diff --git a/spec/atom/file-finder-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/file-finder-spec.coffee
index 700ce227e..e0248b10b 100644
--- a/spec/atom/file-finder-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/file-finder-spec.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 FileFinder = require 'file-finder'
 
+{$$} = require 'space-pen'
+
 describe 'FileFinder', ->
   finder = null
   urls = null
@@ -93,3 +95,22 @@ describe 'FileFinder', ->
       expect(finder.findMatches('ap')).toEqual ["app.coffee", "atom/app.coffee"]
       expect(finder.findMatches('a/ap')).toEqual ["atom/app.coffee"]
 
+  describe "when it is removed", ->
+    input = null
+
+    beforeEach ->
+      input = $$ -> @input value : "this has focus"
+      input.attachToDom()
+      input.focus()
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe input[0]
+
+      finder = new FileFinder(urls: [])
+      finder.attachToDom()
+      expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe input[0]
+
+    afterEach ->
+      input.remove()
+
+    it "returns focus to previous active element", ->
+      finder.remove()
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe input[0]
diff --git a/src/atom/file-finder.coffee b/src/atom/file-finder.coffee
index a1f93d9cd..3779fde84 100644
--- a/src/atom/file-finder.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/file-finder.coffee
@@ -16,10 +16,14 @@ class FileFinder extends View
   initialize: ({@urls, @selected}) ->
     requireStylesheet 'file-finder.css'
     @maxResults = 10
+    @previousFocusedElement = $(document.activeElement)
+
     @populateUrlList()
     window.keymap.bindKeys ".file-finder .editor",
-      'enter': 'file-finder:select-file'
+      'enter': 'file-finder:select-file',
+      'escape': 'file-finder:close'
 
+    @on 'file-finder:close', => @remove()
     @on 'move-up', => @moveUp()
     @on 'move-down', => @moveDown()
     @on 'file-finder:select-file', => @select()
@@ -43,6 +47,10 @@ class FileFinder extends View
     @selected(filePath) if filePath and @selected
     @remove()
 
+  remove: ->
+    super()
+    @previousFocusedElement.focus()
+
   moveUp: ->
     @findSelectedLi()
       .filter(':not(:first-child)')