diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
index 3b80e47..19dcf7d 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
@@ -1,10 +1,37 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><project-modules id="moduleCoreId" project-version="1.5.0">
+                
+    
+    
     <wb-module deploy-name="gcube-ckan-datacatalog-2.0.0-SNAPSHOT">
+                                
+        
+        
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/target/m2e-wtp/web-resources"/>
+                                
+        
+        
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/src/main/webapp" tag="defaultRootSource"/>
+                                
+        
+        
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/java"/>
+                                
+        
+        
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/resources"/>
+                                
+        
+        
         <property name="context-root" value="gcube-ckan-datacatalog"/>
+                                
+        
+        
         <property name="java-output-path" value="/gcube-ckan-datacatalog/target/gcube-ckan-datacatalog-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
+                            
+    
+    
     </wb-module>
+            
+
+
 </project-modules>
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7dd4803..ebcd8e6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 
+## [v2.0.1-SNAPSHOT] - 2021-05-04
+
+#### Enhancements
+
+[#21188] Avoiding the catalogue widget window close if the user clicks outside it 
+
+
 ## [v2.0.0] - 2021-04-12
 
 #### Enhancements
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index d85db2e..b3b2ead 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.gcubeckan</groupId>
 	<artifactId>gcube-ckan-datacatalog</artifactId>
 	<packaging>war</packaging>
-	<version>2.0.0</version>
+	<version>2.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>gCube CKAN Data Catalog</name>
 	<description>The gCube CKAN Data Catalog portlet</description>
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.gcube.distribution</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-portal-bom</artifactId>
-				<version>3.6.1</version>
+				<version>3.6.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
 				<type>pom</type>
 				<scope>import</scope>
 				<exclusions>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/CkanEventHandlerManager.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/CkanEventHandlerManager.java
index b13066b..4eef43e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/CkanEventHandlerManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/CkanEventHandlerManager.java
@@ -32,13 +32,10 @@ import org.gcube.portlets.gcubeckan.gcubeckandatacatalog.client.view.GCubeCkanDa
 import org.gcube.portlets.gcubeckan.gcubeckandatacatalog.shared.CkanConnectorAccessPoint;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.ckan2zenodopublisher.client.CkanToZendoPublisherWidget;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.ckan2zenodopublisher.shared.CatalogueItem;
-import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.ckandatapublisherwidget.client.events.CloseCreationFormEvent;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.ckandatapublisherwidget.client.ui.form.CreateDatasetForm;
 import org.gcube.portlets_widgets.catalogue_sharing_widget.client.ShareCatalogueWidget;
 
 import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.Modal;
-import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.event.HideEvent;
-import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.event.HideHandler;
 import com.google.gwt.core.client.GWT;
 import com.google.gwt.dom.client.Element;
 import com.google.gwt.event.shared.HandlerManager;
@@ -94,9 +91,9 @@ public class CkanEventHandlerManager {
 		eventBus.addHandler(InsertMetadataEvent.TYPE, new InsertMetadataEventHandler() {
 
 			@Override
-			public void onInsertMetadata(InsertMetadataEvent loadSelecteReleaseEvent) {
-				GWT.log("loadSelecteReleaseEvent: "+loadSelecteReleaseEvent);
-				final Modal modal = new Modal(true, true);
+			public void onInsertMetadata(InsertMetadataEvent loadSelectedItemEvent) {
+				GWT.log("onInsertMetadata: "+loadSelectedItemEvent);
+				final Modal modal = new ExtModal(true, true);
 
 				modal.setTitle(WIDGET_CREATE_TITLE);
 				modal.addStyleName("insert-metadata-modal-style");
@@ -104,16 +101,23 @@ public class CkanEventHandlerManager {
 				((Element)modal.getElement().getChildNodes().getItem(1)).addClassName("modal-body-custom");
 				modal.add(new CreateDatasetForm(eventBus));
 				modal.setCloseVisible(true);
-		
-				// hide any popup panel opened
-				modal.addHideHandler(new HideHandler() {
+				
 
-					@Override
-					public void onHide(HideEvent hideEvent) {
-						GWT.log("HideEvent on modal fired");
-						eventBus.fireEvent(new CloseCreationFormEvent());
-					}
-				});
+//				// hide any popup panel opened
+//				modal.addHideHandler(new HideHandler() {
+//
+//					@Override
+//					public void onHide(HideEvent hideEvent) {
+//						GWT.log("HideEvent on modal fired");
+//						GWT.log(hideEvent.toDebugString());
+//						eventBus.fireEvent(new CloseCreationFormEvent());
+//						
+//						hideEvent.preventDefault();
+//						hideEvent.stopPropagation();
+//						return;
+//						
+//					}
+//				});
 				
