diff --git a/editor/modes/visual-editor/block.js b/editor/modes/visual-editor/block.js
index e3230769e08e7..f612e32760921 100644
--- a/editor/modes/visual-editor/block.js
+++ b/editor/modes/visual-editor/block.js
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ class VisualEditorBlock extends wp.element.Component {
 		super( ...arguments );
 		this.bindBlockNode = this.bindBlockNode.bind( this );
 		this.setAttributes = this.setAttributes.bind( this );
-		this.maybeDeselect = this.maybeDeselect.bind( this );
 		this.maybeHover = this.maybeHover.bind( this );
 		this.maybeStartTyping = this.maybeStartTyping.bind( this );
-		this.removeOnBackspace = this.removeOnBackspace.bind( this );
+		this.removeOrDeselect = this.removeOrDeselect.bind( this );
 		this.mergeBlocks = this.mergeBlocks.bind( this );
+		this.selectAndStopPropagation = this.selectAndStopPropagation.bind( this );
 		this.previousOffset = null;
 	}
 
@@ -76,14 +76,6 @@ class VisualEditorBlock extends wp.element.Component {
 		}
 	}
 
-	maybeDeselect( event ) {
-		// Annoyingly React does not support focusOut and we're forced to check
-		// related target to ensure it's not a child when blur fires.
-		if ( ! event.currentTarget.contains( event.relatedTarget ) ) {
-			this.props.onDeselect();
-		}
-	}
-
 	maybeStartTyping() {
 		// We do not want to dispatch start typing if...
 		//  - State value already reflects that we're typing (dispatch noise)
@@ -96,14 +88,21 @@ class VisualEditorBlock extends wp.element.Component {
 		}
 	}
 
-	removeOnBackspace( event ) {
+	removeOrDeselect( event ) {
 		const { keyCode, target } = event;
+
+		// Remove block on backspace
 		if ( 8 /* Backspace */ === keyCode && target === this.node ) {
 			this.props.onRemove( this.props.uid );
 			if ( this.props.previousBlock ) {
 				this.props.onFocus( this.props.previousBlock.uid, { offset: -1 } );
 			}
 		}
+
+		// Deselect on escape
+		if ( 27 /* Escape */ === event.keyCode ) {
+			this.props.onDeselect();
+		}
 	}
 
 	mergeBlocks( forward = false ) {
@@ -124,6 +123,14 @@ class VisualEditorBlock extends wp.element.Component {
 		}
 	}
 
+	selectAndStopPropagation( event ) {
+		this.props.onSelect();
+
+		// Visual editor infers click as intent to clear the selected block, so
+		// prevent bubbling when occurring on block where selection is intended
+		event.stopPropagation();
+	}
+
 	componentDidUpdate( prevProps ) {
 		if ( this.previousOffset ) {
 			window.scrollTo(
@@ -178,10 +185,9 @@ class VisualEditorBlock extends wp.element.Component {
 		return (
 			<div
 				ref={ this.bindBlockNode }
-				onClick={ onSelect }
+				onClick={ this.selectAndStopPropagation }
 				onFocus={ onSelect }
-				onBlur={ this.maybeDeselect }
-				onKeyDown={ this.removeOnBackspace }
+				onKeyDown={ this.removeOrDeselect }
 				onMouseEnter={ onHover }
 				onMouseMove={ this.maybeHover }
 				onMouseLeave={ onMouseLeave }
diff --git a/editor/modes/visual-editor/index.js b/editor/modes/visual-editor/index.js
index 7e85e8dbb6d1f..46a013ed73766 100644
--- a/editor/modes/visual-editor/index.js
+++ b/editor/modes/visual-editor/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
  */
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { __ } from 'i18n';
+
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
  */
@@ -12,9 +17,17 @@ import VisualEditorBlock from './block';
 import PostTitle from '../../post-title';
 import { getBlockUids } from '../../selectors';
 
-function VisualEditor( { blocks } ) {
+function VisualEditor( { blocks, clearSelectedBlock } ) {
+	// Disable reason: Focus transfer between blocks and key events are handled
+	// by focused block element. Consider unhandled click bubbling as unselect.
+
+	/* eslint-disable jsx-a11y/no-static-element-interactions, jsx-a11y/click-events-have-key-events */
 	return (
-		<div className="editor-visual-editor">
+		<div
+			role="region"
+			aria-label={ __( 'Visual Editor' ) }
+			onClick={ clearSelectedBlock }
+			className="editor-visual-editor">
 			<PostTitle />
 			{ blocks.map( ( uid ) => (
 				<VisualEditorBlock key={ uid } uid={ uid } />
@@ -22,8 +35,14 @@ function VisualEditor( { blocks } ) {
 			<Inserter position="top right" />
 		</div>
 	);
+	/* eslint-enable jsx-a11y/no-static-element-interactions, jsx-a11y/click-events-have-key-events */
 }
 
-export default connect( ( state ) => ( {
-	blocks: getBlockUids( state ),
-} ) )( VisualEditor );
+export default connect(
+	( state ) => ( {
+		blocks: getBlockUids( state ),
+	} ),
+	( dispatch ) => ( {
+		clearSelectedBlock: () => dispatch( { type: 'CLEAR_SELECTED_BLOCK' } ),
+	} )
+)( VisualEditor );
diff --git a/editor/modes/visual-editor/style.scss b/editor/modes/visual-editor/style.scss
index 5e4793d7ec90b..354c865004fed 100644
--- a/editor/modes/visual-editor/style.scss
+++ b/editor/modes/visual-editor/style.scss
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@
 	margin-top: -$block-controls-height - $item-spacing;
 	margin-bottom: $item-spacing + 20px;	// 20px is the offset from the bottom of the selected block where it stops sticking
 	height: $block-controls-height;
+	width: 0;
+	white-space: nowrap;
 
 	top: $header-height + $admin-bar-height-big + $item-spacing;
 
diff --git a/editor/state.js b/editor/state.js
index 9e1a73e612d72..0c9bd344f0f75 100644
--- a/editor/state.js
+++ b/editor/state.js
@@ -197,6 +197,9 @@ export function selectedBlock( state = {}, action ) {
 					focus: action.uid === state.uid ? state.focus : {},
 				};
 
+		case 'CLEAR_SELECTED_BLOCK':
+			return {};
+
 		case 'MOVE_BLOCK_UP':
 		case 'MOVE_BLOCK_DOWN':
 			return action.uid === state.uid
diff --git a/editor/test/state.js b/editor/test/state.js
index 1d5b9daac64c1..4808202f2c34b 100644
--- a/editor/test/state.js
+++ b/editor/test/state.js
@@ -408,6 +408,15 @@ describe( 'state', () => {
 			expect( state ).to.eql( { uid: 'kumquat', typing: false, focus: {} } );
 		} );
 
+		it( 'returns an empty object when clearing selected block', () => {
+			const original = deepFreeze( { uid: 'kumquat', typing: false, focus: {} } );
+			const state = selectedBlock( original, {
+				type: 'CLEAR_SELECTED_BLOCK',
+			} );
+
+			expect( state ).to.eql( {} );
+		} );
+
 		it( 'should not update the state if already selected and not typing', () => {
 			const original = deepFreeze( { uid: 'kumquat', typing: false, focus: {} } );
 			const state = selectedBlock( original, {