diff --git a/src/controllers/DrawingModeController.js b/src/controllers/DrawingModeController.js
index 0675e9646..cb8c49e4c 100644
--- a/src/controllers/DrawingModeController.js
+++ b/src/controllers/DrawingModeController.js
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ class DrawingModeController extends AnnotationModeController {
      */
     handleSelection(event) {
         // NOTE: @jpress This is a workaround when buttons are not given precedence in the event chain
-        if (!event || (event.target && event.target.nodeName === 'BUTTON')) {
+        const hasPendingDrawing = this.currentThread && this.currentThread.state === STATES.pending;
+        if (!event || (event.target && event.target.nodeName === 'BUTTON') || hasPendingDrawing) {
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/__tests__/DrawingModeController-test.js b/src/controllers/__tests__/DrawingModeController-test.js
index 9d828df32..b148fcb92 100644
--- a/src/controllers/__tests__/DrawingModeController-test.js
+++ b/src/controllers/__tests__/DrawingModeController-test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import DrawingModeController from '../DrawingModeController';
 import * as util from '../../util';
 import {
     TYPES,
+    STATES,
     THREAD_EVENT,
     SELECTOR_ANNOTATION_BUTTON_DRAW_CANCEL,
     SELECTOR_ANNOTATION_BUTTON_DRAW_POST,
@@ -355,6 +356,12 @@ describe('controllers/DrawingModeController', () => {
             expect(stubs.event.stopPropagation).to.be.called;
         });
 
+        it('should do nothing with while drawing a new annotation event', () => {
+            controller.currentThread = { state: STATES.pending };
+            controller.handleSelection(stubs.event);
+            expect(stubs.intersecting).to.not.be.called;
+        })
+
         it('should call select on an thread found in the data store', () => {
             controller.handleSelection(stubs.event);
             expect(stubs.clean).to.be.called;