 				GWT.log("show");
 				modal.show();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/ExtModal.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/ExtModal.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..403b40d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/gcubeckan/gcubeckandatacatalog/client/ExtModal.java
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+package org.gcube.portlets.gcubeckan.gcubeckandatacatalog.client;
+
+import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.Modal;
+import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.event.HideEvent;
+import com.github.gwtbootstrap.client.ui.event.HideHandler;
+import com.google.gwt.core.client.GWT;
+import com.google.gwt.core.client.Scheduler;
+import com.google.gwt.core.client.Scheduler.ScheduledCommand;
+import com.google.gwt.dom.client.Element;
+import com.google.gwt.user.client.DOM;
+import com.google.gwt.user.client.Event;
+import com.google.gwt.user.client.EventListener;
+import com.google.gwt.user.client.Random;
+
+/**
+ * The Class ExtModal.
+ *
+ * @author Francesco Mangiacrapa at ISTI-CNR francesco.mangiacrapa@isti.cnr.it
+ * 
+ *         Apr 29, 2021
+ * 
+ *         This Class extends the {{@link Modal} preventing the default close of
+ *         the Modal Bootstrap when clicking outside of the modal Window
+ */
+public class ExtModal extends Modal {
+
+	private String elementId;
+	private String closeElementId;
+	private Boolean closeButtoClicked = false;
+	final private ExtModal INSTANCE = this;
+
+	/**
+	 * Instantiates a new ext modal.
+	 */
+	public ExtModal() {
+		super();
+		setElementIds();
+		addDeferredCommandToPreventModalClose();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates an empty, hidden widget with specified show behavior.
+	 *
+	 * @param animated <code>true</code> if the widget should be animated.
+	 */
+	public ExtModal(boolean animated) {
+		super(animated, false);
+		setElementIds();
+		addDeferredCommandToPreventModalClose();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates an empty, hidden widget with specified show behavior.
+	 *
+	 * @param animated    <code>true</code> if the widget should be animated.
+	 * @param dynamicSafe <code>true</code> removes from RootPanel when hidden
+	 */
+	public ExtModal(boolean animated, boolean dynamicSafe) {
+		super(animated, dynamicSafe);
+		setElementIds();
+		addDeferredCommandToPreventModalClose();
+	}
+
+	private void addDeferredCommandToPreventModalClose() {
+		Scheduler.get().scheduleDeferred(new ScheduledCommand() {
+
+			@Override
+			public void execute() {
+				((Element) INSTANCE.getElement().getChildNodes().getItem(0)).getFirstChildElement()
+						.setId(closeElementId);
+				preventModalCloseWhenClickingOutside();
+
+			}
+		});
+
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the element id.
+	 */
+	private void setElementIds() {
+		this.elementId = "my-modal-publish-meta" + Random.nextInt();
+		this.getElement().setId(elementId);
+
+		this.closeElementId = "my-modal-close-button" + Random.nextInt();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Prevent modal close when clicking outside.
+	 */
+	private void preventModalCloseWhenClickingOutside() {
+
+		com.google.gwt.user.client.Element buttonCloseElement = DOM.getElementById(this.closeElementId);
+
+		if (buttonCloseElement != null) {
+
+			Event.sinkEvents(buttonCloseElement, Event.ONCLICK);
+			Event.setEventListener(buttonCloseElement, new EventListener() {
+
+				@Override
+				public void onBrowserEvent(Event event) {
+					System.out.println("ok");
+					if (Event.ONCLICK == event.getTypeInt()) {
+						GWT.log("close event clicked");
+						closeButtoClicked = true;
+					}
+
+				}
+			});
+		} else {
+			GWT.log("button close element not found");
+			closeButtoClicked = true;
+		}
+
+		// hide any popup panel opened
+		this.addHideHandler(new HideHandler() {
+
+			@Override
+			public void onHide(HideEvent hideEvent) {
+				GWT.log("HideEvent on modal fired");
+				GWT.log(hideEvent.toDebugString());
+				GWT.log("CloseButtonClicked is: " + closeButtoClicked);
+
+				if (!closeButtoClicked) {
+					hideEvent.preventDefault();
+					hideEvent.stopPropagation();
+				}
+			}
+		});
+
+	}
+
+}