Index: wp-admin/js/image-edit.dev.js
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/js/image-edit.dev.js	(revision 17378)
+++ wp-admin/js/image-edit.dev.js	(working copy)
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var imageEdit;
+var imageEdit;
 
 (function($) {
 imageEdit = {
@@ -343,10 +344,9 @@
 	},
 
 	setCropSelection : function(postid, c) {
-		var sel, min = $('#imgedit-minthumb-' + postid).val() || '128:128',
-			sizer = this.hold['sizer'];
-			min = min.split(':');
-			c = c || 0;
+		var sel;
+		
+		c = c || 0;
 
 		if ( !c || ( c.width < 3 && c.height < 3 ) ) {
 			this.setDisabled($('.imgedit-crop', '#imgedit-panel-' + postid), 0);
@@ -357,12 +357,6 @@
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		if ( c.width < (min[0] * sizer) && c.height < (min[1] * sizer) ) {
-			this.setDisabled($('.imgedit-crop', '#imgedit-panel-' + postid), 0);
-			$('#imgedit-selection-' + postid).val('');
-			return false;
-		}
-
 		sel = { 'x': c.x1, 'y': c.y1, 'w': c.width, 'h': c.height };
 		this.setDisabled($('.imgedit-crop', '#imgedit-panel-' + postid), 1);
 		$('#imgedit-selection-' + postid).val( JSON.stringify(sel) );
@@ -433,12 +427,21 @@
 	crop : function (postid, nonce, t) {
 		var sel = $('#imgedit-selection-' + postid).val(),
 			w = this.intval( $('#imgedit-sel-width-' + postid).val() ),
-			h = this.intval( $('#imgedit-sel-height-' + postid).val() );
+			h = this.intval( $('#imgedit-sel-height-' + postid).val() ),
+			min = $('#imgedit-minthumb-' + postid).val() || '128:128',
+			sizer = this.hold.sizer,
+			
+		min = min.split(':');
 
 		if ( $(t).hasClass('disabled') || sel == '' )
 			return false;
-
+		
 		sel = JSON.parse(sel);
+		if( sel.w < ( min[0] * sizer ) && sel.h < ( min[1] * sizer ) ) {
+			alert( 'The area you have selected for cropping is smaller than the default thumbnail size (' + min.join(':') + '). Please select a larger area.' );
+			return false;
+		}
+		
 		if ( sel.w > 0 && sel.h > 0 && w > 0 && h > 0 ) {
 			sel['fw'] = w;
 			sel['fh'] = h;