diff --git a/rsrc/dialogs/get-response.xml b/rsrc/dialogs/get-response.xml
index 005d0628..237f5ec2 100644
--- a/rsrc/dialogs/get-response.xml
+++ b/rsrc/dialogs/get-response.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='no'?>
 <!-- NOTE: This file should be updated to use relative positioning the next time it changes. -->
 <?xml-stylesheet href="dialog.xsl" type="text/xsl"?>
-<dialog defbtn='okay'>
+<dialog defbtn='okay' escbtn='cancel'>
 	<field name='response' type='text' top='34' left='88' width='75' height='16'/>
 	<text name='prompt' size='large' top='6' left='55' width='141' height='16'>You respond:</text>
 	<pict name='pic' type='dlog' num='16' top='8' left='8'/>
+	<button name='cancel' type='regular' top='62' left='75'>Cancel</button>
 	<button name='okay' type='regular' top='62' left='146'>OK</button>
 </dialog>
diff --git a/src/game/boe.items.cpp b/src/game/boe.items.cpp
index 9b3a1cf5..9f93b5e5 100644
--- a/src/game/boe.items.cpp
+++ b/src/game/boe.items.cpp
@@ -830,9 +830,10 @@ void place_treasure(location where,short level,short loot,short mode) {
 	}
 }
 
-static bool get_text_response_event_filter(cDialog& me, std::string, eKeyMod) {
+static bool get_text_response_event_filter(cDialog& me, std::string item_hit, eKeyMod) {
 	me.toast(true);
-	me.setResult(me["response"].getText());
+	if(item_hit == "cancel") me.setResult(std::string {""});
+	else me.setResult(me["response"].getText());
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -840,7 +841,7 @@ std::string get_text_response(std::string prompt, pic_num_t pic) {
 	set_cursor(sword_curs);
 	
 	cDialog strPanel(*ResMgr::dialogs.get("get-response"));
-	strPanel.attachClickHandlers(get_text_response_event_filter, {"okay"});
+	strPanel.attachClickHandlers(get_text_response_event_filter, {"okay", "cancel"});
 	if(!prompt.empty()) {
 		dynamic_cast<cPict&>(strPanel["pic"]).setPict(pic);
 		strPanel["prompt"].setText(prompt);