diff --git src/wp-admin/js/customize-controls.js src/wp-admin/js/customize-controls.js
index 4bfc252..a550d3e 100644
--- src/wp-admin/js/customize-controls.js
+++ src/wp-admin/js/customize-controls.js
@@ -915,7 +915,9 @@
 
 		var previewer, parent, topFocus,
 			body = $( document.body ),
-			overlay = body.children('.wp-full-overlay');
+			overlay = body.children( '.wp-full-overlay' ),
+			backBtn = $( '.back' ),
+			saveBtn = $( '#save' );
 
 		// Prevent the form from saving when enter is pressed on an input or select element.
 		$('#customize-controls').on( 'keydown', function( e ) {
@@ -1040,20 +1042,17 @@
 				processing = state.create( 'processing' );
 
 			state.bind( 'change', function() {
-				var save = $('#save'),
-					back = $('.back');
-
 				if ( ! activated() ) {
-					save.val( api.l10n.activate ).prop( 'disabled', false );
-					back.text( api.l10n.cancel );
+					saveBtn.val( api.l10n.activate ).prop( 'disabled', false );
+					backBtn.text( api.l10n.cancel );
 
 				} else if ( saved() ) {
-					save.val( api.l10n.saved ).prop( 'disabled', true );
-					back.text( api.l10n.close );
+					saveBtn.val( api.l10n.saved ).prop( 'disabled', true );
+					backBtn.text( api.l10n.close );
 
 				} else {
-					save.val( api.l10n.save ).prop( 'disabled', false );
-					back.text( api.l10n.cancel );
+					saveBtn.val( api.l10n.save ).prop( 'disabled', false );
+					backBtn.text( api.l10n.cancel );
 				}
 			});
 
@@ -1081,7 +1080,7 @@
 		}());
 
 		// Button bindings.
-		$('#save').click( function( event ) {
+		saveBtn.click( function( event ) {
 			previewer.save();
 			event.preventDefault();
 		}).keydown( function( event ) {
@@ -1092,7 +1091,7 @@
 			event.preventDefault();
 		});
 
-		$('.back').keydown( function( event ) {
+		backBtn.keydown( function( event ) {
 			if ( 9 === event.which ) // tab
 				return;
 			if ( 13 === event.which ) // enter
@@ -1122,16 +1121,25 @@
 		// If we receive a 'back' event, we're inside an iframe.
 		// Send any clicks to the 'Return' link to the parent page.
 		parent.bind( 'back', function() {
-			$('.back').on( 'click.back', function( event ) {
+			backBtn.on( 'click.back', function( event ) {
 				event.preventDefault();
 				parent.send( 'close' );
 			});
 		});
 
+		// Prompt user with AYS dialog if leaving the Customizer with unsaved changes
+		$( window ).on( 'beforeunload', function () {
+			if ( ! api.state( 'saved' )() ) {
+				return api.l10n.saveAlert;
+			}
+		} );
+
 		// Pass events through to the parent.
-		api.bind( 'saved', function() {
-			parent.send( 'saved' );
-		});
+		$.each( [ 'saved', 'change' ], function ( i, event ) {
+			api.bind( event, function() {
+				parent.send( event );
+			});
+		} );
 
 		// When activated, let the loader handle redirecting the page.
 		// If no loader exists, redirect the page ourselves (if a url exists).
@@ -1198,7 +1206,7 @@
 		api.trigger( 'ready' );
 
 		// Make sure left column gets focus
-		topFocus = $('.back');
+		topFocus = backBtn;
 		topFocus.focus();
 		setTimeout(function () {
 			topFocus.focus();
diff --git src/wp-includes/js/customize-loader.js src/wp-includes/js/customize-loader.js
index cccf71a..98bb32f 100644
--- src/wp-includes/js/customize-loader.js
+++ src/wp-includes/js/customize-loader.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* global _wpCustomizeLoaderSettings */
+/* global _wpCustomizeLoaderSettings, confirm */
 window.wp = window.wp || {};
 
 (function( exports, $ ){
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 			});
 
 			// Add navigation listeners.
-			if ( $.support.history )
+			if ( $.support.history ) {
 				this.window.on( 'popstate', Loader.popstate );
+			}
 
 			if ( $.support.hashchange ) {
 				this.window.on( 'hashchange', Loader.hashchange );
@@ -47,35 +48,48 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 
 		popstate: function( e ) {
 			var state = e.originalEvent.state;
-			if ( state && state.customize )
+			if ( state && state.customize ) {
 				Loader.open( state.customize );
-			else if ( Loader.active )
+			} else if ( Loader.active ) {
 				Loader.close();
+			}
 		},
 
 		hashchange: function() {
 			var hash = window.location.toString().split('#')[1];
 
-			if ( hash && 0 === hash.indexOf( 'wp_customize=on' ) )
+			if ( hash && 0 === hash.indexOf( 'wp_customize=on' ) ) {
 				Loader.open( Loader.settings.url + '?' + hash );
+			}
 
