diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/EditorWatchdogManager.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/EditorWatchdogManager.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a18ac826a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/EditorWatchdogManager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+/*
+
+  EditorWatchdogManager is used for end-to-end checks of edits.
+
+
+  The editor UI is backed by Ace and CodeMirrors, which in turn are connected
+   to ShareJs documents in the frontend.
+  Edits propagate from the editor to ShareJs and are send through socket.io
+   and real-time to document-updater.
+  In document-updater edits are integrated into the document history and
+   a confirmation/rejection is sent back to the frontend.
+
+  Along the way things can get lost.
+  We have certain safe-guards in place, but are still getting occasional
+   reports of lost edits.
+
+  EditorWatchdogManager is implementing the basis for end-to-end checks on
+   two levels:
+
+  - local/ShareJsDoc: edits that pass-by a ShareJs document shall get
+     acknowledged eventually.
+  - global: any edits made in the editor shall get acknowledged eventually,
+     independent for which ShareJs document (potentially none) sees it.
+
+  How does this work?
+  ===================
+
+  The global check is using a global EditorWatchdogManager that is available
+   via the angular factory 'ide'.
+  Local/ShareJsDoc level checks will connect to the global instance.
+
+  Each EditorWatchdogManager keeps track of the oldest un-acknowledged edit.
+  When ever a ShareJs document receives an acknowledgement event, a local
+   EditorWatchdogManager will see it and also notify the global instance about
+   it.
+  The next edit cycle will clear the oldest un-acknowledged timestamp in case
+   a new ack has arrived, otherwise it will bark loud! via the timeout handler.
+
+  Scenarios
+  =========
+
+  - User opens the CodeMirror editor
+    - attach global check to new CM instance
+    - detach Ace from the local EditorWatchdogManager
+    - when the frontend attaches the CM instance to ShareJs, we also
+       attach it to the local EditorWatchdogManager
+      - the internal attach process writes the document content to the editor,
+         which in turn emits 'change' events. These event need to be excluded
+         from the watchdog. EditorWatchdogManager.ignoreEditsFor takes care
+         of that.
+  - User opens the Ace editor (again)
+    - (attach global check to the Ace editor, only one copy of Ace is around)
+    - detach local EditorWatchdogManager from CM
+    - likewise with CM, attach Ace to the local EditorWatchdogManager
+  - User makes an edit
+    - the editor will emit a 'change' event
+    - the global EditorWatchdogManager will process it first
+    - the local EditorWatchdogManager will process it next
+  - Document-updater confirms an edit
+    - the local EditorWatchdogManager will process it first, it passes it on to
+    - the global EditorWatchdogManager will process it next
+
+  Time
+  ====
+
+  The delay between edits and acks is measured using a monotonic clock:
+   `performance.now()`.
+  It is agnostic to system clock changes in either direction and timezone
+   changes do not affect it as well.
+  Roughly speaking, it is initialized with `0` when the `window` context is
+   created, before our JS app boots.
+  As per canIUse.com and MDN `performance.now()` is available to all supported
+   Browsers, including IE11.
+  See also: https://caniuse.com/?search=performance.now
+  See also: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Performance/now
+ */
+
+// TIMEOUT specifies the timeout for edits into a single ShareJsDoc.
+const TIMEOUT = 60 * 1000
+// GLOBAL_TIMEOUT specifies the timeout for edits into any ShareJSDoc.
+const GLOBAL_TIMEOUT = TIMEOUT
+// REPORT_EVERY specifies how often we send events/report errors.
+const REPORT_EVERY = 60 * 1000
+
+export default class EditorWatchdogManager {
+  constructor({ parent, onTimeoutHandler }) {
+    this.timeout = parent ? TIMEOUT : GLOBAL_TIMEOUT
+    this.parent = parent
+    this.onTimeoutHandler =
+      onTimeoutHandler || (parent && parent.onTimeoutHandler)
+
+    this.lastAck = null
+    this.lastUnackedEdit = null
+    this.lastReport = null
+  }
+
+  onAck() {
+    this.lastAck = performance.now()
+
+    // bubble up to globalEditorWatchdogManager
+    if (this.parent) this.parent.onAck()
+  }
+
+  onEdit() {
+    // Use timestamps to track the high-water mark of unacked edits
+    const now = performance.now()
+
+    // Discard the last unacked edit if there are now newer acks
+    if (this.lastAck > this.lastUnackedEdit) {
+      this.lastUnackedEdit = null
+    }
+    // Start tracking for this keypress if we aren't already tracking an
+    //  unacked edit
+    if (!this.lastUnackedEdit) {
+      this.lastUnackedEdit = now
+    }
+
+    // Report an error if the last tracked edit hasn't been cleared by an
+    //  ack from the server after a long time
+    const delay = now - this.lastUnackedEdit
+    if (delay > this.timeout) {
+      const timeOrigin = Date.now() - now
+      const scope = this.parent ? 'ShareJsDoc' : 'global'
+      const lastAck = new Date(this.lastAck ? timeOrigin + this.lastAck : 0)
+      const lastUnackedEdit = new Date(timeOrigin + this.lastUnackedEdit)
+      const meta = { scope, delay, lastAck, lastUnackedEdit }
+      this._log('timedOut', meta)
+
+      // do not flood the server with losing-edits events
+      const reportedRecently = now - this.lastReport < REPORT_EVERY
+      if (!reportedRecently) {
+        this.lastReport = now
+        if (this.parent) {
+          // report this timeout once from the lowest level
+          this.parent.lastReport = this.lastReport
+        }
+        this.onTimeoutHandler(meta)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  attachToEditor(editorName, editor) {
+    const onChangeFn = change => {
+      // Ignore remote changes.
+      if (change.origin !== 'remote') this.onEdit()
+    }
+    let onChange
+    if (!this.parent) {
+      // Change events are processed in sequence, starting with the listener
+      //  that attaches first.
+      // The global watchdog attaches before the local one does.
+      // We want to report bottom up in any case (ShareJs -> global), not just
+      //  for continuous edits (which the different timeouts achieved), but
+      //  also for delayed edits: a user leaves their desk, comes back after
+      //  10min and edits again.
+      // The global watchdog would see the edit first, potentially reporting a
+      //  missed ack attributed to a missing ShareJsDoc -- even tho a doc is
+      //  still active and listening for edits.
+      // Delay the run of the global handler into the next event loop cycle.
+      onChange = change => setTimeout(onChangeFn, 0, change)
+    } else {
+      onChange = onChangeFn
+    }
+    this._log('attach to editor', editorName)
+    editor.on('change', onChange)
+
+    const detachFromEditor = () => {
+      this._log('detach from editor', editorName)
+      editor.off('change', onChange)
+    }
+    return detachFromEditor
+  }
+
+  _log() {
+    const scope = this.parent ? 'ShareJsDoc' : 'global'
+    sl_console.log(`[EditorWatchdogManager] ${scope}:`, ...arguments)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/Document.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/Document.js
index c3a2f4974d..ce0f89fe07 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/Document.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/Document.js
@@ -507,7 +507,8 @@ export default (Document = (function() {
               this.doc_id,
               docLines,
               version,
-              this.ide.socket
+              this.ide.socket,
+              this.ide.globalEditorWatchdogManager
             )
             this._decodeRanges(ranges)
             this.ranges = new RangesTracker(
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.js
index c4b1eec7b7..7994fa9ac7 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/ShareJsDoc.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 import EventEmitter from '../../utils/EventEmitter'
 import ShareJs from 'libs/sharejs'
+import EditorWatchdogManager from '../connection/EditorWatchdogManager'
 
