diff --git a/tests/unit/slider/slider_events.js b/tests/unit/slider/slider_events.js
index cc5546a9f6f..340c2501866 100644
--- a/tests/unit/slider/slider_events.js
+++ b/tests/unit/slider/slider_events.js
@@ -7,28 +7,47 @@ module( "slider: events" );
 // value (even if same as previous value), via mouse(mouseup) or keyboard(keyup)
 // or value method/option"
 test( "mouse based interaction", function() {
-	expect( 4 );
+	expect( 5 );
 
-	var element = $( "#slider1" )
+	var handlePosition,
+		element = $( "#slider1" )
+			.slider({
+				start: function( event ) {
+					equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mousedown", "start triggered by mousedown" );
+				},
+				slide: function( event) {
+					equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mousemove", "slider triggered by mousemove" );
+				},
+				stop: function( event ) {
+					equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mouseup", "stop triggered by mouseup" );
+				},
+				change: function( event ) {
+					equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mouseup", "change triggered by mouseup" );
+				}
+			}),
+		handles = element.find( ".ui-slider-handle" );
+
+	handles.eq( 0 ).simulate( "drag", { dx: 10, dy: 10 } );
+	element.slider( "destroy" );
+
+	element = $( "#slider1" )
 		.slider({
-			start: function( event ) {
-				equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mousedown", "start triggered by mousedown" );
-			},
-			slide: function( event) {
-				equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mousemove", "slider triggered by mousemove" );
-			},
-			stop: function( event ) {
-				equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mouseup", "stop triggered by mouseup" );
-			},
-			change: function( event ) {
-				equal( event.originalEvent.type, "mouseup", "change triggered by mouseup" );
-			}
+			range: true,
+			min: 0,
+			max: 100,
+			values: [ 20, 80 ]
 		});
+	handles = element.find( ".ui-slider-handle" );
+	element.slider( "values", 0, 79 );
+	handlePosition = handles.eq( 1 ).offset();
+	element.on( "slidestart", function( event, ui ) {
+		equal( ui.handleIndex, 1, "drag selected instead of closest handle" );
+	});
 
-	element.find( ".ui-slider-handle" ).eq( 0 )
-		.simulate( "drag", { dx: 10, dy: 10 } );
-
+	handles.eq( 1 ).simulate( "mousedown", { clientX: handlePosition.left } );
+	handles.eq( 1 ).simulate( "mouseup" );
 });
+
 test( "keyboard based interaction", function() {
 	expect( 3 );
 
diff --git a/ui/slider.js b/ui/slider.js
index 4ca9c60022b..8bf315084e2 100644
--- a/ui/slider.js
+++ b/ui/slider.js
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 		this._mouseSliding = false;
 		this._animateOff = true;
 		this._handleIndex = null;
+		this._lastChangedIndex = null;
 		this._detectOrientation();
 		this._mouseInit();
 		this._calculateNewMax();
@@ -176,9 +177,41 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 		this._mouseDestroy();
 	},
 
+	_closestHandleIndex: function( value, activeHandleIndex ) {
+		var that = this,
+			index = activeHandleIndex,
+			breakLoop = false,
+			activeSet = activeHandleIndex !== -1,
+			max = this._valueMax(), min = this._valueMin(),
+			distance = activeSet ? value - this.values( activeHandleIndex ) : max - min +  1;
+
+		this.handles.each( function( i ) {
+			var handleDistance = Math.abs( value - that.values( i ) );
+			if ( ( breakLoop && handleDistance >= distance ) || handleDistance > distance || !that._canBeDrag( i ) ) {
+				return;
+			}
+			index = i;
+			distance = handleDistance;
+			breakLoop = breakLoop ? breakLoop : i === that._lastChangedIndex;
+		});
+
+		return index;
+	},
+
+	_canBeDrag: function( index ) {
+		var val = this.values( index ),
+			prev = this.values( index - 1 ),
+			next = this.values( index + 1 );
+
+		prev = isNaN( prev ) ? this._valueMin() : prev;
+		next = isNaN( next ) ? this._valueMax() : next;
+
+		return !( prev === val && val === next );
+	},
+
 	_mouseCapture: function( event ) {
-		var position, normValue, distance, closestHandle, index, allowed, offset, mouseOverHandle,
-			that = this,
+		var position, normValue, handle, index, allowed, offset, mouseOverHandle,
+			capturedElementIndex = this.handles.index( $( event.target ) ),
 			o = this.options;
 
 		if ( o.disabled ) {
@@ -190,20 +223,11 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 			height: this.element.outerHeight()
 		};
 		this.elementOffset = this.element.offset();
-
 		position = { x: event.pageX, y: event.pageY };
 		normValue = this._normValueFromMouse( position );
-		distance = this._valueMax() - this._valueMin() + 1;
-		this.handles.each(function( i ) {
-			var thisDistance = Math.abs( normValue - that.values(i) );
-			if (( distance > thisDistance ) ||
-				( distance === thisDistance &&
-					(i === that._lastChangedValue || that.values(i) === o.min ))) {
-				distance = thisDistance;
-				closestHandle = $( this );
-				index = i;
-			}
-		});
+
+		index = this._closestHandleIndex( normValue, capturedElementIndex );
+		handle = this.handles.eq( index );
 
 		allowed = this._start( event, index );
 		if ( allowed === false ) {
@@ -213,18 +237,18 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 
 		this._handleIndex = index;
 
-		this._addClass( closestHandle, null, "ui-state-active" );
-		closestHandle.focus();
+		this._addClass( handle, null, "ui-state-active" );
+		handle.focus();
 
-		offset = closestHandle.offset();
+		offset = handle.offset();
 		mouseOverHandle = !$( event.target ).parents().addBack().is( ".ui-slider-handle" );
 		this._clickOffset = mouseOverHandle ? { left: 0, top: 0 } : {
-			left: event.pageX - offset.left - ( closestHandle.width() / 2 ),
+			left: event.pageX - offset.left - ( handle.width() / 2 ),
 			top: event.pageY - offset.top -
-				( closestHandle.height() / 2 ) -
-				( parseInt( closestHandle.css("borderTopWidth"), 10 ) || 0 ) -
-				( parseInt( closestHandle.css("borderBottomWidth"), 10 ) || 0) +
-				( parseInt( closestHandle.css("marginTop"), 10 ) || 0)
+			( handle.height() / 2 ) -
+			( parseInt( handle.css("borderTopWidth"), 10 ) || 0 ) -
+			( parseInt( handle.css("borderBottomWidth"), 10 ) || 0) +
+			( parseInt( handle.css("marginTop"), 10 ) || 0)
 		};
 
 		if ( !this.handles.hasClass( "ui-state-hover" ) ) {
@@ -361,7 +385,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 	_change: function( event, index ) {
 		if ( !this._keySliding && !this._mouseSliding ) {
 			//store the last changed value index for reference when handles overlap
-			this._lastChangedValue = index;
+			this._lastChangedIndex = index;
 			this._trigger( "change", event, this._uiHash( index ) );
 		}
 	},
@@ -455,7 +479,7 @@ return $.widget( "ui.slider", $.ui.mouse, {
 				this._refreshValue();
 
 				// Start from the last handle to prevent unreachable handles (#9046)
-				for ( i = valsLength - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) {
+				for ( i = 0; i < valsLength; i++ ) {
 					this._change( null, i );
 				}
 				this._animateOff = false;