diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
index c9081044b3..a4aecf7bd5 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.js
@@ -698,7 +698,12 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopArticleTarget.prototype.loadFail = function ( errorText, error
 
 	if ( confirmPromptMessage && confirm( confirmPromptMessage ) ) {
 		this.load();
+	} else if ( !$( '#wpTextbox1' ).length ) {
+		// TODO: Some sort of progress bar?
+		this.switchToWikitextEditor( true, false );
 	} else {
+		// If we're switching from the wikitext editor, just deactivate
+		// don't try to switch back to it fully, that'd discard changes.
 		this.deactivate( true );
 	}
 };
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
index 4cdfad26f4..6d5c855888 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.js
@@ -44,21 +44,30 @@ ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.prototype.switchToWikitextEditor = funct
 	var dataPromise,
 		target = this;
 
-	this.serialize( this.getDocToSave() );
-	dataPromise = this.serializing.then( function ( response ) {
-		// HACK
-		var data = response.visualeditor;
-		data.etag = target.etag;
-		data.fromEditedState = modified;
-		data.notices = target.remoteNotices;
-		data.protectedClasses = target.protectedClasses;
-		data.basetimestamp = target.baseTimeStamp;
-		data.starttimestamp = target.startTimeStamp;
-		data.oldid = target.revid;
-		return response;
-	} );
+	if ( discardChanges ) {
+		dataPromise = mw.libs.ve.targetLoader.requestPageData(
+			'source',
+			this.pageName,
+			this.requestedRevId,
+			this.constructor.name
+		).then(
+			function ( response ) { return response; },
+			function () {
+				// TODO: Some sort of progress bar?
+				ve.init.mw.DesktopWikitextArticleTarget.super.prototype.switchToWikitextEditor.call(
+					target,
+					discardChanges,
+					modified
+				);
+				// Keep everything else waiting so our error handler can do its business
+				return $.Deferred().promise();
+			}
+		);
+	} else {
+		this.serialize( this.getDocToSave() );
+		dataPromise = this.serializing;
+	}
 	this.setMode( 'source' );
-
 	this.reloadSurface( dataPromise );
 };