diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py b/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
index 4d11ce02094..02ea034b339 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/tkSimpleDialog.py
@@ -46,8 +46,13 @@ class Dialog(Toplevel):
             title -- the dialog title
         '''
         Toplevel.__init__(self, parent)
-        self.transient(parent)
 
+        # If the master is not viewable, don't
+        # make the child transient, or else it
+        # would be opened withdrawn
+        if parent.winfo_viewable():  
+            self.transient(parent)
+ 
         if title:
             self.title(title)
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 8324a055ac5..6e50ed3c7b9 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ Extension Modules
 Library
 -------
 
+- Patch #1538878: Don't make tkSimpleDialog dialogs transient if
+  the parent window is withdrawn.
+
 - Patch #1360200: Use unmangled_version RPM spec field to deal with
   file name mangling.