 3
 
+    #: close on defocus
+    _close_on_defocus = True
+
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super(QBubbleView, self).__init__(parent)
         self._central_widget = None
@@ -47,6 +52,14 @@ def __init__(self, parent=None):
         self.setArrowSize(20)
         self.setRadius(10)
 
+        # Closing animation
+        self._fade_time = 150
+        self._close_anim = anim = QPropertyAnimation(self, "windowOpacity", self)
+        anim.setDuration(self._fade_time)
+        anim.setStartValue(1)
+        anim.setEndValue(0)
+        anim.finished.connect(super(QBubbleView, self).close)
+
         # track parent window movement
         parent.window().installEventFilter(self)
         parent.destroyed.connect(self.deleteLater)
@@ -191,6 +204,29 @@ def relativePos(self):
         """
         return self._relative_pos
 
+    def setCloseOnDefocus(self, do_close):
+        """ Set whether the bubble view closes when it loses focus
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        do_close : bool
+            Whether to automatically close the bubble view when it
+            loses focus
+
+        """
+        self._close_on_defocus = do_close
+
+    def closeOnDefocus(self):
+        """ Return whether to close on losing focus
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        result : bool
+            Whether to close on losing focus
+
+        """
+        return self._close_on_defocus
+
     def paintEvent(self, event):
         """ Reimplement the paint event
 
@@ -230,6 +266,20 @@ def eventFilter(self, obj, event):
             self.move(self.pos() + event.pos() - event.oldPos())
         return False
 
+    def close(self):
+        """ Fade the popup out
+
+        """
+        self._close_anim.start()
+
+    def event(self, event):
+        """ Handle focus lost
+
+        """
+        if self._close_on_defocus and event.type() == QEvent.Leave:
+            self.close()
+        return super(QBubbleView, self).event(event)
+
     def _rebuild(self):
         """ Rebuild the path used to draw the outline of the popup.
 
diff --git a/enaml/qt/qt_bubble_view.py b/enaml/qt/qt_bubble_view.py
index 17782d1f0..148d6ce29 100644
--- a/enaml/qt/qt_bubble_view.py
+++ b/enaml/qt/qt_bubble_view.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def init_widget(self):
         self.set_arrow(d.arrow)
         self.set_radius(d.radius)
         self.set_relative_pos(d.relative_pos)
+        self.set_close_on_defocus(d.close_on_defocus)
         self.widget.closed.connect(self.on_closed)
 
     def init_layout(self):
@@ -114,3 +115,9 @@ def set_relative_pos(self, relative_pos):
 
         """
         self.widget.setRelativePos(relative_pos)
+
+    def set_close_on_defocus(self, do_close):
+        """ Set whether to close bubble view on losing focus
+
+        """
+        self.widget.setCloseOnDefocus(do_close)
diff --git a/enaml/widgets/bubble_view.py b/enaml/widgets/bubble_view.py
index c4cc3cede..c908d7646 100644
--- a/enaml/widgets/bubble_view.py
+++ b/enaml/widgets/bubble_view.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from atom.api import (
-    Enum, Event, Int, Tuple, Typed, ForwardTyped, observe, set_default,
+    Enum, Event, Int, Tuple, Typed, ForwardTyped, Bool, observe, set_default,
 )
 
 from enaml.application import deferred_call
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ def set_arrow(self, arrow):
     def set_relative_pos(self, relative_pos):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
+    def set_close_on_defocus(self, do_close):
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     def close(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
@@ -65,6 +68,9 @@ class BubbleView(Widget):
     #: bounds
     relative_pos = d_(Tuple(float, (0.5, 0.5)))
 
+    #: Whether to close on losing focus
+    close_on_defocus = d_(Bool(True))
+
     #: An event fired when the BubbleView is closed.
     closed = d_(Event(), writable=False)
 
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@ def show(self):
     #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Observers
     #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    @observe(('anchor', 'radius', 'arrow', 'relative_pos'))
+    @observe(('anchor', 'radius', 'arrow', 'relative_pos', 'close_on_defocus'))
     def _update_proxy(self, change):
         """ Update the ProxyBubbleView when the BubbleView data changes.