diff --git a/ui/autocomplete.js b/ui/autocomplete.js
index 60d69307edb..af3975d6e5a 100644
--- a/ui/autocomplete.js
+++ b/ui/autocomplete.js
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ $.widget( "ui.autocomplete", {
 					previous = this.previous;
 
 				// only trigger when focus was lost (click on menu)
-				if ( this.element[ 0 ] !== this.document[ 0 ].activeElement ) {
+				if ( this.element[ 0 ] !== $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[ 0 ] ) ) {
 					this.element.focus();
 					this.previous = previous;
 					// #6109 - IE triggers two focus events and the second
diff --git a/ui/core.js b/ui/core.js
index a7d10fe40d7..107bd96e9d1 100644
--- a/ui/core.js
+++ b/ui/core.js
@@ -49,6 +49,31 @@ $.extend( $.ui, {
 		SPACE: 32,
 		TAB: 9,
 		UP: 38
+	},
+
+	// Internal use only
+	safeActiveElement: function( document ) {
+		var activeElement;
+
+		// Support: IE 9 only
+		// IE9 throws an "Unspecified error" accessing document.activeElement from an <iframe>
+		try {
+			activeElement = document.activeElement;
+		} catch ( error ) {
+			activeElement = document.body;
+		}
+
+		return activeElement;
+	},
+
+	// Internal use only
+	safeBlur: function( element ) {
+
+		// Support: IE9 - 10 only
+		// If the <body> is blurred, IE will switch windows, see #9420
+		if ( element && element.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== "body" ) {
+			$( element ).blur();
+		}
 	}
 });
 
diff --git a/ui/dialog.js b/ui/dialog.js
index 0775fbe8df9..8c3a9a14f66 100644
--- a/ui/dialog.js
+++ b/ui/dialog.js
@@ -191,8 +191,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 	enable: $.noop,
 
 	close: function( event ) {
-		var activeElement,
-			that = this;
+		var that = this;
 
 		if ( !this._isOpen || this._trigger( "beforeClose", event ) === false ) {
 			return;
@@ -205,21 +204,10 @@ return $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 
 		if ( !this.opener.filter( ":focusable" ).focus().length ) {
 
-			// support: IE9
-			// IE9 throws an "Unspecified error" accessing document.activeElement from an <iframe>
-			try {
-				activeElement = this.document[ 0 ].activeElement;
-
-				// Support: IE9, IE10
-				// If the <body> is blurred, IE will switch windows, see #4520
-				if ( activeElement && activeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== "body" ) {
-
-					// Hiding a focused element doesn't trigger blur in WebKit
-					// so in case we have nothing to focus on, explicitly blur the active element
-					// https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=47182
-					$( activeElement ).blur();
-				}
-			} catch ( error ) {}
+			// Hiding a focused element doesn't trigger blur in WebKit
+			// so in case we have nothing to focus on, explicitly blur the active element
+			// https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=47182
+			$.ui.safeBlur( $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[ 0 ] ) );
 		}
 
 		this._hide( this.uiDialog, this.options.hide, function() {
@@ -263,7 +251,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 		}
 
 		this._isOpen = true;
-		this.opener = $( this.document[ 0 ].activeElement );
+		this.opener = $( $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[ 0 ] ) );
 
 		this._size();
 		this._position();
@@ -319,7 +307,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.dialog", {
 
 	_keepFocus: function( event ) {
 		function checkFocus() {
-			var activeElement = this.document[0].activeElement,
+			var activeElement = $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[0] ),
 				isActive = this.uiDialog[0] === activeElement ||
 					$.contains( this.uiDialog[0], activeElement );
 			if ( !isActive ) {
diff --git a/ui/draggable.js b/ui/draggable.js
index c57a3517c98..c57bd7a450a 100644
--- a/ui/draggable.js
+++ b/ui/draggable.js
@@ -142,25 +142,14 @@ $.widget("ui.draggable", $.ui.mouse, {
 	},
 
 	_blurActiveElement: function( event ) {
-		var document = this.document[ 0 ];
 
 		// Only need to blur if the event occurred on the draggable itself, see #10527
 		if ( !this.handleElement.is( event.target ) ) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// support: IE9
-		// IE9 throws an "Unspecified error" accessing document.activeElement from an <iframe>
-		try {
-
-			// Support: IE9, IE10
-			// If the <body> is blurred, IE will switch windows, see #9520
-			if ( document.activeElement && document.activeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== "body" ) {
-
-				// Blur any element that currently has focus, see #4261
-				$( document.activeElement ).blur();
-			}
-		} catch ( error ) {}
+		// Blur any element that currently has focus, see #4261
+		$.ui.safeBlur( $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[ 0 ] ) );
 	},
 
 	_mouseStart: function(event) {
diff --git a/ui/menu.js b/ui/menu.js
index 353368cf959..e97145fb3ca 100644
--- a/ui/menu.js
+++ b/ui/menu.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 					// Open submenu on click
 					if ( target.has( ".ui-menu" ).length ) {
 						this.expand( event );
-					} else if ( !this.element.is( ":focus" ) && $( this.document[ 0 ].activeElement ).closest( ".ui-menu" ).length ) {
+					} else if ( !this.element.is( ":focus" ) && $( $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[ 0 ] ) ).closest( ".ui-menu" ).length ) {
 
 						// Redirect focus to the menu
 						this.element.trigger( "focus", [ true ] );
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.menu", {
 			},
 			blur: function( event ) {
 				this._delay(function() {
-					if ( !$.contains( this.element[0], this.document[0].activeElement ) ) {
+					if ( !$.contains( this.element[0], $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[0] ) ) ) {
 						this.collapseAll( event );
 					}
 				});
diff --git a/ui/spinner.js b/ui/spinner.js
index 1d3212add3c..9ab86e209ce 100644
--- a/ui/spinner.js
+++ b/ui/spinner.js
@@ -155,10 +155,10 @@ return $.widget( "ui.spinner", {
 			// If the input is focused then this.previous is properly set from
 			// when the input first received focus. If the input is not focused
 			// then we need to set this.previous based on the value before spinning.
-			previous = this.element[0] === this.document[0].activeElement ?
+			previous = this.element[0] === $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[0] ) ?
 				this.previous : this.element.val();
 			function checkFocus() {
-				var isActive = this.element[0] === this.document[0].activeElement;
+				var isActive = this.element[0] === $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[0] );
 				if ( !isActive ) {
 					this.element.focus();
 					this.previous = previous;
diff --git a/ui/tabs.js b/ui/tabs.js
index 6d826b14af1..9b05d47d906 100644
--- a/ui/tabs.js
+++ b/ui/tabs.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.tabs", {
 	},
 
 	_tabKeydown: function( event ) {
-		var focusedTab = $( this.document[0].activeElement ).closest( "li" ),
+		var focusedTab = $( $.ui.safeActiveElement( this.document[0] ) ).closest( "li" ),
 			selectedIndex = this.tabs.index( focusedTab ),
 			goingForward = true;
 
