diff --git a/sloth/gui/buttonarea.py b/sloth/gui/buttonarea.py
index ddc812a..4ab3afc 100644
--- a/sloth/gui/buttonarea.py
+++ b/sloth/gui/buttonarea.py
@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ class ButtonArea(QWidget):
             self.show_only_label_properties("")
         self.stateChanged.emit(self.get_current_state())
 
+    def exitInsertMode(self):
+        button = self.label_button_list.get_checked_button()
+        if button is not None:
+            self.label_button_list.toggleChecked(button)
+
 def main():
     from conf import config
     config.update("example_config")
diff --git a/sloth/gui/labeltool.py b/sloth/gui/labeltool.py
index fdad8df..6db82f8 100755
--- a/sloth/gui/labeltool.py
+++ b/sloth/gui/labeltool.py
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.ui.menuPlugins.addAction(selectPreviousItem)
         self.shortcuts.append(selectPreviousItem)
 
+        exitInsertMode = QAction("Exit insert mode", self)
+        exitInsertMode.setShortcut(QKeySequence("ESC"))
+        exitInsertMode.setEnabled(True)
+        exitInsertMode.triggered.connect(self.buttonarea.exitInsertMode)
+        self.ui.menuPlugins.addAction(exitInsertMode)
+        self.shortcuts.append(exitInsertMode)
+
     ###
     ### GUI/Application setup
     ###___________________________________________________________________________________________