diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
index 06813228b8e4..27dddf00ee53 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/CommandPalette.tsx
@@ -508,7 +508,10 @@ export function CommandPalette({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
           setOpen(open);
         }}
       >
-        {children}
+        {/* Block background focus calls for the entire time the palette is open. */}
+        <div className="contents" inert={state.open}>
+          {children}
+        </div>
         <CommandPaletteDialog
           mode={state.mode}
           openIntent={state.openIntent}
@@ -2289,15 +2292,15 @@ function OpenCommandPaletteDialog(props: {
       context: { modelPickerOpen: false },
     });
     if (threadJumpIndexFromCommand(command ?? "") !== null) {
+      event.preventDefault();
+      event.stopPropagation();
       const matchingItem = displayedGroups
         .flatMap((group) => group.items)
         .find((item) => item.shortcutCommand === command);
       if (matchingItem) {
-        event.preventDefault();
-        event.stopPropagation();
         executeItem(matchingItem);
-        return;
       }
+      return;
     }
     if (command === "thread.copyReference" && activeThreadReferenceCopyTarget !== null) {
       event.preventDefault();
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/CommandPaletteContent.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/CommandPaletteContent.tsx
index af3c1b671704..8c1a5b0e3c83 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/CommandPaletteContent.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/CommandPaletteContent.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { ArrowDownIcon, ArrowUpIcon } from "lucide-react";
-import type { ComponentProps, ReactNode } from "react";
+import { type ComponentProps, type ReactNode, useLayoutEffect, useRef } from "react";
 
 import { Command, CommandFooter, CommandInput, CommandPanel } from "./ui/command";
 import { Kbd, KbdGroup } from "./ui/kbd";
@@ -33,11 +33,20 @@ export function CommandPaletteContent({
   testId,
   ...commandProps
 }: CommandPaletteContentProps) {
+  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+
+  // Direct-open flows replace the initial palette view after the dialog has
+  // already moved focus. Reclaim it when the replacement input mounts so
+  // typing cannot continue in the composer behind the modal.
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    inputRef.current?.focus();
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <div className="contents" data-testid={testId}>
       <Command {...commandProps}>
         <div className="relative">
-          <CommandInput {...inputProps} />
+          <CommandInput {...inputProps} ref={inputRef} />
           {inputAccessory}
         </div>
         <CommandPanel className={panelClassName}>{children}</CommandPanel>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
index ea910905efe0..650ad12bebcb 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/LegacySidebar.tsx
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ import {
   useSidebar,
 } from "./ui/sidebar";
 import { useThreadSelectionStore } from "../threadSelectionStore";
-import { openCommandPalette } from "../commandPaletteBus";
+import { isCommandPaletteOpen, openCommandPalette } from "../commandPaletteBus";
 import {
   archiveSelectedThreadEntries,
   buildMultiSelectThreadContextMenuItems,
@@ -3510,7 +3510,7 @@ export default function LegacySidebar() {
     const onWindowKeyDown = (event: globalThis.KeyboardEvent) => {
       const shortcutContext = getCurrentSidebarShortcutContext();
 
-      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat) {
+      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat || isCommandPaletteOpen() || isModelPickerOpen()) {
         return;
       }
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 4509fde6ceb9..50bb876058c1 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ import { legacyProjectCwdPreferenceKey, useUiStateStore } from "../uiStateStore"
 import { useThreadSelectionStore } from "../threadSelectionStore";
 import { useThreadActions } from "../hooks/useThreadActions";
 import { useHandleNewThread } from "../hooks/useHandleNewThread";
-import { openCommandPalette } from "../commandPaletteBus";
+import { isCommandPaletteOpen, openCommandPalette } from "../commandPaletteBus";
 import { startNewThreadFromContext } from "../lib/chatThreadActions";
 import { useClientSettings } from "../hooks/useSettings";
 import { useCopyToClipboard } from "../hooks/useCopyToClipboard";
@@ -3493,7 +3493,9 @@ export default function Sidebar() {
   );
   useEffect(() => {
     const onWindowKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
-      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat) return;
+      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat || isCommandPaletteOpen() || isModelPickerOpen()) {
+        return;
+      }
       const command = resolveShortcutCommand(event, keybindings, {
         platform: navigator.platform,
         context: {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadTerminalDrawer.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadTerminalDrawer.tsx
index 89cdc3649acd..9f4956aae682 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ThreadTerminalDrawer.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ThreadTerminalDrawer.tsx
@@ -516,7 +516,10 @@ export function TerminalViewport({
       // never started, so only "exited" triggers the message — as with xterm.)
       synchronizedStatusRef.current = "closed";
       synchronizeTerminalStatus(terminal, latestSession.status);
-      if (autoFocus && visibleRef.current) window.requestAnimationFrame(() => terminal.focus());
+      // Startup may finish after the user has returned to the composer.
+      if (visibleRef.current && mount.contains(document.activeElement)) {
+        terminal.focus();
+      }
 
       const dismissSelectionAction = (supersede = false) => {
         const ownsMenu =
@@ -870,10 +873,10 @@ export function TerminalViewport({
 
