diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/bindings/noteeditor.xml b/chrome/content/zotero/bindings/noteeditor.xml
index e40906b50..f06be6d7b 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/bindings/noteeditor.xml
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/bindings/noteeditor.xml
@@ -201,10 +201,13 @@
 					
 					//var scrollPos = textbox.inputField.scrollTop;
 					if (this.item) {
+						// For sanity check in save()
+						textbox.setAttribute('itemID', this.item.id);
 						textbox.value = this.item.getNote();
 					}
 					else {
 						textbox.value = '';
+						textbox.removeAttribute('itemID');
 					}
 					//textbox.inputField.scrollTop = scrollPos;
 					
@@ -251,6 +254,15 @@
 							// Update note
 							var noteField = this._id('noteField');
 							if (this.item) {
+								// If note field doesn't match item, abort save and run error handler
+								if (noteField.getAttribute('itemID') != this.item.id) {
+									if (this.hasAttribute('onerror')) {
+										let fn = new Function("", this.getAttribute('onerror'));
+										fn.call(this)
+									}
+									throw new Error("Note field doesn't match current item");
+								}
+								
 								let changed = this.item.setNote(noteField.value);
 								if (changed && this.saveOnEdit) {
 									this.noteField.changed = false;
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/itemPane.xul b/chrome/content/zotero/itemPane.xul
index ff3baa295..3609daa1b 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/itemPane.xul
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/itemPane.xul
@@ -107,7 +107,13 @@
 			
 			<!-- Note item -->
 			<groupbox id="zotero-view-note" flex="1">
-				<zoteronoteeditor id="zotero-note-editor" flex="1" notitle="1" previousfocus="zotero-items-tree"/>
+				<!--
+					'onerror' handler crashes the app on a save error to prevent typing in notes
+					while they're not being saved
+				-->
+				<zoteronoteeditor id="zotero-note-editor" flex="1" notitle="1"
+					previousfocus="zotero-items-tree"
+					onerror="ZoteroPane.displayErrorMessage()"/>
 				<button id="zotero-view-note-button" label="&zotero.notes.separate;" oncommand="ZoteroPane_Local.openNoteWindow(this.getAttribute('noteID')); if(this.hasAttribute('sourceID')) ZoteroPane_Local.selectItem(this.getAttribute('sourceID'));"/>
 			</groupbox>