-			if ( ! hash && ! $.support.history )
+			if ( ! hash && ! $.support.history ){
 				Loader.close();
+			}
+		},
+
+		beforeunload: function () {
+			if ( ! Loader.saved() ) {
+				return Loader.settings.l10n.saveAlert;
+			}
 		},
 
 		open: function( src ) {
-			var hash;
 
-			if ( this.active )
+			if ( this.active ) {
 				return;
+			}
 
 			// Load the full page on mobile devices.
-			if ( Loader.settings.browser.mobile )
+			if ( Loader.settings.browser.mobile ) {
 				return window.location = src;
+			}
 
 			this.active = true;
 			this.body.addClass('customize-loading');
 
+			// Dirty state of customizer in iframe
+			this.saved = new api.Value( true );
+
 			this.iframe = $( '<iframe />', { src: src }).appendTo( this.element );
 			this.iframe.one( 'load', this.loaded );
 
@@ -92,28 +106,46 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 			});
 
 			this.messenger.bind( 'close', function() {
-				if ( $.support.history )
+				if ( $.support.history ) {
 					history.back();
-				else if ( $.support.hashchange )
+				} else if ( $.support.hashchange ) {
 					window.location.hash = '';
-				else
+				} else {
 					Loader.close();
-			});
+				}
+			} );
+
+			// Prompt AYS dialog when navigating away
+			$( window ).on( 'beforeunload', this.beforeunload );
 
 			this.messenger.bind( 'activated', function( location ) {
-				if ( location )
+				if ( location ) {
 					window.location = location;
+				}
 			});
 
-			hash = src.split('?')[1];
+			this.messenger.bind( 'saved', function () {
+				Loader.saved( true );
+			} );
+			this.messenger.bind( 'change', function () {
+				Loader.saved( false );
+			} );
+
+			this.pushState( src );
+
+			this.trigger( 'open' );
+		},
+
+		pushState: function ( src ) {
+			var hash;
 
 			// Ensure we don't call pushState if the user hit the forward button.
-			if ( $.support.history && window.location.href !== src )
+			if ( $.support.history && window.location.href !== src ) {
 				history.pushState( { customize: src }, '', src );
-			else if ( ! $.support.history && $.support.hashchange && hash )
+			} else if ( ! $.support.history && $.support.hashchange && hash ) {
+				hash = src.split( '?' )[1];
 				window.location.hash = 'wp_customize=on&' + hash;
-
-			this.trigger( 'open' );
+			}
 		},
 
 		opened: function() {
@@ -121,15 +153,25 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 		},
 
 		close: function() {
-			if ( ! this.active )
+			if ( ! this.active ) {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			// Display AYS dialog if customizer is dirty
+			if ( ! this.saved() && ! confirm( Loader.settings.l10n.saveAlert ) ) {
+				// Go forward since Customizer is exited by history.back()
+				history.forward();
 				return;
+			}
+
 			this.active = false;
 
 			this.trigger( 'close' );
 
 			// Return focus to link that was originally clicked.
-			if ( this.link )
+			if ( this.link ) {
 				this.link.focus();
+			}
 		},
 
 		closed: function() {
@@ -137,7 +179,9 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 			Loader.messenger.destroy();
 			Loader.iframe    = null;
 			Loader.messenger = null;
+			Loader.saved     = null;
 			Loader.body.removeClass( 'customize-active full-overlay-active' ).removeClass( 'customize-loading' );
+			$( window ).off( 'beforeunload', Loader.beforeunload );
 		},
 
 		loaded: function() {
diff --git src/wp-includes/script-loader.php src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
index df42718..c0d42b6 100644
--- src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
+++ src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ function wp_default_scripts( &$scripts ) {
 	did_action( 'init' ) && $scripts->localize( 'customize-controls', '_wpCustomizeControlsL10n', array(
 		'activate'  => __( 'Save &amp; Activate' ),
 		'save'      => __( 'Save &amp; Publish' ),
+		'saveAlert' => __( 'The changes you made will be lost if you navigate away from this page.' ),
 		'saved'     => __( 'Saved' ),
 		'cancel'    => __( 'Cancel' ),
 		'close'     => __( 'Close' ),
diff --git src/wp-includes/theme.php src/wp-includes/theme.php
index 40acf6b..d882463 100644
--- src/wp-includes/theme.php
+++ src/wp-includes/theme.php
@@ -1874,6 +1874,9 @@ function _wp_customize_loader_settings() {
 		'url'           => esc_url( admin_url( 'customize.php' ) ),
 		'isCrossDomain' => $cross_domain,
 		'browser'       => $browser,
+		'l10n'          => array(
+			'saveAlert' => __( 'The changes you made will be lost if you navigate away from this page.' ),
+		),
 	);
 
 	$script = 'var _wpCustomizeLoaderSettings = ' . json_encode( $settings ) . ';';