diff --git a/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.js b/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.js
index c43d8bb410..ab888c8825 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.js
+++ b/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.js
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class ModalWorkflowSource extends Component {
     $(document.body).on('hidden.bs.modal', this.onClose);
 
     // eslint-disable-next-line new-cap
-    global.ModalWorkflow({
+    this.workflow = global.ModalWorkflow({
       url,
       urlParams,
       responses: {
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ class ModalWorkflowSource extends Component {
   }
 
   componentWillUnmount() {
+    this.workflow = null;
+
     $(document.body).off('hidden.bs.modal', this.onClose);
   }
 
@@ -172,6 +174,11 @@ class ModalWorkflowSource extends Component {
       }
     }
 
+    // IE11 crashes when rendering the new entity in contenteditable if the modal is still open.
+    // Other browsers do not mind. This is probably a focus management problem.
+    // From the user's perspective, this is all happening too fast to notice either way.
+    this.workflow.close();
+
     onComplete(nextState);
   }
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.test.js b/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.test.js
index 0f807b0aaf..fa9f980faa 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.test.js
+++ b/client/src/components/Draftail/sources/ModalWorkflowSource.test.js
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
       jest.spyOn(RichUtils, 'toggleLink');
 
       const onComplete = jest.fn();
+      const close = jest.fn();
 
       let editorState = EditorState.createWithContent(convertFromRaw({
         entityMap: {},
@@ -235,10 +236,12 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
         />
       ));
 
+      wrapper.instance().workflow = { close };
       wrapper.instance().onChosen({});
 
       expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(RichUtils.toggleLink).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       RichUtils.toggleLink.mockRestore();
     });
@@ -247,6 +250,7 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
       jest.spyOn(AtomicBlockUtils, 'insertAtomicBlock');
 
       const onComplete = jest.fn();
+      const close = jest.fn();
 
       let editorState = EditorState.createWithContent(convertFromRaw({
         entityMap: {},
@@ -274,10 +278,12 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
         />
       ));
 
+      wrapper.instance().workflow = { close };
       wrapper.instance().onChosen({});
 
       expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(AtomicBlockUtils.insertAtomicBlock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       AtomicBlockUtils.insertAtomicBlock.mockRestore();
     });
@@ -286,6 +292,7 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
       jest.spyOn(Modifier, 'replaceText');
 
       const onComplete = jest.fn();
+      const close = jest.fn();
 
       let editorState = EditorState.createWithContent(convertFromRaw({
         entityMap: {},
@@ -310,6 +317,7 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
         />
       ));
 
+      wrapper.instance().workflow = { close };
       wrapper.instance().onChosen({
         url: 'example.com',
         prefer_this_title_as_link_text: true,
@@ -317,6 +325,7 @@ describe('ModalWorkflowSource', () => {
 
       expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(Modifier.replaceText).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       Modifier.replaceText.mockRestore();
     });