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
+      const hadFocus = mount.contains(document.activeElement);
       teardown?.();
+      if (hadFocus && mount.isConnected) mount.focus({ preventScroll: true });
     };
-    // autoFocus is intentionally omitted;
-    // it is only read at mount time and must not trigger terminal teardown/recreation.
   }, [cwd, environmentId, runtimeEnvKey, terminalId, threadId, worktreePath]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -904,24 +907,14 @@ export function TerminalViewport({
       writeSystemMessage(terminal, current.error);
     }
 
-    if (previous.version === 0 && autoFocus && visibleRef.current) {
-      window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-        terminal.focus();
-      });
-    }
     previousSessionRef.current = current;
-  }, [autoFocus, terminalOutput, terminalError, terminalStatus, terminalVersion]);
+  }, [terminalOutput, terminalError, terminalStatus, terminalVersion]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!autoFocus || !visible) return;
-    const terminal = terminalRef.current;
-    if (!terminal) return;
-    const frame = window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-      terminal.focus();
-    });
-    return () => {
-      window.cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
-    };
+    // Claim focus when requested, then hand it to the terminal once ready only
+    // if the user has not focused something else in the meantime.
+    (terminalRef.current ?? containerRef.current)?.focus();
   }, [autoFocus, focusRequestId, visible]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -944,6 +937,7 @@ export function TerminalViewport({
   return (
     <div
       ref={containerRef}
+      tabIndex={-1}
       className="relative h-full w-full overflow-hidden bg-[var(--terminal-background)]"
     />
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ModelPickerContent.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ModelPickerContent.tsx
index 8880369a18c9..63dea7844c46 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ModelPickerContent.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ModelPickerContent.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   type ResolvedKeybindingsConfig,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 import { resolveSelectableModel } from "@t3tools/shared/model";
+import { useAtomValue } from "@effect/atom-react";
 import { LegendList, type LegendListRef } from "@legendapp/list/react";
 import { memo, useMemo, useState, useCallback, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import { ChevronRightIcon, SearchIcon } from "lucide-react";
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ import {
   ComboboxListVirtualized,
 } from "../ui/combobox";
 import { ModelEsque } from "./providerIconUtils";
+import { isCommandPaletteOpen } from "../../commandPaletteBus";
+import { primaryServerKeybindingsAtom } from "../../state/server";
 import {
   modelPickerJumpCommandForIndex,
   modelPickerJumpIndexFromCommand,
@@ -217,10 +220,8 @@ export const ModelPickerContent = memo(function ModelPickerContent(props: {
           : [],
       ),
   );
-  const keybindings = useMemo<ResolvedKeybindingsConfig>(
-    () => providedKeybindings ?? [],
-    [providedKeybindings],
-  );
+  const serverKeybindings = useAtomValue(primaryServerKeybindingsAtom);
+  const keybindings = providedKeybindings ?? serverKeybindings;
   const updateSettings = useUpdateClientSettings();
 
   const focusSearchInput = useCallback(() => {
@@ -678,7 +679,7 @@ export const ModelPickerContent = memo(function ModelPickerContent(props: {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const onWindowKeyDown = (event: globalThis.KeyboardEvent) => {
-      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat) {
+      if (event.defaultPrevented || event.repeat || isCommandPaletteOpen()) {
         return;
       }
 
@@ -690,6 +691,8 @@ export const ModelPickerContent = memo(function ModelPickerContent(props: {
       if (jumpIndex === null) {
         return;
       }
+      event.preventDefault();
+      event.stopPropagation();
 
       const targetModelKey = modelJumpModelKeys[jumpIndex];
       if (!targetModelKey) {
@@ -699,8 +702,6 @@ export const ModelPickerContent = memo(function ModelPickerContent(props: {
       if (!model) {
         return;
       }
-      event.preventDefault();
-      event.stopPropagation();
       handleModelSelect(model.slug, model.instanceId);
     };
 
diff --git a/docs/user/keyboard-focus.md b/docs/user/keyboard-focus.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..50b9c87c24f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/user/keyboard-focus.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Keyboard focus
+
+The command palette keeps focus while open. Closing it returns focus to the composer.
+While the palette or model picker is open, number shortcuts select its entries instead of
+switching threads. Model shortcuts work in Settings as well as the composer.
+See [Keybindings](./keybindings.md) to customize these shortcuts.
+
+If you return to typing while a terminal is starting, the composer keeps focus when the terminal
+becomes ready. Opening or switching to a terminal explicitly still focuses it.