diff --git a/Examples/Movies/SearchScreen.js b/Examples/Movies/SearchScreen.js
index 057336649b3..d45ddf1a29e 100644
--- a/Examples/Movies/SearchScreen.js
+++ b/Examples/Movies/SearchScreen.js
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ var SearchScreen = React.createClass({
         onEndReached={this.onEndReached}
         automaticallyAdjustContentInsets={false}
         keyboardDismissMode="on-drag"
-        keyboardShouldPersistTaps={true}
+        keyboardShouldPersistTaps="handled"
         showsVerticalScrollIndicator={false}
       />;
 
diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerExampleList.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerExampleList.js
index 47772a63f7f..b9af139c34a 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerExampleList.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerExampleList.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class UIExplorerExampleList extends React.Component {
           renderRow={this._renderExampleRow.bind(this)}
           renderSectionHeader={this._renderSectionHeader}
           enableEmptySections={true}
-          keyboardShouldPersistTaps={true}
+          keyboardShouldPersistTaps="handled"
           automaticallyAdjustContentInsets={false}
           keyboardDismissMode="on-drag"
         />
diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerPage.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerPage.js
index c29e5bfb61e..c2f75858b0d 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerPage.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerPage.js
@@ -35,13 +35,11 @@ var UIExplorerTitle = require('./UIExplorerTitle');
 
 class UIExplorerPage extends React.Component {
   props: {
-    keyboardShouldPersistTaps?: boolean,
     noScroll?: boolean,
     noSpacer?: boolean,
   };
 
   static propTypes = {
-    keyboardShouldPersistTaps: React.PropTypes.bool,
     noScroll: React.PropTypes.bool,
     noSpacer: React.PropTypes.bool,
   };
@@ -55,7 +53,7 @@ class UIExplorerPage extends React.Component {
       ContentWrapper = (ScrollView: ReactClass<any>);
       // $FlowFixMe found when converting React.createClass to ES6
       wrapperProps.automaticallyAdjustContentInsets = !this.props.title;
-      wrapperProps.keyboardShouldPersistTaps = true;
+      wrapperProps.keyboardShouldPersistTaps = 'handled';
       wrapperProps.keyboardDismissMode = 'interactive';
     }
     var title = this.props.title ?
diff --git a/Libraries/Components/ScrollResponder.js b/Libraries/Components/ScrollResponder.js
index e3ead883791..6b739ebebda 100644
--- a/Libraries/Components/ScrollResponder.js
+++ b/Libraries/Components/ScrollResponder.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var ReactNative = require('ReactNative');
 var Subscribable = require('Subscribable');
 var TextInputState = require('TextInputState');
 var UIManager = require('UIManager');
+var warning = require('fbjs/lib/warning');
 
 var { getInstanceFromNode } = require('ReactNativeComponentTree');
 var { ScrollViewManager } = require('NativeModules');
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ var ScrollResponderMixin = {
       // - Determine if the scroll view has been scrolled and therefore should
       // refuse to give up its responder lock.
       // - Determine if releasing should dismiss the keyboard when we are in
-      // tap-to-dismiss mode (!this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps).
+      // tap-to-dismiss mode (this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps !== 'always').
       observedScrollSinceBecomingResponder: false,
       becameResponderWhileAnimating: false,
     };
@@ -172,7 +173,14 @@ var ScrollResponderMixin = {
    *   true.
    *
    */
-  scrollResponderHandleStartShouldSetResponder: function(): boolean {
+  scrollResponderHandleStartShouldSetResponder: function(e: Event): boolean {
+    var currentlyFocusedTextInput = TextInputState.currentlyFocusedField();
+
+    if (this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps === 'handled' &&
+      currentlyFocusedTextInput != null &&
+      e.target !== currentlyFocusedTextInput) {
+      return true;
+    }
     return false;
   },
 
@@ -190,7 +198,10 @@ var ScrollResponderMixin = {
   scrollResponderHandleStartShouldSetResponderCapture: function(e: Event): boolean {
     // First see if we want to eat taps while the keyboard is up
     var currentlyFocusedTextInput = TextInputState.currentlyFocusedField();
-    if (!this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps &&
+    var {keyboardShouldPersistTaps} = this.props;
+    var keyboardNeverPersistTaps = !keyboardShouldPersistTaps ||
+                                    keyboardShouldPersistTaps === 'never';
+    if (keyboardNeverPersistTaps &&
       currentlyFocusedTextInput != null &&
       !isTagInstanceOfTextInput(e.target)) {
       return true;
@@ -250,7 +261,8 @@ var ScrollResponderMixin = {
     // By default scroll views will unfocus a textField
     // if another touch occurs outside of it
     var currentlyFocusedTextInput = TextInputState.currentlyFocusedField();
-    if (!this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps &&
+    if (this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps !== true &&
+      this.props.keyboardShouldPersistTaps !== 'always' &&
       currentlyFocusedTextInput != null &&
       e.target !== currentlyFocusedTextInput  &&
       !this.state.observedScrollSinceBecomingResponder &&
@@ -481,6 +493,13 @@ var ScrollResponderMixin = {
    * The `keyboardWillShow` is called before input focus.
    */
   componentWillMount: function() {
+    var {keyboardShouldPersistTaps} = this.props;
+    warning(
+      typeof keyboardShouldPersistTaps !== 'boolean',
+      `'keyboardShouldPersistTaps={${keyboardShouldPersistTaps}}' is deprecated. `
+      + `Use 'keyboardShouldPersistTaps="${keyboardShouldPersistTaps ? "always" : "never"}"' instead`
+    );
+
     this.keyboardWillOpenTo = null;
     this.additionalScrollOffset = 0;
     this.addListenerOn(Keyboard, 'keyboardWillShow', this.scrollResponderKeyboardWillShow);
diff --git a/Libraries/Components/ScrollView/ScrollView.js b/Libraries/Components/ScrollView/ScrollView.js
index 3f39492a4fd..a53ff84ec9f 100644
--- a/Libraries/Components/ScrollView/ScrollView.js
+++ b/Libraries/Components/ScrollView/ScrollView.js
@@ -192,12 +192,18 @@ const ScrollView = React.createClass({
       'on-drag',
     ]),
     /**
-     * When false, tapping outside of the focused text input when the keyboard
-     * is up dismisses the keyboard. When true, the keyboard will not dismiss
-     * automatically, and the scroll view will not catch taps, but children of
-     * the scroll view can catch taps. The default value is false.
+     * Determines when the keyboard should stay visible after a tap.
+     *
+     *   - 'never' (the default), tapping outside of the focused text input when the keyboard
+     *     is up dismisses the keyboard. When this happens, children won't receive the tap.
+     *   - 'always', the keyboard will not dismiss automatically, and the scroll view will not
+     *     catch taps, but children of the scroll view can catch taps.
+     *   - 'handled', the keyboard will not dismiss automatically when the tap was handled by
+     *     a children, (or captured by an ancestor).
+     *   - false, deprecated, use 'never' instead
+     *   - true, deprecated, use 'always' instead
      */
-    keyboardShouldPersistTaps: PropTypes.bool,
+    keyboardShouldPersistTaps: PropTypes.oneOf(['always', 'never', 'handled', false, true]),
     /**
      * The maximum allowed zoom scale. The default value is 1.0.
      * @platform ios