diff --git a/assets/js/base.js b/assets/js/base.js
index 5a4ce3b..8925325 100644
--- a/assets/js/base.js
+++ b/assets/js/base.js
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@
         trigger.focus();
       }
     }
+    // Announce the close so whoever opened the modal can undo optimistic UI or
+    // clean up a dynamically-inserted overlay. A modal can be dismissed four
+    // ways — the ✕ button, a Cancel button, a backdrop click, and Escape — and
+    // the last two are handled globally here, so button-only listeners miss them.
+    el.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('lt:modalclose', { bubbles: true }));
   }
 
   function closeAllModals() {
@@ -2774,6 +2779,9 @@
         setTimeout(() => { if (modalEl && modalEl.parentNode) modalEl.remove(); }, 300);
         resolve(value);
       };
+      // Any dismissal counts as "no comment given", including a backdrop click or
+      // Escape, which close the overlay through the global handlers above.
+      modalEl.addEventListener('lt:modalclose', () => finish(null));
       modalEl.querySelector('[data-modal-close]').addEventListener('click', () => finish(null));
       document.getElementById(modalId + '_cancel').addEventListener('click', () => finish(null));
       document.getElementById(modalId + '_confirm').addEventListener('click', () => {
diff --git a/assets/js/dashboard.js b/assets/js/dashboard.js
index f0e64c9..6d38c2c 100644
--- a/assets/js/dashboard.js
+++ b/assets/js/dashboard.js
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ function bulkClose() {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('bulkCloseModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('bulkCloseModal', closeBulkCloseModal);
 }
 
 function closeBulkCloseModal() {
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ function showBulkAssignModal() {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('bulkAssignModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('bulkAssignModal', closeBulkAssignModal);
     setTimeout(() => { const inp = document.getElementById('bulkAssignUserInput'); if (inp) inp.focus(); }, 120);
 
     lt.api.get('/api/get_users.php')
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ function showBulkPriorityModal() {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('bulkPriorityModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('bulkPriorityModal', closeBulkPriorityModal);
 }
 
 function closeBulkPriorityModal() {
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ function showBulkStatusModal() {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('bulkStatusModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('bulkStatusModal', closeBulkStatusModal);
 }
 
 function closeBulkStatusModal() {
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ function showBulkDeleteModal() {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('bulkDeleteModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('bulkDeleteModal', closeBulkDeleteModal);
 }
 
 function closeBulkDeleteModal() {
@@ -1032,6 +1032,22 @@ function showInputModal(title, label, placeholder = '', onSubmit, onCancel = nul
     input.addEventListener('keypress', (e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter') handleSubmit(); });
     document.getElementById(`${modalId}_cancel`).addEventListener('click', () => cleanup(onCancel));
     modal.querySelector('[data-modal-close]').addEventListener('click', () => cleanup(onCancel));
+    // Backdrop click / Escape close the overlay via base.js's global handlers.
+    modal.addEventListener('lt:modalclose', () => cleanup(onCancel));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Open a dynamically-inserted modal and make sure it tears itself down however it
+ * is dismissed. base.js handles backdrop clicks and Escape globally, so wiring
+ * only the ✕/Cancel buttons leaves the overlay in the DOM — and the next open
+ * inserts a second element with the same id, which then shadows the live one.
+ */
+function openModalWithDismiss(modalId, onDismiss) {
+    lt.modal.open(modalId);
+    const el = document.getElementById(modalId);
+    // lt.modal.close() early-returns once .is-open is gone, so the close call
+    // inside onDismiss cannot re-enter this listener.
+    if (el) el.addEventListener('lt:modalclose', onDismiss);
 }
 
 // ========================================
@@ -1069,7 +1085,7 @@ function quickStatusChange(ticketId, currentStatus) {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('quickStatusModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('quickStatusModal', closeQuickStatusModal);
 }
 
 function closeQuickStatusModal() {
@@ -1136,7 +1152,7 @@ function quickAssign(ticketId) {
     `;
 
     document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', modalHtml);
-    lt.modal.open('quickAssignModal');
+    openModalWithDismiss('quickAssignModal', closeQuickAssignModal);
 
     lt.api.get('/api/get_users.php')
         .then(data => {
diff --git a/assets/js/ticket.js b/assets/js/ticket.js
index aa4a6ea..3495475 100644
--- a/assets/js/ticket.js
+++ b/assets/js/ticket.js
@@ -529,7 +529,19 @@ function updateTicketStatus() {
         `);
         const modal = document.getElementById(modalId);
         lt.modal.open(modalId);
-        const cleanup = (ok) => { lt.modal.close(modalId); setTimeout(() => modal.remove(), 300); if (!ok) statusSelect.selectedIndex = 0; };
+        let settled = false;
+        const cleanup = (ok) => {
+            if (settled) return;   // lt.modal.close() below re-enters via lt:modalclose
+            settled = true;
+            lt.modal.close(modalId);
+            setTimeout(() => modal.remove(), 300);
+            if (!ok) statusSelect.selectedIndex = 0;
+        };
+        // Backdrop click and Escape close the overlay through base.js's global
+        // handlers. Without this the dropdown kept displaying the new status
+        // while the server was never called, so the ticket looked closed until
+        // a reload revealed it was still open.
+        modal.addEventListener('lt:modalclose', () => cleanup(false));
         modal.querySelector('[data-modal-close]').addEventListener('click', () => cleanup(false));
         document.getElementById(`${modalId}_cancel`).addEventListener('click', () => cleanup(false));
         document.getElementById(`${modalId}_confirm`).addEventListener('click', () => {