diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c46b143eece8e..4716142a42989 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 <a name="breaking_changes_1.8.0">[Breaking Changes:](#breaking_changes_1.8.0)</a>
 
 - [file-search] Deprecate dependency on `@theia/process` and replaced its usage by node's `child_process` api.
+- [electron] Removed `attachWillPreventUnload` method from the Electron main application. The `confirmExit` logic is handled on the frontend. [#8732](https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/pull/8732)
 
 ## v1.7.0 - 29/10/2020
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/frontend-application.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/frontend-application.ts
index 25997c737a692..1d7c6a1ae870b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/frontend-application.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/frontend-application.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { ShellLayoutRestorer, ApplicationShellLayoutMigrationError } from './she
 import { FrontendApplicationStateService } from './frontend-application-state';
 import { preventNavigation, parseCssTime, animationFrame } from './browser';
 import { CorePreferences } from './core-preferences';
+import { WindowService } from './window/window-service';
 
 /**
  * Clients can implement to get a callback for contributing widgets to a shell on start.
@@ -96,6 +97,9 @@ export class FrontendApplication {
     @inject(CorePreferences)
     protected readonly corePreferences: CorePreferences;
 
+    @inject(WindowService)
+    protected readonly windowsService: WindowService;
+
     constructor(
         @inject(CommandRegistry) protected readonly commands: CommandRegistry,
         @inject(MenuModelRegistry) protected readonly menus: MenuModelRegistry,
@@ -182,8 +186,7 @@ export class FrontendApplication {
      */
     protected registerEventListeners(): void {
         this.registerCompositionEventListeners(); /* Hotfix. See above. */
-
-        window.addEventListener('beforeunload', () => {
+        this.windowsService.onUnload(() => {
             this.stateService.state = 'closing_window';
             this.layoutRestorer.storeLayout(this);
             this.stopContributions();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/window/default-window-service.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/window/default-window-service.ts
index a2948fb7a351d..bf8ce32e22a0d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/window/default-window-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/window/default-window-service.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 import { inject, injectable, named } from 'inversify';
+import { Event, Emitter } from '../../common';
 import { CorePreferences } from '../core-preferences';
 import { ContributionProvider } from '../../common/contribution-provider';
 import { FrontendApplicationContribution, FrontendApplication } from '../frontend-application';
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ import { WindowService } from './window-service';
 @injectable()
 export class DefaultWindowService implements WindowService, FrontendApplicationContribution {
 
+    private didFireUnload = false;
+    private onUnloadEmitter = new Emitter<void>();
+
     protected frontendApplication: FrontendApplication;
 
     @inject(CorePreferences)
@@ -38,7 +42,9 @@ export class DefaultWindowService implements WindowService, FrontendApplicationC
             if (!this.canUnload()) {
                 return this.preventUnload(event);
             }
+            this.onUnloadEmitter.fire();
         });
+        this.registerUnloadListener();
     }
 
     openNewWindow(url: string): undefined {
@@ -61,6 +67,21 @@ export class DefaultWindowService implements WindowService, FrontendApplicationC
         return confirmExit !== 'always';
     }
 
+    protected registerUnloadListener(): void {
+        window.addEventListener('unload', this.fireUnload.bind(this));
+    }
+
+    protected fireUnload(): void {
+        if (!this.didFireUnload) {
+            this.didFireUnload = true;
+            this.onUnloadEmitter.fire();
+        }
+    }
+
+    get onUnload(): Event<void> {
+        return this.onUnloadEmitter.event;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Ask the user to confirm if they want to unload the window. Prevent it if they do not.
      * @param event The beforeunload event
diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/window/test/mock-window-service.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/window/test/mock-window-service.ts
index a0662fcfde2a1..a3cca33908fa3 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/window/test/mock-window-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/window/test/mock-window-service.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR GPL-2.0 WITH Classpath-exception-2.0
  ********************************************************************************/
 import { injectable } from 'inversify';
+import { Event } from '../../../common/event';
 import { WindowService } from '../window-service';
 
 @injectable()
 export class MockWindowService implements WindowService {
     openNewWindow(): undefined { return undefined; }
     canUnload(): boolean { return true; }
+    get onUnload(): Event<void> { return Event.None; }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/window/window-service.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/window/window-service.ts
index 1300b5af249c0..cec3b1e9a25f7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/window/window-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/window/window-service.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR GPL-2.0 WITH Classpath-exception-2.0
  ********************************************************************************/
 
