diff --git a/build/bundle.js b/build/bundle.js
index d4894cc6..e1215430 100644
--- a/build/bundle.js
+++ b/build/bundle.js
@@ -8872,7 +8872,6 @@ var init = function(){
 
   // we always want to focus the text area to collect input
   var focusTextArea = function() {
-    console.log('focusing text area');
     $('#commandTextField').focus();
   };
   focusTextArea();
@@ -8923,15 +8922,8 @@ function UI() {
     el: $('#commandLineHistory'),
     collection: this.commandCollection
   });
-
-  $('#commandTextField').focus();
-  eventBaton.stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 }
 
-UI.prototype.onWindowFocus = function() {
-  this.commandPromptView.focus();
-};
-
 exports.getEvents = function() {
   return events;
 };
@@ -14211,7 +14203,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
     // first we stop listening to keyboard and give that back to UI, which
     // other views will take if they need to
     this.keyboardListener.mute();
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().releaseBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 
     setTimeout(_.bind(function() {
       _.each(this.childViews, function(childView) {
@@ -14224,7 +14215,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
 
   start: function() {
     // steal the window focus baton
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
     this.showViewIndex(this.currentIndex);
   },
 
@@ -14288,7 +14278,6 @@ var init = function(){
 
   // we always want to focus the text area to collect input
   var focusTextArea = function() {
-    console.log('focusing text area');
     $('#commandTextField').focus();
   };
   focusTextArea();
@@ -14339,15 +14328,8 @@ function UI() {
     el: $('#commandLineHistory'),
     collection: this.commandCollection
   });
-
-  $('#commandTextField').focus();
-  eventBaton.stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 }
 
-UI.prototype.onWindowFocus = function() {
-  this.commandPromptView.focus();
-};
-
 exports.getEvents = function() {
   return events;
 };
@@ -17953,7 +17935,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
     // first we stop listening to keyboard and give that back to UI, which
     // other views will take if they need to
     this.keyboardListener.mute();
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().releaseBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 
     setTimeout(_.bind(function() {
       _.each(this.childViews, function(childView) {
@@ -17966,7 +17947,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
 
   start: function() {
     // steal the window focus baton
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
     this.showViewIndex(this.currentIndex);
   },
 
diff --git a/src/js/app/index.js b/src/js/app/index.js
index 141ef413..966701bd 100644
--- a/src/js/app/index.js
+++ b/src/js/app/index.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var init = function(){
 
   // we always want to focus the text area to collect input
   var focusTextArea = function() {
-    console.log('focusing text area');
     $('#commandTextField').focus();
   };
   focusTextArea();
@@ -74,15 +73,8 @@ function UI() {
     el: $('#commandLineHistory'),
     collection: this.commandCollection
   });
-
-  $('#commandTextField').focus();
-  eventBaton.stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 }
 
-UI.prototype.onWindowFocus = function() {
-  this.commandPromptView.focus();
-};
-
 exports.getEvents = function() {
   return events;
 };
diff --git a/src/js/util/eventBaton.js b/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
index be720f33..31595367 100644
--- a/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
+++ b/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ EventBaton.prototype.releaseBaton = function(name, func, context) {
   }, this);
 
   if (!found) {
-    throw new Error('did not find that function');
+    throw new Error('did not find that function', func, context, name, arguments);
   }
   this.eventMap[name] = newListeners;
 };
diff --git a/src/js/views/index.js b/src/js/views/index.js
index 5ea4ca9a..10032c20 100644
--- a/src/js/views/index.js
+++ b/src/js/views/index.js
@@ -126,11 +126,19 @@ var ModalView = Backbone.View.extend({
     console.warn('stealing keyboard');
     Main.getEventBaton().stealBaton('keydown', this.onKeyDown, this);
     Main.getEventBaton().stealBaton('keyup', this.onKeyUp, this);
+    Main.getEventBaton().stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
+
+    $('#commandTextField').blur();
   },
 
   releaseKeyboard: function() {
     Main.getEventBaton().releaseBaton('keydown', this.onKeyDown, this);
     Main.getEventBaton().releaseBaton('keyup', this.onKeyUp, this);
+    Main.getEventBaton().releaseBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
+  },
+
+  onWindowFocus: function(e) {
+    console.log('window focus doing nothing', e);
   },
 
   onKeyDown: function(e) {
diff --git a/src/js/views/multiView.js b/src/js/views/multiView.js
index 38afc220..ae8580d3 100644
--- a/src/js/views/multiView.js
+++ b/src/js/views/multiView.js
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
     // first we stop listening to keyboard and give that back to UI, which
     // other views will take if they need to
     this.keyboardListener.mute();
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().releaseBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
 
     setTimeout(_.bind(function() {
       _.each(this.childViews, function(childView) {
@@ -137,7 +136,6 @@ var MultiView = Backbone.View.extend({
 
   start: function() {
     // steal the window focus baton
-    require('../app').getEventBaton().stealBaton('windowFocus', this.onWindowFocus, this);
     this.showViewIndex(this.currentIndex);
   },
 
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index b1102fcb..69a8437c 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ Commands
 ========
 [ ] move command creation outside of the command view so multiple things
     can be responsible for specifying the waterfall associated with a command!
-[ ] then refactor keyboard input and UI.listen() to that event system
 [ ] multiple things can process!!!
 [ ] sip from buffer with post-command hooks. ideally the git engine
     knows nothing about the level being played
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ Big Bugs to fix:
 Done things:
 (I only started this on Dec 17th 2012 to get a better sense of what was done)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+[x] then refactor keyboard input and UI.listen() to that event system
 [x] make some kind of "single listener" event system... will make keyboard stuff easy
     because then you just steal and release for modals and such
 [x] text input from the commandPromptView must flow down into