diff --git a/src/widget-modality/js/Widget-Modality.js b/src/widget-modality/js/Widget-Modality.js
index f280752fc43..aa7bd1efef7 100644
--- a/src/widget-modality/js/Widget-Modality.js
+++ b/src/widget-modality/js/Widget-Modality.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var WIDGET       = 'widget',
     SYNC_UI      = 'syncUI',
     BOUNDING_BOX = 'boundingBox',
     CONTENT_BOX  = 'contentBox',
+    RENDERED     = 'rendered',
     VISIBLE      = 'visible',
     Z_INDEX      = 'zIndex',
     CHANGE       = 'Change',
@@ -332,7 +333,9 @@ var WIDGET       = 'widget',
                 if (isModal) {
                     maskNode.show();
                     Y.later(1, this, '_attachUIHandlesModal');
-                    this._focus();
+                    if (this.get(RENDERED)) {
+                        this._focus();
+                    }
                 }