diff --git a/cypress/e2e/instance.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/instance.cy.js
index f7ded9b7..ae87edf4 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/instance.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/instance.cy.js
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ describe('Instance', { testIsolation: false }, () => {
         ).to.eq('my-dialog')
         expect(event.target.id).to.eq('my-dialog')
       },
+      showPrevented: event => event.preventDefault(),
       hide: event => {
         // When programmatically hiding the dialog, event details are not set.
         expect(event.detail).to.eq(null)
@@ -71,52 +72,117 @@ describe('Instance', { testIsolation: false }, () => {
         expect(event.detail.target.hasAttribute('data-a11y-dialog-hide'))
         expect(event.target.id).to.eq('my-dialog')
       },
+      hidePrevented: event => event.preventDefault(),
+      hideConditionallyPrevented: event => {
+        if (event.detail?.key === 'Escape') event.preventDefault()
+      },
       destroy: event => {
         expect(event.target.id).to.eq('my-dialog')
       },
     }
 
-    // Spy on handlers to know whether they’ve been called
+    cy.log('Spy on handlers to know whether they’ve been called')
     cy.spy(handlers, 'show').as('show')
     cy.spy(handlers, 'hide').as('hide')
     cy.spy(handlers, 'showManual').as('showManual')
     cy.spy(handlers, 'hideManual').as('hideManual')
+    cy.spy(handlers, 'showPrevented').as('showPrevented')
+    cy.spy(handlers, 'hidePrevented').as('hidePrevented')
+    cy.spy(handlers, 'hideConditionallyPrevented').as(
+      'hideConditionallyPrevented'
+    )
     cy.spy(handlers, 'destroy').as('destroy')
 
-    // Register event listeners on show, hide and destroy events
-    cy.window()
-      .its('instance')
-      .invoke('on', 'show', handlers.show)
-      .invoke('on', 'hide', handlers.hide)
-      .invoke('on', 'destroy', handlers.destroy)
-
-    // Programmatically show the dialog and ensure the show handler has been
-    // called
+    cy.log(
+      'Programmatically show the dialog and ensure the show handler has been called'
+    )
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'show', handlers.show)
     cy.window().its('instance').invoke('show')
     cy.get('@show').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'show', handlers.show)
 
-    // Programmatically hide the dialog and ensure the hide handler has been
-    // called
+    cy.log(
+      'Programmatically hide the dialog and ensure the hide handler has been called'
+    )
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'hide', handlers.hide)
     cy.window().its('instance').invoke('hide')
     cy.get('@hide').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'hide', handlers.hide)
 
-    // Replace the show handler with one that test for a manual action, and
-    // manually show the dialog to ensure it was called properly
-    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'show', handlers.show)
+    cy.log(
+      'Replace the show handler with one that test for a manual action, and manually show the dialog to ensure it was called properly'
+    )
     cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'show', handlers.showManual)
     cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-show="my-dialog"]').click()
     cy.get('@showManual').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'show', handlers.showManual)
 
-    // Replace the hide handler with one that test for a manual action, and
-    // manually hide the dialog to ensure it was called properly
-    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'hide', handlers.hide)
+    cy.log(
+      'Replace the hide handler with one that test for a manual action, and manually hide the dialog to ensure it was called properly'
+    )
     cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'hide', handlers.hideManual)
     cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-hide').last().click()
     cy.get('@hideManual').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'hide', handlers.hideManual)
+
+    cy.log(
+      'Replace the show handler with one that prevents the action, and attempt to show the dialog to ensure it was called properly'
+    )
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'show', handlers.showPrevented)
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-show="my-dialog"]').click()
+    cy.get('@showPrevented').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'show', handlers.showPrevented)
+
+    cy.log(
+      'Replace the hide handler with one that prevents the action, and attempt to hide the dialog to ensure it was called properly'
+    )
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'hide', handlers.hidePrevented)
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-show="my-dialog"]').click()
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-hide').last().click()
+    cy.get('@hidePrevented').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'hide', handlers.hidePrevented)
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-hide').last().click()
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
+
+    cy.log(
+      'Replace the hide handler with one that conditionally prevents the action, and attempt to hide the dialog to ensure it was called properly'
+    )
+    cy.window()
+      .its('instance')
+      .invoke('on', 'hide', handlers.hideConditionallyPrevented)
+    // Open the dialog and expect it to be visible
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-show="my-dialog"]').click()
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    // Close it with a button and expect it to be hidden
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-hide').last().click()
+    cy.get('@hideConditionallyPrevented').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
+    // Open the dialog and expect it to be visible
+    cy.get('[data-a11y-dialog-show="my-dialog"]').click()
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    // Close it with ESC and expect it to still be visible
+    cy.realPress('Escape')
+    cy.get('@hideConditionallyPrevented').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeVisible)
+    // Remove the event prevention, close it with ESC and expect it to be hidden
+    cy.window()
+      .its('instance')
+      .invoke('off', 'hide', handlers.hideConditionallyPrevented)
+    cy.realPress('Escape')
+    cy.get('.dialog').then(shouldBeHidden)
 
