diff --git a/js/about/bookmarks.js b/js/about/bookmarks.js
index 5d8c69d8e5b..b459561ebbc 100644
--- a/js/about/bookmarks.js
+++ b/js/about/bookmarks.js
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ class BookmarkFolderItem extends React.Component {
         true)
     }
   }
+  clearSelection () {
+    if (this.props.onClearSelection) {
+      this.props.onClearSelection()
+    }
+  }
   // NOTE: both folders AND bookmarks can be dropped here
   onDrop (e) {
     this.setState({
@@ -74,10 +79,12 @@ class BookmarkFolderItem extends React.Component {
         bookmarkData.forEach((bookmark) => {
           this.moveBookmark(e, bookmark)
         })
+        this.clearSelection()
         return
       }
 
       this.moveBookmark(e, bookmarkData)
+      this.clearSelection()
     }
   }
   render () {
@@ -137,6 +144,7 @@ class BookmarkFolderList extends ImmutableComponent {
       {
         this.props.isRoot
         ? <BookmarkFolderItem
+          onClearSelection={this.props.onClearSelection}
           search={this.props.search}
           selected={!this.props.search && this.props.selectedFolderId === 0}
           dataL10nId='bookmarksToolbar'
@@ -151,7 +159,9 @@ class BookmarkFolderList extends ImmutableComponent {
         this.props.bookmarkFolders.map((bookmarkFolder) =>
           this.props.isRoot && bookmarkFolder.get('parentFolderId') === -1
           ? null
-          : <BookmarkFolderItem bookmarkFolder={bookmarkFolder}
+          : <BookmarkFolderItem
+            onClearSelection={this.props.onClearSelection}
+            bookmarkFolder={bookmarkFolder}
             allBookmarkFolders={this.props.allBookmarkFolders}
             search={this.props.search}
             selected={!this.props.search && this.props.selectedFolderId === bookmarkFolder.get('folderId')}
@@ -161,6 +171,7 @@ class BookmarkFolderList extends ImmutableComponent {
       {
         this.props.isRoot
         ? <BookmarkFolderItem
+          onClearSelection={this.props.onClearSelection}
           search={this.props.search}
           selected={!this.props.search && this.props.selectedFolderId === -1}
           dataL10nId='otherBookmarks'
@@ -293,12 +304,17 @@ class BookmarksList extends ImmutableComponent {
         bookmarkData.forEach((bookmark) => {
           this.moveBookmark(e, bookmark, siteDetail)
         })
+        this.clearSelection()
         return
       }
 
       this.moveBookmark(e, bookmarkData, siteDetail)
+      this.clearSelection()
     }
   }
+  clearSelection () {
+    this.refs.bookmarkTable.clearSelection()
+  }
   render () {
     const props = !this.props.draggable ? {
       onDragStart: this.onDragStart,
@@ -312,6 +328,7 @@ class BookmarksList extends ImmutableComponent {
     }
     return <div>
       <SortableTable
+        ref='bookmarkTable'
         headings={[
           <BookmarkTitleHeader heading='Title' selectedFolderId={this.props.selectedFolderId} />,
           'Last Visited'
@@ -348,6 +365,8 @@ class AboutBookmarks extends React.Component {
     this.onClearSearchText = this.onClearSearchText.bind(this)
     this.importBrowserData = this.importBrowserData.bind(this)
     this.addBookmarkFolder = this.addBookmarkFolder.bind(this)
+    this.onClick = this.onClick.bind(this)
+    this.clearSelection = this.clearSelection.bind(this)
     this.state = {
       bookmarks: Immutable.List(),
       bookmarkFolders: Immutable.Map(),
@@ -377,6 +396,19 @@ class AboutBookmarks extends React.Component {
       search: ''
     })
   }
+  onClick (e) {
+    // Determine if click was on sortableTable
+    let targetElement = e.target
+    while (targetElement) {
+      if (targetElement.tagName === 'TBODY') {
+        return
+      }
+      targetElement = targetElement.parentNode
+    }
+
+    // Click was not a child element of sortableTable; clear selection
+    this.clearSelection()
+  }
   searchedBookmarks (searchTerm, bookmarks) {
     return bookmarks.filter((bookmark) => {
       const title = bookmark.get('customTitle') + bookmark.get('title') + bookmark.get('location')
@@ -396,6 +428,9 @@ class AboutBookmarks extends React.Component {
     })
     aboutActions.showAddBookmarkFolder(newFolder)
   }
+  clearSelection () {
+    this.refs.bookmarkList.clearSelection()
+  }
   componentDidMount () {
     this.refs.bookmarkSearch.focus()
   }
@@ -415,14 +450,16 @@ class AboutBookmarks extends React.Component {
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <div className='siteDetailsPageContent'>
+      <div className='siteDetailsPageContent' onClick={this.onClick}>
         <div className='folderView'>
           <div className='columnHeader'>
             <span data-l10n-id='folders' />
             <span data-l10n-id='importBrowserData' className='fa fa-download clearBrowsingDataButton' onClick={this.importBrowserData} />
             <span data-l10n-id='addBookmarkFolder' className='addBookmarkFolder' onClick={this.addBookmarkFolder} />
           </div>
-          <BookmarkFolderList onChangeSelectedFolder={this.onChangeSelectedFolder}
+          <BookmarkFolderList
+            onClearSelection={this.clearSelection}
+            onChangeSelectedFolder={this.onChangeSelectedFolder}
             bookmarkFolders={this.state.bookmarkFolders.filter((bookmark) => bookmark.get('parentFolderId') === -1)}
             allBookmarkFolders={this.state.bookmarkFolders}
             isRoot
@@ -431,6 +468,7 @@ class AboutBookmarks extends React.Component {
         </div>
         <div className='organizeView'>
           <BookmarksList
+            ref='bookmarkList'
             bookmarks={
               this.state.search
               ? this.searchedBookmarks(this.state.search, this.state.bookmarks)
diff --git a/js/constants/appConfig.js b/js/constants/appConfig.js
index 4fe211e53a7..7d4fba66de4 100644
--- a/js/constants/appConfig.js
+++ b/js/constants/appConfig.js
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ module.exports = {
     'general.language': null, // null means to use the OS lang
     'general.startup-mode': 'lastTime',
     'general.homepage': 'https://www.brave.com',
-    'general.newtab-mode-TEMP': 'blank',
+    'general.newtab-mode-TEMP': process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test' ? 'newTabPage' : 'blank',
     'general.show-home-button': false,
     'general.useragent.value': null, // Set at runtime
     'general.autohide-menu': true,
diff --git a/test/about/bookmarksManagerTest.js b/test/about/bookmarksManagerTest.js
index acb559cd4e7..9b5be059067 100644
--- a/test/about/bookmarksManagerTest.js
+++ b/test/about/bookmarksManagerTest.js
@@ -188,5 +188,16 @@ describe('about:bookmarks', function () {
         .keys(Brave.keys.SHIFT)
         .click('table.sortableTable td.title[data-sort="Brave"]')
     })
+    it('deselects everything if something other than a row is clicked', function * () {
+      yield this.app.client
+        .tabByUrl(aboutBookmarksUrl)
+        .loadUrl(aboutBookmarksUrl)
+        // Click one bookmark, to select it
+        .click('table.sortableTable td.title[data-sort="Brave"]')
+        .waitForVisible('table.sortableTable tr.selected td.title[data-sort="Brave"]')
+        // Click the header; this should dismiss and release selection
+        .click('table.sortableTable th')
+        .waitForVisible('table.sortableTable tr.selected td.title[data-sort="Brave"]', 5000, true)
+    })
   })
 })