diff --git a/darwin/stddialogs.m b/darwin/stddialogs.m
index d51d1471..c9639a5e 100644
--- a/darwin/stddialogs.m
+++ b/darwin/stddialogs.m
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 // 26 june 2015
 #import "uipriv_darwin.h"
 
+// TODO while a dialog is running no other window receives events
+
+#define windowWindow(w) ((NSWindow *) uiControlHandle(uiControl(w)))
+
+// source of code modal logic: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/604768/wait-for-nsalert-beginsheetmodalforwindow
+
 // note: whether extensions are actually shown depends on a user setting in Finder; we can't control it here
 static void setupSavePanel(NSSavePanel *s)
 {
@@ -11,17 +17,20 @@ static void setupSavePanel(NSSavePanel *s)
 	[s setTreatsFilePackagesAsDirectories:YES];
 }
 
-static char *runSavePanel(NSSavePanel *s)
+static char *runSavePanel(NSWindow *parent, NSSavePanel *s)
 {
 	char *filename;
 
-	if ([s runModal] != NSFileHandlingPanelOKButton)
+	[s beginSheetModalForWindow:parent completionHandler:^(NSInteger result) {
+		[realNSApp() stopModalWithCode:result];
+	}];
+	if ([realNSApp() runModalForWindow:s] != NSFileHandlingPanelOKButton)
 		return NULL;
 	filename = uiDarwinNSStringToText([[s URL] path]);
 	return filename;
 }
 
-char *uiOpenFile(void)
+char *uiOpenFile(uiWindow *parent)
 {
 	NSOpenPanel *o;
 
@@ -32,22 +41,61 @@ char *uiOpenFile(void)
 	[o setAllowsMultipleSelection:NO];
 	setupSavePanel(o);
 	// panel is autoreleased
-	return runSavePanel(o);
+	return runSavePanel(windowWindow(parent), o);
 }
 
-char *uiSaveFile(void)
+char *uiSaveFile(uiWindow *parent)
 {
 	NSSavePanel *s;
 
 	s = [NSSavePanel savePanel];
 	setupSavePanel(s);
 	// panel is autoreleased
-	return runSavePanel(s);
+	return runSavePanel(windowWindow(parent), s);
 }
 
-static void msgbox(const char *title, const char *description, NSAlertStyle style)
+// I would use a completion handler for NSAlert as well, but alas NSAlert's are 10.9 and higher only
+@interface libuiCodeModalAlertPanel : NSObject {
+	NSAlert *panel;
+	NSWindow *parent;
+}
+- (id)initWithPanel:(NSAlert *)p parent:(NSWindow *)w;
+- (NSInteger)run;
+- (void)panelEnded:(NSAlert *)panel result:(NSInteger)result data:(void *)data;
+@end
+
+@implementation libuiCodeModalAlertPanel
+
+- (id)initWithPanel:(NSAlert *)p parent:(NSWindow *)w
+{
+	self = [super init];
+	if (self) {
+		self->panel = p;
+		self->parent = w;
+	}
+	return self;
+}
+
+- (NSInteger)run
+{
+	[self->panel beginSheetModalForWindow:self->parent
+		modalDelegate:self
+		didEndSelector:@selector(panelEnded:result:data:)
+		contextInfo:NULL];
+	return [realNSApp() runModalForWindow:[self->panel window]];
+}
+
+- (void)panelEnded:(NSAlert *)panel result:(NSInteger)result data:(void *)data
+{
+	[realNSApp() stopModalWithCode:result];
+}
+
+@end
+
+static void msgbox(NSWindow *parent, const char *title, const char *description, NSAlertStyle style)
 {
 	NSAlert *a;
+	libuiCodeModalAlertPanel *cm;
 
 	a = [NSAlert new];
 	[a setAlertStyle:style];
@@ -56,16 +104,18 @@ static void msgbox(const char *title, const char *description, NSAlertStyle styl
 	[a setMessageText:toNSString(title)];
 	[a setInformativeText:toNSString(description)];
 	[a addButtonWithTitle:@"OK"];
-	[a runModal];
+	cm = [[libuiCodeModalAlertPanel alloc] initWithPanel:a parent:parent];
+	[cm run];
+	[cm release];
 	[a release];
 }
 
-void uiMsgBox(const char *title, const char *description)
+void uiMsgBox(uiWindow *parent, const char *title, const char *description)
 {
-	msgbox(title, description, NSInformationalAlertStyle);
+	msgbox(windowWindow(parent), title, description, NSInformationalAlertStyle);
 }
 
-void uiMsgBoxError(const char *title, const char *description)
+void uiMsgBoxError(uiWindow *parent, const char *title, const char *description)
 {
-	msgbox(title, description, NSCriticalAlertStyle);
+	msgbox(windowWindow(parent), title, description, NSCriticalAlertStyle);
 }