diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js.es6
index ee172f2fa6f..cbb2ae9f1bd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/sidebar.js.es6
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable arrow-parens, class-methods-use-this, no-param-reassign */
 /* global Cookies */
 
-((global) => {
-  let singleton;
-
+(() => {
   const pinnedStateCookie = 'pin_nav';
   const sidebarBreakpoint = 1024;
 
@@ -23,11 +21,12 @@
 
   class Sidebar {
     constructor() {
-      if (!singleton) {
-        singleton = this;
-        singleton.init();
+      if (!Sidebar.singleton) {
+        Sidebar.singleton = this;
+        Sidebar.singleton.init();
       }
-      return singleton;
+
+      return Sidebar.singleton;
     }
 
     init() {
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@
       $(document)
         .on('click', sidebarToggleSelector, () => this.toggleSidebar())
         .on('click', pinnedToggleSelector, () => this.togglePinnedState())
-        .on('click', 'html, body', (e) => this.handleClickEvent(e))
+        .on('click', 'html, body, a, button', (e) => this.handleClickEvent(e))
         .on('DOMContentLoaded', () => this.renderState())
         .on('todo:toggle', (e, count) => this.updateTodoCount(count));
       this.renderState();
@@ -88,10 +87,12 @@
       $pinnedToggle.attr('title', tooltipText).tooltip('fixTitle').tooltip(tooltipState);
 
       if (this.isExpanded) {
-        setTimeout(() => $(sidebarContentSelector).niceScroll().updateScrollBar(), 200);
+        const sidebarContent = $(sidebarContentSelector);
+        setTimeout(() => { sidebarContent.niceScroll().updateScrollBar(); }, 200);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  global.Sidebar = Sidebar;
-})(window.gl || (window.gl = {}));
+  window.gl = window.gl || {};
+  gl.Sidebar = Sidebar;
+})();
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/no-sidebar-on-action-btn-click.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/no-sidebar-on-action-btn-click.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..09e0b3a12d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/no-sidebar-on-action-btn-click.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: dismiss sidebar on repo buttons click
+merge_request: 8798
+author: Adam Pahlevi
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/fixtures/projects.rb b/spec/javascripts/fixtures/projects.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..56513219e1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascripts/fixtures/projects.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe ProjectsController, '(JavaScript fixtures)', type: :controller do
+  include JavaScriptFixturesHelpers
+
+  let(:admin) { create(:admin) }
+  let(:namespace) { create(:namespace, name: 'frontend-fixtures' )}
+  let(:project) { create(:project, namespace: namespace, path: 'builds-project') }
+
+  render_views
+
+  before(:all) do
+    clean_frontend_fixtures('projects/')
+  end
+
+  before(:each) do
+    sign_in(admin)
+  end
+
+  it 'projects/dashboard.html.raw' do |example|
+    get :show,
+      namespace_id: project.namespace.to_param,
+      id: project.to_param
+
+    expect(response).to be_success
+    store_frontend_fixture(response, example.description)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/project_dashboard_spec.js.es6 b/spec/javascripts/project_dashboard_spec.js.es6
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..24833b4eb57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascripts/project_dashboard_spec.js.es6
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+require('~/sidebar');
+
+(() => {
+  describe('Project dashboard page', () => {
+    let $pageWithSidebar = null;
+    let $sidebarToggle = null;
+    let sidebar = null;
+    const fixtureTemplate = 'projects/dashboard.html.raw';
+
+    const assertSidebarStateExpanded = (shouldBeExpanded) => {
+      expect(sidebar.isExpanded).toBe(shouldBeExpanded);
+      expect($pageWithSidebar.hasClass('page-sidebar-expanded')).toBe(shouldBeExpanded);
+    };
+
+    preloadFixtures(fixtureTemplate);
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      loadFixtures(fixtureTemplate);
+
+      $pageWithSidebar = $('.page-with-sidebar');
+      $sidebarToggle = $('.toggle-nav-collapse');
+
+      // otherwise instantiating the Sidebar for the second time
+      // won't do anything, as the Sidebar is a singleton class
+      gl.Sidebar.singleton = null;
+      sidebar = new gl.Sidebar();
+    });
+
+    it('can show the sidebar when the toggler is clicked', () => {
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when clone button clicked', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      const cloneButton = $('.project-clone-holder a.clone-dropdown-btn');
+      cloneButton.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when download button clicked', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      const downloadButton = $('.project-action-button .btn:has(i.fa-download)');
+      downloadButton.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when add button clicked', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      const addButton = $('.project-action-button .btn:has(i.fa-plus)');
+      addButton.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when notification button clicked', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      const notifButton = $('.js-notification-toggle-btns .notifications-btn');
+      notifButton.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when clicking on the body', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      $('body').click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should dismiss the sidebar when clicking on the project description header', () => {
+      $sidebarToggle.click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(true);
+
+      $('.project-home-panel').click();
+      assertSidebarStateExpanded(false);
+    });
+  });
+})();