diff --git a/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutAnchorable.cs b/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutAnchorable.cs
index 60eef8ad..af3201cc 100644
--- a/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutAnchorable.cs
+++ b/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutAnchorable.cs
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ public class LayoutAnchorable : LayoutContent
 		public LayoutAnchorable()
 		{
 			// LayoutAnchorable will hide by default, not close.
-			_canClose = false;
+			// BD: 14.08.2020 Inverting both _canClose and _canCloseDefault to false as anchorables are only hidden but not closed
+			//     That would allow CanClose to be properly serialized if set to true for an instance of LayoutAnchorable
+			_canClose = _canCloseDefault = false;
 		}
 
 		#endregion Constructors
@@ -608,4 +610,4 @@ private void UpdateParentVisibility()
 
 		#endregion Private Methods
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutContent.cs b/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutContent.cs
index 92c2dbd2..1b6d2680 100644
--- a/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutContent.cs
+++ b/source/Components/AvalonDock/Layout/LayoutContent.cs
@@ -425,7 +425,10 @@ public ImageSource IconSource
 
 		#region CanClose
 
-		internal bool _canClose = true;
+		// BD: 14.08.2020 added _canCloseDefault to properly implement inverting _canClose default value in inheritors (e.g. LayoutAnchorable)
+		//     Thus CanClose property will be serialized only when not equal to its default for given class
+		//     With previous code it was not possible to serialize CanClose if set to true for LayoutAnchorable instance
+		internal bool _canClose = true, _canCloseDefault = true;
 
 		public bool CanClose
 		{
@@ -557,7 +560,10 @@ public virtual void WriteXml(System.Xml.XmlWriter writer)
 			if (FloatingHeight != 0.0) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(FloatingHeight), FloatingHeight.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
 
 			if (IsMaximized) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(IsMaximized), IsMaximized.ToString());
-			if (!CanClose) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(CanClose), CanClose.ToString());
+			// BD: 14.08.2020 changed to check CanClose value against the default in _canCloseDefault
+			//     thus CanClose property will be serialized only when not equal to its default for given class
+			//     With previous code it was not possible to serialize CanClose if set to true for LayoutAnchorable instance
+			if (CanClose != _canCloseDefault) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(CanClose), CanClose.ToString());
 			if (!CanFloat) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(CanFloat), CanFloat.ToString());
 
 			if (LastActivationTimeStamp != null) writer.WriteAttributeString(nameof(LastActivationTimeStamp), LastActivationTimeStamp.Value.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
@@ -757,4 +763,4 @@ protected virtual void InternalDock()
 
 		#endregion Internal Methods
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}