diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/Document.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/Document.coffee
index 78431b8b6b..7b41efdc12 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/Document.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/Document.coffee
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ define [
 		getPendingOp: () ->
 			@doc?.getPendingOp()
 
+		getRecentAck: () ->
+			@doc?.getRecentAck()
+
+		getOpSize: (op) ->
+			@doc?.getOpSize(op)
+
 		hasBufferedOps: () ->
 			@doc?.hasBufferedOps()
 
@@ -143,24 +149,35 @@ define [
 		clearChaosMonkey: () ->
 			clearTimeout @_cm
 
+		MAX_PENDING_OP_SIZE: 30 # pending ops bigger than this are always
+														# considered unsaved
+
 		pollSavedStatus: () ->
 			# returns false if doc has ops waiting to be acknowledged or
 			# sent that haven't changed since the last time we checked.
 			# Otherwise returns true.
 			inflightOp = @getInflightOp()
 			pendingOp = @getPendingOp()
+			recentAck = @getRecentAck()
+			pendingOpSize = pendingOp? && @getOpSize(pendingOp)
 			if !inflightOp? and !pendingOp?
-				# there's nothing going on
+				# there's nothing going on, this is ok.
 				saved = true
 				sl_console.log "[pollSavedStatus] no inflight or pending ops"
 			else if inflightOp? and inflightOp == @oldInflightOp
 				# The same inflight op has been sitting unacked since we
-				# last checked.
+				# last checked, this is bad.
 				saved = false
 				sl_console.log "[pollSavedStatus] inflight op is same as before"
-			else
+			else if pendingOp? and recentAck && pendingOpSize < @MAX_PENDING_OP_SIZE
+				# There is an op waiting to go to server but it is small and
+				# within the flushDelay, this is ok for now.
 				saved = true
-				sl_console.log "[pollSavedStatus] assuming saved (inflightOp?: #{inflightOp?}, pendingOp?: #{pendingOp?})"
+				sl_console.log "[pollSavedStatus] pending op (small with recent ack) assume ok", pendingOp, pendingOpSize
+			else
+				# In any other situation, assume the document is unsaved.
+				saved = false
+				sl_console.log "[pollSavedStatus] assuming not saved (inflightOp?: #{inflightOp?}, pendingOp?: #{pendingOp?})"
 
 			@oldInflightOp = inflightOp
 			return saved
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.coffee
index 27d325676c..8b9623c270 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.coffee
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ define [
 			@_doc.on "change", () =>
 				@trigger "change"
 			@_doc.on "acknowledge", () =>
+				@lastAcked = new Date() # note time of last ack from server
 				@trigger "acknowledge"
 			@_doc.on "remoteop", () =>
 				# As soon as we're working with a collaborator, start sending
@@ -101,12 +102,26 @@ define [
 			@connection.id = @socket.socket.sessionid
 			@_doc.autoOpen = false
 			@_doc._connectionStateChanged(state)
+			@lastAcked = null # reset the last ack time when connection changes
 
 		hasBufferedOps: () ->
 			@_doc.inflightOp? or @_doc.pendingOp?
 
 		getInflightOp: () -> @_doc.inflightOp
 		getPendingOp: () -> @_doc.pendingOp
+		getRecentAck: () ->
+			# check if we have received an ack recently (within the flush delay)
+			@lastAcked? and new Date() - @lastAcked < @_doc._flushDelay
+		getOpSize: (op) ->
+			# compute size of an op from its components
+			# (total number of characters inserted and deleted)
+			size = 0
+			for component in op or []
+				if component?.i?
+					size += component.i.length
+				if component?.d?
+					size += component.d.length
+			return size
 
 		attachToAce: (ace) -> @_doc.attach_ace(ace, false, window.maxDocLength)
 		detachFromAce: () -> @_doc.detach_ace?()