 let ShareJsDoc
 const SINGLE_USER_FLUSH_DELAY = 1000 // ms
@@ -30,7 +31,13 @@ export default (ShareJsDoc = (function() {
 
       this.prototype.FATAL_OP_TIMEOUT = 30000
     }
-    constructor(doc_id, docLines, version, socket) {
+    constructor(
+      doc_id,
+      docLines,
+      version,
+      socket,
+      globalEditorWatchdogManager
+    ) {
       super()
       // Dencode any binary bits of data
       // See http://ecmanaut.blogspot.co.uk/2006/07/encoding-decoding-utf8-in-javascript.html
@@ -88,8 +95,12 @@ export default (ShareJsDoc = (function() {
       this._doc.on('change', (...args) => {
         return this.trigger('change', ...Array.from(args))
       })
+      this.EditorWatchdogManager = new EditorWatchdogManager({
+        parent: globalEditorWatchdogManager
+      })
       this._doc.on('acknowledge', () => {
         this.lastAcked = new Date() // note time of last ack from server for an op we sent
+        this.EditorWatchdogManager.onAck() // keep track of last ack globally
         return this.trigger('acknowledge')
       })
       this._doc.on('remoteop', (...args) => {
@@ -312,19 +323,49 @@ export default (ShareJsDoc = (function() {
       return size
     }
 