-    // Destroy the dialog and ensure the destroy handler has been called
+    cy.log('Destroy the dialog and ensure the destroy handler has been called')
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('on', 'destroy', handlers.destroy)
     cy.window().its('instance').invoke('destroy')
     cy.get('@destroy').should('have.been.called')
+    cy.window().its('instance').invoke('off', 'destroy', handlers.destroy)
   })
 
   it('should be possible to handle dialog destroy', () => {
diff --git a/src/a11y-dialog.ts b/src/a11y-dialog.ts
index 085bcf2c..9670ca57 100644
--- a/src/a11y-dialog.ts
+++ b/src/a11y-dialog.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
    * and remove all associated listeners from dialog openers and closers
    */
   public destroy(): A11yDialogInstance {
+    // Dispatch a `destroy` event
+    const destroyEvent = this.fire('destroy')
+
+    // If the event was prevented, do not continue with the normal behavior
+    if (destroyEvent.defaultPrevented) return this
+
     // Hide the dialog to avoid destroying an open instance
     this.hide()
 
@@ -49,9 +55,6 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
     // event listeners that the author might not have cleaned up.
     this.$el.replaceWith(this.$el.cloneNode(true))
 
-    // Dispatch a `destroy` event
-    this.fire('destroy')
-
     return this
   }
 
@@ -63,6 +66,12 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
     // If the dialog is already open, abort
     if (this.shown) return this
 
+    // Dispatch a `show` event
+    const showEvent = this.fire('show', event)
+
+    // If the event was prevented, do not continue with the normal behavior
+    if (showEvent.defaultPrevented) return this
+
     // Keep a reference to the currently focused element to be able to restore
     // it later
     this.shown = true
@@ -94,9 +103,6 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
     document.body.addEventListener('focus', this.maintainFocus, true)
     this.$el.addEventListener('keydown', this.bindKeypress, true)
 
-    // Dispatch a `show` event
-    this.fire('show', event)
-
     return this
   }
 
@@ -109,6 +115,12 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
     // If the dialog is already closed, abort
     if (!this.shown) return this
 
+    // Dispatch a `hide` event
+    const hideEvent = this.fire('hide', event)
+
+    // If the event was prevented, do not continue with the normal behavior
+    if (hideEvent.defaultPrevented) return this
+
     this.shown = false
     this.$el.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true')
     this.previouslyFocused?.focus?.()
@@ -118,9 +130,6 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
     document.body.removeEventListener('focus', this.maintainFocus, true)
     this.$el.removeEventListener('keydown', this.bindKeypress, true)
 
-    // Dispatch a `hide` event
-    this.fire('hide', event)
-
     return this
   }
 
@@ -151,17 +160,19 @@ export default class A11yDialog {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Dispatch a custom event from the DOM element associated with this dialog.
-   * This allows authors to listen for and respond to the events in their own
-   * code
+   * Dispatch and return custom event from the DOM element associated with this
+   * dialog; this allows authors to listen for and respond to the events in
+   * their own code
    */
   private fire(type: A11yDialogEvent, event?: Event) {
-    this.$el.dispatchEvent(
-      new CustomEvent(type, {
-        detail: event,
-        cancelable: true,
-      })
-    )
+    const customEvent = new CustomEvent(type, {
+      detail: event,
+      cancelable: true,
+    })
+
+    this.$el.dispatchEvent(customEvent)
+
+    return customEvent
   }
 
   /**