diff --git a/core/js/js.js b/core/js/js.js
index e90ceaf4e1..b74775a935 100644
--- a/core/js/js.js
+++ b/core/js/js.js
@@ -740,13 +740,23 @@ var OC={
 	 * if an error/auth error status was returned.
 	 */
 	_processAjaxError: function(xhr) {
+		var self = this;
 		// purposefully aborted request ?
-		if (xhr.status === 0 && (xhr.statusText === 'abort' || xhr.statusText === 'timeout')) {
+		// this._userIsNavigatingAway needed to distinguish ajax calls cancelled by navigating away
+		// from calls cancelled by failed cross-domain ajax due to SSO redirect
+		if (xhr.status === 0 && (xhr.statusText === 'abort' || xhr.statusText === 'timeout' || self._reloadCalled)) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (_.contains([0, 302, 307, 401], xhr.status)) {
-			OC.reload();
+		if (_.contains([0, 302, 303, 307, 401], xhr.status)) {
+			// sometimes "beforeunload" happens later, so need to defer the reload a bit
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				if (!self._userIsNavigatingAway && !self._reloadCalled) {
+					OC.reload();
+					// only call reload once
+					self._reloadCalled = true;
+				}
+			}, 100);
 		}
 	},
 
@@ -1438,6 +1448,29 @@ function initCore() {
 		$('html').addClass('edge');
 	}
 
+	$(window).on('unload.main', function() {
+		OC._unloadCalled = true;
+	});
+	$(window).on('beforeunload.main', function() {
+		// super-trick thanks to http://stackoverflow.com/a/4651049
+		// in case another handler displays a confirmation dialog (ex: navigating away
+		// during an upload), there are two possible outcomes: user clicked "ok" or
+		// "cancel"
+
+		// first timeout handler is called after unload dialog is closed
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			OC._userIsNavigatingAway = true;
+
+			// second timeout event is only called if user cancelled (Chrome),
+			// but in other browsers it might still be triggered, so need to
+			// set a higher delay...
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				if (!OC._unloadCalled) {
+					OC._userIsNavigatingAway = false;
+				}
+			}, 10000);
+		},1);
+	});
 	$(document).on('ajaxError.main', function( event, request, settings ) {
 		if (settings && settings.allowAuthErrors) {
 			return;
diff --git a/core/js/tests/specs/coreSpec.js b/core/js/tests/specs/coreSpec.js
index 774c2fdc72..f18ecbc1a4 100644
--- a/core/js/tests/specs/coreSpec.js
+++ b/core/js/tests/specs/coreSpec.js
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@
 */
 
 describe('Core base tests', function() {
+	afterEach(function() {
+		// many tests call window.initCore so need to unregister global events
+		// ideally in the future we'll need a window.unloadCore() function
+		$(document).off('ajaxError.main');
+		$(document).off('unload.main');
+		$(document).off('beforeunload.main');
+		OC._userIsNavigatingAway = false;
+		OC._reloadCalled = false;
+	});
 	describe('Base values', function() {
 		it('Sets webroots', function() {
 			expect(OC.webroot).toBeDefined();
@@ -925,9 +934,10 @@ describe('Core base tests', function() {
 		});
 	});
 	describe('global ajax errors', function() {
-		var reloadStub, ajaxErrorStub;
+		var reloadStub, ajaxErrorStub, clock;
 
 		beforeEach(function() {
+			clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
 			reloadStub = sinon.stub(OC, 'reload');
 			// unstub the error processing method
 			ajaxErrorStub = OC._processAjaxError;
@@ -936,15 +946,17 @@ describe('Core base tests', function() {
 		});
 		afterEach(function() {
 			reloadStub.restore();
-			$(document).off('ajaxError');
+			clock.restore();
 		});
 
-		it('reloads current page in case of auth error', function () {
+		it('reloads current page in case of auth error', function() {
 			var dataProvider = [
 				[200, false],
 				[400, false],
+				[0, true],
 				[401, true],
 				[302, true],
+				[303, true],
 				[307, true]
 			];
 
@@ -953,9 +965,13 @@ describe('Core base tests', function() {
 				var expectedCall = dataProvider[i][1];
 
 				reloadStub.reset();
+				OC._reloadCalled = false;
 
 				$(document).trigger(new $.Event('ajaxError'), xhr);
 
+				// trigger timers
+				clock.tick(1000);
+
 				if (expectedCall) {
 					expect(reloadStub.calledOnce).toEqual(true);
 				} else {
@@ -963,6 +979,27 @@ describe('Core base tests', function() {
 				}
 			}
 		});
-	})
+		it('reload only called once in case of auth error', function() {
+			var xhr = { status: 401 };
+
+			$(document).trigger(new $.Event('ajaxError'), xhr);
+			$(document).trigger(new $.Event('ajaxError'), xhr);
+
+			// trigger timers
+			clock.tick(1000);
+
+			expect(reloadStub.calledOnce).toEqual(true);
+		});
+		it('does not reload the page if the user was navigating away', function() {
+			var xhr = { status: 0 };
+			OC._userIsNavigatingAway = true;
+			clock.tick(100);
+
+			$(document).trigger(new $.Event('ajaxError'), xhr);
+
+			clock.tick(1000);
+			expect(reloadStub.notCalled).toEqual(true);
+		});
+	});
 });