+    _attachEditorWatchdogManager(editorName, editor) {
+      // end-to-end check for edits -> acks, for this very ShareJsdoc
+      // This will catch a broken connection and missing UX-blocker for the
+      //  user, allowing them to keep editing.
+      this._detachEditorWatchdogManager = this.EditorWatchdogManager.attachToEditor(
+        editorName,
+        editor
+      )
+    }
+
+    _attachToEditor(editorName, editor, attachToShareJs) {
+      this._attachEditorWatchdogManager(editorName, editor)
+
+      attachToShareJs()
+    }
+
+    _maybeDetachEditorWatchdogManager() {
+      // a failed attach attempt may lead to a missing cleanup handler
+      if (this._detachEditorWatchdogManager) {
+        this._detachEditorWatchdogManager()
+        delete this._detachEditorWatchdogManager
+      }
+    }
+
     attachToAce(ace) {
-      return this._doc.attach_ace(ace, false, window.maxDocLength)
+      this._attachToEditor('Ace', ace, () => {
+        this._doc.attach_ace(ace, false, window.maxDocLength)
+      })
     }
     detachFromAce() {
+      this._maybeDetachEditorWatchdogManager()
       return typeof this._doc.detach_ace === 'function'
         ? this._doc.detach_ace()
         : undefined
     }
 
     attachToCM(cm) {
-      return this._doc.attach_cm(cm, false)
+      this._attachToEditor('CM', cm, () => {
+        this._doc.attach_cm(cm, false)
+      })
     }
     detachFromCM() {
+      this._maybeDetachEditorWatchdogManager()
       return typeof this._doc.detach_cm === 'function'
         ? this._doc.detach_cm()
         : undefined
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/directives/aceEditor.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/directives/aceEditor.js
index 80abc95f9f..4ee7abd283 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/directives/aceEditor.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/editor/directives/aceEditor.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ if (ace.config._moduleUrl == null) {
 }
 
 App.directive('aceEditor', function(
+  ide,
   $timeout,
   $compile,
   $rootScope,
@@ -116,6 +117,11 @@ App.directive('aceEditor', function(
       const editor = ace.edit(element.find('.ace-editor-body')[0])
       editor.$blockScrolling = Infinity
 
+      // end-to-end check for edits -> acks, globally on any doc
+      // This may catch a missing attached ShareJsDoc that in turn bails out
+      //  on missing acks.
+      ide.globalEditorWatchdogManager.attachToEditor('Ace', editor)
+
       // auto-insertion of braces, brackets, dollars
       editor.setOption('behavioursEnabled', scope.autoPairDelimiters || false)
       editor.setOption('wrapBehavioursEnabled', false)
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/services/ide.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/services/ide.js
index 9330ac45e0..9a5f08698b 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/services/ide.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/services/ide.js
@@ -13,15 +13,31 @@
  * Full docs: https://github.com/decaffeinate/decaffeinate/blob/master/docs/suggestions.md
  */
 import App from '../../base'
+import EditorWatchdogManager from '../connection/EditorWatchdogManager'
 // We create and provide this as service so that we can access the global ide
 // from within other parts of the angular app.
-App.factory('ide', function($http, queuedHttp, $modal, $q, $filter, $timeout) {
+App.factory('ide', function(
+  $http,
+  queuedHttp,
+  $modal,
+  $q,
+  $filter,
+  $timeout,
+  eventTracking
+) {
   const ide = {}
   ide.$http = $http
   ide.queuedHttp = queuedHttp
   ide.$q = $q
   ide.$filter = $filter
   ide.$timeout = $timeout
+  ide.globalEditorWatchdogManager = new EditorWatchdogManager({
+    onTimeoutHandler: meta => {
+      eventTracking.sendMB('losing-edits', meta)
+      // clone the meta object, reportError adds additional fields into it
+      ide.reportError('losing-edits', Object.assign({}, meta))
+    }
+  })
 
   this.recentEvents = []
   ide.pushEvent = (type, meta) => {
diff --git a/services/web/test/karma/ide/history/HistoryV2ManagerTests.js b/services/web/test/karma/ide/history/HistoryV2ManagerTests.js
index 5858a1ed1e..cb5beda5b0 100644
--- a/services/web/test/karma/ide/history/HistoryV2ManagerTests.js
+++ b/services/web/test/karma/ide/history/HistoryV2ManagerTests.js
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export default describe('HistoryV2Manager', function() {
         isAdmin: false
       }
       this.ide = {
+        globalEditorWatchdogManager: { attachToEditor() {} },
         $q: $q,
         $http: $http,
         $filter: $filter