+import { Event } from '../../common/event';
+
 export interface NewWindowOptions {
     readonly external?: boolean;
 }
@@ -38,4 +40,10 @@ export interface WindowService {
      */
     canUnload(): boolean;
 
+    /**
+     * Fires when the `window` unloads. The unload event is inevitable. On this event, the frontend application can save its state and release resource.
+     * Saving the state and releasing any resources must be a synchronous call. Any asynchronous calls invoked after emitting this event might be ignored.
+     */
+    readonly onUnload: Event<void>;
+
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/electron-browser/window/electron-window-service.ts b/packages/core/src/electron-browser/window/electron-window-service.ts
index 0bbda274987b9..c5a42a37cda46 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/electron-browser/window/electron-window-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/electron-browser/window/electron-window-service.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 import { injectable, inject } from 'inversify';
+import { remote } from 'electron';
 import { NewWindowOptions } from '../../browser/window/window-service';
 import { DefaultWindowService } from '../../browser/window/default-window-service';
 import { ElectronMainWindowService } from '../../electron-common/electron-main-window-service';
@@ -30,9 +31,28 @@ export class ElectronWindowService extends DefaultWindowService {
         return undefined;
     }
 
+    registerUnloadListener(): void {
+        // NOOP. The unload logic is handled in the `preventUnload` when running the app in electron env.
+    }
+
     protected preventUnload(event: BeforeUnloadEvent): string | void {
-        // The user will be shown a confirmation dialog by the will-prevent-unload handler in the Electron main script
-        event.returnValue = false;
+        const electronWindow = remote.getCurrentWindow();
+        const response = remote.dialog.showMessageBoxSync(electronWindow, {
+            type: 'question',
+            buttons: ['Yes', 'No'],
+            title: 'Confirm',
+            message: 'Are you sure you want to quit?',
+            detail: 'Any unsaved changes will not be saved.'
+        });
+        if (response === 0) { // 'Yes', close the window.
+            this.fireUnload();
+            // The absence of a `returnValue` property on the event will guarantee the browser `unload` happens.
+            // See: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WindowEventHandlers/onbeforeunload
+            delete event.returnValue;
+        } else {
+            event.preventDefault();
+            event.returnValue = true;
+        }
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts b/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
index e1a7194599c5c..dc7304c35c8e8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 import { inject, injectable, named } from 'inversify';
-import { session, screen, globalShortcut, app, BrowserWindow, BrowserWindowConstructorOptions, Event as ElectronEvent, dialog } from 'electron';
+import { session, screen, globalShortcut, app, BrowserWindow, BrowserWindowConstructorOptions, Event as ElectronEvent } from 'electron';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import { Argv } from 'yargs';
 import { AddressInfo } from 'net';
@@ -213,7 +213,6 @@ export class ElectronMainApplication {
         const electronWindow = new BrowserWindow(options);
         this.attachReadyToShow(electronWindow);
         this.attachSaveWindowState(electronWindow);
-        this.attachWillPreventUnload(electronWindow);
         this.attachGlobalShortcuts(electronWindow);
         this.restoreMaximizedState(electronWindow, options);
         return electronWindow;
@@ -339,26 +338,6 @@ export class ElectronMainApplication {
         electronWindow.on('move', saveWindowStateDelayed);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Catch window closing event and display a confirmation window.
-     */
-    protected attachWillPreventUnload(electronWindow: BrowserWindow): void {
-        // Fired when a beforeunload handler tries to prevent the page unloading
-        electronWindow.webContents.on('will-prevent-unload', async event => {
-            const { response } = await dialog.showMessageBox(electronWindow, {
-                type: 'question',
-                buttons: ['Yes', 'No'],
-                title: 'Confirm',
-                message: 'Are you sure you want to quit?',
-                detail: 'Any unsaved changes will not be saved.'
-            });
-            if (response === 0) { // 'Yes'
-                // This ignores the beforeunload callback, allowing the page to unload
-                event.preventDefault();
-            }
-        });
-    }
-
     /**
      * Catch certain keybindings to prevent reloading the window using keyboard shortcuts.
      */