diff --git a/static/js/Editor.js b/static/js/Editor.js
index d266abf..8f7c41c 100644
--- a/static/js/Editor.js
+++ b/static/js/Editor.js
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ Editor.prototype.blurred = function () {
 
 Editor.prototype.empty = function () {
   if ( !this.document || !this.document.body )
-    return false; // we don't know yet whether it's empty
+    return true; // consider it empty as of now
 
   return ( scrapeText( this.document.body ).length == 0 );
 }
@@ -493,8 +493,12 @@ Editor.prototype.shutdown = function( event ) {
   disconnectAll( this.options_button );
   disconnectAll( this.hide_button );
   disconnectAll( iframe );
-  disconnectAll( this.document.body );
-  disconnectAll( this.document );
+
+  if ( this.document ) {
+    disconnectAll( this.document.body );
+    disconnectAll( this.document );
+  }
+
   blindUp( iframe, options = { "duration": 0.5, afterFinish: function () {
     try {
       removeElement( note_controls );
diff --git a/static/js/Wiki.js b/static/js/Wiki.js
index d1dcdfc..7a89139 100644
--- a/static/js/Wiki.js
+++ b/static/js/Wiki.js
@@ -729,6 +729,14 @@ Wiki.prototype.display_error = function ( text ) {
   this.clear_messages();
   this.clear_pulldowns();
 
+  // remove all empty editors, some of which might exist due to a problem reaching the server
+  var iframes = getElementsByTagAndClassName( "iframe", "note_frame" );
+  for ( var i in iframes ) {
+    var editor = iframes[ i ].editor;
+    if ( editor.empty() )
+      editor.shutdown();
+  }
+
   var inner_div = DIV( { "class": "error_inner" }, text );
   var div = DIV( { "class": "error" }, inner_div );
   appendChildNodes( "notes", div );