diff --git a/apps/admin-x-settings/src/hooks/usePinturaEditor.ts b/apps/admin-x-settings/src/hooks/usePinturaEditor.ts
index 35d95abeb6..7441c499f8 100644
--- a/apps/admin-x-settings/src/hooks/usePinturaEditor.ts
+++ b/apps/admin-x-settings/src/hooks/usePinturaEditor.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import {Config} from '../api/config';
 import {Setting} from '../api/settings';
 import {getGhostPaths} from '../utils/helpers';
 import {getSettingValues} from '../api/settings';
-import {useCallback, useEffect, useState} from 'react';
+import {useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState} from 'react';
 import {useGlobalData} from '../components/providers/GlobalDataProvider';
 
 interface PinturaEditorConfig {
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ declare global {
                     labelButtonExport: string;
                 };
                 previewPad: boolean;
+                willClose: () => boolean;
             }) => {
                 on: (event: string, callback: (result: { dest: File }) => void) => void;
             };
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ export default function usePinturaEditor({
     const [pintura] = getSettingValues<boolean>(settings, ['pintura']);
     const [scriptLoaded, setScriptLoaded] = useState<boolean>(false);
     const [cssLoaded, setCssLoaded] = useState<boolean>(false);
+    const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState<boolean>(false);
+    const allowClose = useRef<boolean>(false);
 
     let isEnabled = pintura && scriptLoaded && cssLoaded || false;
     const pinturaConfig = globalConfig?.pintura as { js?: string; css?: string };
@@ -205,7 +208,16 @@ export default function usePinturaEditor({
                     locale: {
                         labelButtonExport: 'Save and close'
                     },
-                    previewPad: true
+                    previewPad: true,
+                    // Skip default Escape to close behaviour, only allow when the close button is clicked
+                    willClose: () => {
+                        if (allowClose.current) {
+                            setIsOpen(false);
+                            return true;
+                        }
+
+                        return false;
+                    }
                 });
 
                 editor.on('loaderror', () => {
@@ -215,11 +227,32 @@ export default function usePinturaEditor({
                 editor.on('process', (result) => {
                     handleSave(result.dest);
                 });
+
+                setIsOpen(true);
             }
         },
         [isEnabled]
     );
 
+    // Only allow closing the modal if the close button was clicked
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (!isOpen) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const handleCloseClick = (event: MouseEvent) => {
+            if (event.target instanceof Element && event.target.closest('.PinturaModal button[title="Close"]')) {
+                allowClose.current = true;
+            }
+        };
+
+        window.addEventListener('click', handleCloseClick, {capture: true});
+
+        return () => {
+            window.removeEventListener('click', handleCloseClick, {capture: true});
+        };
+    }, [isOpen]);
+
     return {
         isEnabled,
         openEditor
diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/components/koenig-image-editor.js b/ghost/admin/app/components/koenig-image-editor.js
index 7ccabe4d25..209d47798c 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/components/koenig-image-editor.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/components/koenig-image-editor.js
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ export default class KoenigImageEditor extends Component {
     @service feature;
     @service settings;
     @service ghostPaths;
+
     @tracked scriptLoaded = false;
     @tracked cssLoaded = false;
+    @tracked allowClose = false;
 
     @inject config;
 
@@ -128,6 +130,11 @@ export default class KoenigImageEditor extends Component {
         this.loadImageEditorCSS();
     }
 
+    willDestroy() {
+        super.willDestroy(...arguments);
+        this.removeCloseHandler();
+    }
+
     @action
     async onUploadComplete(urlList) {
         if (this.args.saveUrl) {
@@ -136,9 +143,23 @@ export default class KoenigImageEditor extends Component {
         }
     }
 
+    @action
+    willClose() {
+        if (this.allowClose) {
+            this.allowClose = false;
+            this.removeCloseHandler();
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @action
     async handleClick(uploader) {
         if (this.isEditorEnabled && this.args.imageSrc) {
+            this.allowClose = false;
+            this.addCloseHandler();
+
             // add a timestamp to the image src to bypass cache
             // avoids cors issues with cached images
             const imageUrl = new URL(this.args.imageSrc);
@@ -199,7 +220,8 @@ export default class KoenigImageEditor extends Component {
                 ],
                 locale: {
                     labelButtonExport: 'Save and close'
-                }
+                },
+                willClose: this.willClose
             });
 
             editor.on('loaderror', () => {
@@ -222,4 +244,19 @@ export default class KoenigImageEditor extends Component {
             });
         }
     }
+
+    @action
+    handleCloseClick(event) {
+        if (event.target.closest('.PinturaModal button[title="Close"]')) {
+            this.allowClose = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    addCloseHandler() {
+        window.addEventListener('click', this.handleCloseClick, {capture: true});
+    }
+
+    removeCloseHandler() {
+        window.removeEventListener('click', this.handleCloseClick, {capture: true});
+    }
 }