diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/Window.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/Window.java
index 2fb2789f48..972f16d310 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/Window.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/Window.java
@@ -506,6 +506,7 @@ public HandlerManager getHandlers() {
   // Package protected for testing.
   static WindowHandlers handlers;
   private static boolean closeHandlersInitialized;
+  private static boolean beforeCloseHandlersInitialized;
   private static boolean scrollHandlersInitialized;
   private static boolean resizeHandlersInitialized;
   private static int lastResizeWidth;
@@ -518,7 +519,10 @@ public HandlerManager getHandlers() {
    *
    * @param handler the handler
    * @return returns the handler registration
+   * @deprecated This method requires the use of the {@code unload} browser event, which is
+   * deprecated in all browsers.
    */
+  @Deprecated
   public static HandlerRegistration addCloseHandler(CloseHandler<Window> handler) {
     maybeInitializeCloseHandlers();
     return addHandler(CloseEvent.getType(), handler);
@@ -531,7 +535,6 @@ public static HandlerRegistration addCloseHandler(CloseHandler<Window> handler)
    * @return returns the handler registration
    */
   public static HandlerRegistration addResizeHandler(ResizeHandler handler) {
-    maybeInitializeCloseHandlers();
     maybeInitializeResizeHandlers();
     return addHandler(ResizeEvent.getType(), handler);
   }
@@ -556,7 +559,7 @@ public static void addWindowCloseListener(WindowCloseListener listener) {
    */
   public static HandlerRegistration addWindowClosingHandler(
       ClosingHandler handler) {
-    maybeInitializeCloseHandlers();
+    maybeInitializeBeforeCloseHandlers();
     return addHandler(Window.ClosingEvent.getType(), handler);
   }
 
@@ -579,7 +582,6 @@ public static void addWindowResizeListener(WindowResizeListener listener) {
    */
   public static HandlerRegistration addWindowScrollHandler(
       Window.ScrollHandler handler) {
-    maybeInitializeCloseHandlers();
     maybeInitializeScrollHandlers();
     return addHandler(Window.ScrollEvent.getType(), handler);
   }
@@ -910,13 +912,21 @@ private static WindowHandlers getHandlers() {
     return handlers;
   }
 
+  @Deprecated
   private static void maybeInitializeCloseHandlers() {
     if (GWT.isClient() && !closeHandlersInitialized) {
-      impl.initWindowCloseHandler();
+      impl.initWindowUnloadHandler();
       closeHandlersInitialized = true;
     }
   }
 
+  private static void maybeInitializeBeforeCloseHandlers() {
+    if (GWT.isClient() && !beforeCloseHandlersInitialized) {
+      impl.initWindowBeforeUnloadHandler();
+      beforeCloseHandlersInitialized = true;
+    }
+  }
+
   private static void maybeInitializeResizeHandlers() {
     if (GWT.isClient() && !resizeHandlersInitialized) {
       impl.initWindowResizeHandler();
diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/impl/WindowImpl.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/impl/WindowImpl.java
index 4854d617b8..a1183f75d8 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/impl/WindowImpl.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/impl/WindowImpl.java
@@ -29,11 +29,30 @@ public native String getHash() /*-{
   public native String getQueryString() /*-{
     return $wnd.location.search;
   }-*/;
-  
-  public native void initWindowCloseHandler() /*-{
+
+  @Deprecated
+  public void initWindowCloseHandler() {
+    initWindowUnloadHandler();
+    initWindowBeforeUnloadHandler();
+  }
+
+  @Deprecated
+  public native void initWindowUnloadHandler() /*-{
+    var oldOnUnload = $wnd.onunload;
+
+    $wnd.onunload = $entry(function(evt) {
+      try {
+        @com.google.gwt.user.client.Window::onClosed()();
+      } finally {
+        oldOnUnload && oldOnUnload(evt);
+        $wnd.onunload = null;
+      }
+    });
+  }-*/;
+
+  public native void initWindowBeforeUnloadHandler() /*-{
     var oldOnBeforeUnload = $wnd.onbeforeunload;
-    var oldOnUnload =  $wnd.onunload;
-    
+
     // Old mozilla doesn't like $entry's explicit return statement and
     // will always pop up a confirmation dialog.  This is worked around by
     // just wrapping the call to onClosing(), which still has the semantics
@@ -43,7 +62,9 @@ public native void initWindowCloseHandler() /*-{
       try {
         ret = $entry(@com.google.gwt.user.client.Window::onClosing())();
       } finally {
-        oldRet = oldOnBeforeUnload && oldOnBeforeUnload(evt);
+        try {
+          oldRet = oldOnBeforeUnload && oldOnBeforeUnload(evt);
+        } catch (ignored) {}
       }
       // Avoid returning null as IE6 will coerce it into a string.
       // Ensure that "" gets returned properly.
@@ -55,18 +76,6 @@ public native void initWindowCloseHandler() /*-{
       }
       // returns undefined.
     };
-    
-    $wnd.onunload = $entry(function(evt) {
-      try {
-        @com.google.gwt.user.client.Window::onClosed()();
-      } finally {
-        oldOnUnload && oldOnUnload(evt);
-        $wnd.onresize = null;
-        $wnd.onscroll = null;
-        $wnd.onbeforeunload = null;
-        $wnd.onunload = null;
-      }
-    });
   }-*/;
 
   public native void initWindowResizeHandler() /*-{
diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/ui/RootPanel.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/ui/RootPanel.java
index cc571e07c6..4d6cf11c3f 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/ui/RootPanel.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/user/client/ui/RootPanel.java
@@ -18,13 +18,10 @@
 import com.google.gwt.dom.client.BodyElement;
 import com.google.gwt.dom.client.Document;
 import com.google.gwt.dom.client.Element;
-import com.google.gwt.event.logical.shared.CloseEvent;
-import com.google.gwt.event.logical.shared.CloseHandler;
 import com.google.gwt.i18n.client.BidiUtils;
 import com.google.gwt.i18n.client.HasDirection;
 import com.google.gwt.i18n.client.LocaleInfo;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.Event;
-import com.google.gwt.user.client.Window;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -188,8 +185,6 @@ public static RootPanel get(String id) {
     // on the first RootPanel.get(String) or RootPanel.get()
     // call.
     if (rootPanels.size() == 0) {
-      hookWindowClosing();
-
       // If we're in a RTL locale, set the RTL directionality
       // on the entire document.
       if (LocaleInfo.getCurrentLocale().isRTL()) {
@@ -258,15 +253,6 @@ private static native Element getRootElement() /*-{
     return $doc;
   }-*/;
 
-  private static void hookWindowClosing() {
-    // Catch the window closing event.
-    Window.addCloseHandler(new CloseHandler<Window>() {
-      public void onClose(CloseEvent<Window> closeEvent) {
-        detachWidgets();
-      }
-    });
-  }
-
   /*
    * Checks to see whether the given element has any parent element that
    * belongs to a widget. This is not terribly efficient, and is thus only used