diff --git a/src/ui/autoload.js b/src/ui/autoload.js
index 6ac6c25de074..df322c491e54 100644
--- a/src/ui/autoload.js
+++ b/src/ui/autoload.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ exports.reload = function () {
     'ui/persisted_log',
     'ui/private',
     'ui/promises',
+    'ui/safe_confirm',
     'ui/state_management/app_state',
     'ui/state_management/global_state',
     'ui/storage',
diff --git a/src/ui/public/courier/courier.js b/src/ui/public/courier/courier.js
index 6725f6dfb1a7..a9caf469089d 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/courier/courier.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/courier/courier.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ define(function (require) {
 
   require('ui/es');
   require('ui/promises');
+  require('ui/safe_confirm');
   require('ui/index_patterns');
 
   require('ui/modules').get('kibana/courier')
diff --git a/src/ui/public/courier/saved_object/saved_object.js b/src/ui/public/courier/saved_object/saved_object.js
index 63a61eddd34f..439a805fd45f 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/courier/saved_object/saved_object.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/courier/saved_object/saved_object.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 define(function (require) {
-  return function SavedObjectFactory(es, kbnIndex, Promise, Private, Notifier, indexPatterns) {
+  return function SavedObjectFactory(es, kbnIndex, Promise, Private, Notifier, safeConfirm, indexPatterns) {
     var angular = require('angular');
     var errors = require('ui/errors');
     var _ = require('lodash');
@@ -252,12 +252,12 @@ define(function (require) {
           if (_.get(err, 'origError.status') === 409) {
             var confirmMessage = 'Are you sure you want to overwrite ' + self.title + '?';
 
-            if (window.confirm(confirmMessage)) { // eslint-disable-line no-alert
-              return docSource.doIndex(source).then(finish);
-            }
-
-            // if the user doesn't overwrite record, just swallow the error
-            return;
+            return safeConfirm(confirmMessage).then(
+              function () {
+                return docSource.doIndex(source).then(finish);
+              },
+              _.noop // if the user doesn't overwrite record, just swallow the error
+            );
           }
           return Promise.reject(err);
         });
diff --git a/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/__tests__/safe_confirm.js b/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/__tests__/safe_confirm.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8952cec32f9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/__tests__/safe_confirm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+describe('ui/safe_confirm', function () {
+  var sinon = require('sinon');
+  var expect = require('expect.js');
+  var ngMock = require('ngMock');
+
+  var $rootScope;
+  var $window;
+  var $timeout;
+  var message;
+  var safeConfirm;
+  var promise;
+
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    ngMock.module('kibana', function ($provide) {
+      $provide.value('$window', {
+        confirm: sinon.stub().returns(true)
+      });
+    });
+
+    ngMock.inject(function ($injector) {
+      safeConfirm = $injector.get('safeConfirm');
+      $rootScope = $injector.get('$rootScope');
+      $window = $injector.get('$window');
+      $timeout = $injector.get('$timeout');
+    });
+
+    message = 'woah';
+
+    promise = safeConfirm(message);
+  });
+
+  context('before timeout completes', function () {
+    it('$window.confirm is not invoked', function () {
+      expect($window.confirm.called).to.be(false);
+    });
+    it('returned promise is not resolved', function () {
+      var isResolved = false;
+      function markAsResolved() {
+        isResolved = true;
+      }
+      promise.then(markAsResolved, markAsResolved);
+      $rootScope.$apply(); // attempt to resolve the promise, but this won't flush $timeout promises
+      expect(isResolved).to.be(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  context('after timeout completes', function () {
+    it('$window.confirm is invoked with message', function () {
+      $timeout.flush();
+      expect($window.confirm.calledWith(message)).to.be(true);
+    });
+
+    context('when confirmed', function () {
+      it('promise is fulfilled with true', function () {
+        $timeout.flush();
+
+        var value;
+        promise.then(function (v) {
+          value = v;
+        });
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+
+        expect(value).to.be(true);
+      });
+    });
+
+    context('when canceled', function () {
+      it('promise is rejected with false', function () {
+        $window.confirm.returns(false); // must be set before $timeout.flush()
+        $timeout.flush();
+
+        var value;
+        promise.then(null, function (v) {
+          value = v;
+        });
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+
+        expect(value).to.be(false);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/safe_confirm.js b/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/safe_confirm.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..edbd1a6f9f15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/safe_confirm/safe_confirm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  require('ui/modules').get('kibana')
+
+  /*
+   * Angular doesn't play well with thread blocking calls such as
+   * window.confirm() unless those calls are specifically handled inside a call
+   * to $timeout(). Rather than litter the code with that implementation
+   * detail, safeConfirm() can be used.
+   *
+   * WARNING: safeConfirm differs from a native call to window.confirm in that
+   * it only blocks the thread beginning on the next tick. For that reason, a
+   * promise is returned so consumers can handle the control flow.
+   *
+   * Usage:
+   *  safeConfirm('This message will be passed to window.confirm()').then(
+   *    function () {
+   *      // user clicked confirm
+   *    },
+   *    function () {
+   *      // user canceled the confirmation
+   *    }
+   *  );
+   */
+  .factory('safeConfirm', function ($window, $timeout, $q) {
+    return function safeConfirm(message) {
+      return $timeout(function () {
+        return $window.confirm(message) || $q.reject(false);
+      });
+    };
+  });
+});