diff --git a/modules/actions/disconnect.js b/modules/actions/disconnect.js
index b58ab7d2f..169dbf92e 100644
--- a/modules/actions/disconnect.js
+++ b/modules/actions/disconnect.js
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ export function actionDisconnect(nodeId, newNodeId) {
             } else {
                 way.nodes.forEach(function(waynode, index) {
                     if (waynode === nodeId) {
+                        if (way.isClosed() && parentWays.length > 1 && wayIds && wayIds.indexOf(way.id) !== -1 && index === way.nodes.length-1) {
+                            return;
+                        }
                         candidates.push({ wayID: way.id, index: index });
                     }
                 });
diff --git a/modules/operations/disconnect.js b/modules/operations/disconnect.js
index b9ede9fd3..55a12831c 100644
--- a/modules/operations/disconnect.js
+++ b/modules/operations/disconnect.js
@@ -4,8 +4,15 @@ import { behaviorOperation } from '../behavior/index';
 
 
 export function operationDisconnect(selectedIDs, context) {
-    var vertices = selectedIDs.filter(function(id) {
-        return context.geometry(id) === 'vertex';
+    var vertices = [],
+        ways = [];
+
+    selectedIDs.forEach(function(id) {
+        if (context.geometry(id) === 'vertex') {
+            vertices.push(id);
+        } else {
+            ways.push(id);
+        }
     });
 
     var entityID = vertices[0];
@@ -23,7 +30,7 @@ export function operationDisconnect(selectedIDs, context) {
 
 
     operation.available = function() {
-        return vertices.length === 1;
+        return vertices.length === 1 && ways.every(function(way) { return context.graph().entity(way).nodes.includes(vertices[0]); });
     };
 
 
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/disconnect.js b/test/spec/actions/disconnect.js
index a985933d0..703ffef88 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/disconnect.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/disconnect.js
@@ -180,6 +180,35 @@ describe('iD.actionDisconnect', function () {
         expect(graph.entity('|').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'b']);
     });
 
+    it('preserves the closed way when part of a larger disconnect operation', function () {
+        // Situation:
+        //    a ---- bb === c
+        //           =   ==
+        //           = ==
+        //           d
+        // Disconnect - at b (whilst == is selected).
+        //
+        // Expected result:
+        //    a ---- b   ee === c
+        //               =   ==
+        //               = ==
+        //               d
+        //
+        var graph = iD.coreGraph([
+                iD.osmNode({id: 'a'}),
+                iD.osmNode({id: 'b'}),
+                iD.osmNode({id: 'c'}),
+                iD.osmNode({id: 'd'}),
+                iD.osmWay({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b']}),
+                iD.osmWay({id: '=', nodes: ['b', 'c', 'd', 'b']})
+            ]);
+
+        graph = iD.actionDisconnect('b', 'e').limitWays(['='])(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b']);
+        expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['e', 'c', 'd', 'e']);
+    });
+
     it('replaces later occurrences in a self-intersecting way', function() {
         // Situtation:
         //  a --- b