diff --git a/apps/homescreen/js/app.js b/apps/homescreen/js/app.js
index 9d421b9a3312..ce9f50149036 100644
--- a/apps/homescreen/js/app.js
+++ b/apps/homescreen/js/app.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 /* global MozActivity, HomeMetadata, Datastore, LazyLoader, FirstRun,
           IconsHelper, Settings */
-/* jshint nonew: false */
 'use strict';
 
 (function(exports) {
@@ -742,10 +741,20 @@
         }
         navigator.mozApps.mgmt.uninstall(this.selectedIcon.app);
       } else if (this.selectedIcon.bookmark) {
-        new MozActivity({
+        var remove = new MozActivity({
           name: 'remove-bookmark',
           data: { type: 'url', url: this.selectedIcon.bookmark.id }
         });
+
+        // Re-enter edit mode because the activity will hide the document,
+        // which exits edit mode
+        var icon = this.selectedIcon;
+        remove.onsuccess = () => {
+          this.enterEditMode(null);
+        };
+        remove.onerror = () => {
+          this.enterEditMode(icon);
+        };
       }
     },
 
@@ -754,10 +763,17 @@
         return;
       }
 
-      new MozActivity({
+      var rename = new MozActivity({
         name: 'save-bookmark',
         data: { type: 'url', url: this.selectedIcon.bookmark.id }
       });
+
+      // Re-enter edit mode because the activity will hide the document,
+      // which exits edit mode
+      var icon = this.selectedIcon;
+      rename.onsuccess = rename.onerror = () => {
+        this.enterEditMode(icon);
+      };
     },
 
     iconIsEditable: function(icon) {
@@ -802,10 +818,10 @@
     },
 
     enterEditMode: function(icon) {
-      console.debug('Entering edit mode on ' + icon.name);
+      console.debug('Entering edit mode on ' + (icon ? icon.name : 'no icon'));
       this.updateSelectedIcon(icon);
 
-      if (this.editMode || !this.selectedIcon) {
+      if (this.editMode) {
         return;
       }
 
diff --git a/apps/homescreen/js/pages.js b/apps/homescreen/js/pages.js
index 065f005c5a80..5e6e61a0f176 100644
--- a/apps/homescreen/js/pages.js
+++ b/apps/homescreen/js/pages.js
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@
     },
 
     exitEditMode: function() {
+      if (!this.editMode) {
+        return;
+      }
+
       this.editMode = false;
       document.body.classList.remove('edit-mode');
       this.remove.classList.remove('active');
@@ -198,9 +202,7 @@
       }
       this.pages.removeChild(card, () => {
         if (!this.empty && this.pages.children.length === 0) {
-          if (this.editMode) {
-            this.exitEditMode();
-          }
+          this.exitEditMode();
           this.empty = true;
           this.panel.classList.add('empty');
         }
diff --git a/apps/homescreen/js/window.js b/apps/homescreen/js/window.js
index 56af1f1598df..4d5b156410ca 100644
--- a/apps/homescreen/js/window.js
+++ b/apps/homescreen/js/window.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
     this.panels.addEventListener('scroll', this);
     window.addEventListener('hashchange', this, true);
     window.addEventListener('localized', this);
+    document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', this);
 
     // Update the panel indicator
     this.updatePanelIndicator();
@@ -156,6 +157,15 @@
       case 'localized':
         this.updatePanelIndicator();
         return;
+
+      // Exit edit mode if the user switches away from the home screen (e.g.
+      // by locking the phone).
+      case 'visibilitychange':
+        if (document.hidden) {
+          this.apps.exitEditMode();
+          this.pages.exitEditMode();
+        }
+        return;
       }
     }
   };
diff --git a/apps/homescreen/test/unit/app_test.js b/apps/homescreen/test/unit/app_test.js
index 3c58567951d2..ef698b17c5d1 100644
--- a/apps/homescreen/test/unit/app_test.js
+++ b/apps/homescreen/test/unit/app_test.js
@@ -741,15 +741,17 @@ suite('Homescreen app', () => {
   });
 
   suite('App#removeSelectedIcon()', () => {
-    var uninstallStub;
+    var uninstallStub, clock;
     setup(() => {
       MockMozActivity.mSetup();
       uninstallStub = sinon.stub(navigator.mozApps.mgmt, 'uninstall');
+      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
     });
 
     teardown(() => {
       MockMozActivity.mTeardown();
       uninstallStub.restore();
+      clock.restore();
     });
 
     test('does nothing with no selected icon', () => {
@@ -780,15 +782,30 @@ suite('Homescreen app', () => {
       assert.equal(MockMozActivity.calls[0].data.url,
                    app.selectedIcon.bookmark.id);
     });
+
+    test('re-enters edit mode when removing bookmarks', () => {
+      var enterEditModeStub = sinon.stub(app, 'enterEditMode');
+      app.selectedIcon = { bookmark: { id: 'abc' } };
+      app.removeSelectedIcon();
+
+      MockMozActivity.mTriggerOnError();
+      assert.isTrue(enterEditModeStub.calledWith(app.selectedIcon));
+
+      clock.tick(50);
+      assert.isTrue(enterEditModeStub.calledWith(null));
+    });
   });
 
   suite('App#renameSelectedIcon()', () => {
+    var clock;
     setup(() => {
       MockMozActivity.mSetup();
+      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
     });
 
     teardown(() => {
       MockMozActivity.mTeardown();
+      clock.restore();
     });
 
     test('does nothing with no selected icon', () => {
@@ -812,6 +829,18 @@ suite('Homescreen app', () => {
       assert.equal(MockMozActivity.calls[0].data.url,
                    app.selectedIcon.bookmark.id);
     });
+
+    test('re-enters edit mode', () => {
+      var enterEditModeStub = sinon.stub(app, 'enterEditMode');
+      app.selectedIcon = { bookmark: { id: 'abc' } };
+      app.renameSelectedIcon();
+
+      MockMozActivity.mTriggerOnError();
+      assert.isTrue(enterEditModeStub.calledWith(app.selectedIcon));
+
+      clock.tick(50);
+      assert.isTrue(enterEditModeStub.calledWith(app.selectedIcon));
+    });
   });
 
   suite('App#iconIsEditable()', () => {
diff --git a/apps/homescreen/test/unit/window_test.js b/apps/homescreen/test/unit/window_test.js
index 0c0290920d06..7cfb06fb40ec 100644
--- a/apps/homescreen/test/unit/window_test.js
+++ b/apps/homescreen/test/unit/window_test.js
@@ -300,5 +300,29 @@ suite('AppWindow', () => {
         exitEditModeStub.restore();
       });
     });
+
+    suite('visibilitychange', () => {
+      var appsExitEditModeStub, pagesExitEditModeStub;
+      setup(() => {
+        appsExitEditModeStub = sinon.stub(appWindow.apps, 'exitEditMode');
+        pagesExitEditModeStub = sinon.stub(appWindow.pages, 'exitEditMode');
+        Object.defineProperty(document, 'hidden', {
+          value: true,
+          configurable: true
+        });
+      });
+
+      teardown(() => {
+        appsExitEditModeStub.restore();
+        pagesExitEditModeStub.restore();
+        delete document.hidden;
+      });
+
+      test('should exit edit mode', () => {
+        appWindow.handleEvent(new CustomEvent('visibilitychange'));
+        assert.isTrue(appsExitEditModeStub.called);
+        assert.isTrue(pagesExitEditModeStub.called);
+      });
+    });
   });
 });