diff --git a/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.test.ts b/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.test.ts
similarity index 83%
rename from src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.test.ts
rename to src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.test.ts
index 31d93aef3b..9381619edc 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.test.ts
+++ b/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import { type KeyboardEvent } from "react";
 import { renderHook } from "jest-matrix-react";
 
-import { useListKeyDown } from "./useListKeyDown";
+import { useListKeyboardNavigation } from "./useListKeyboardNavigation";
 
 describe("useListKeyDown", () => {
     let mockList: HTMLUListElement;
@@ -51,9 +51,10 @@ describe("useListKeyDown", () => {
         current: {
             listRef: React.RefObject<HTMLUListElement | null>;
             onKeyDown: React.KeyboardEventHandler<HTMLUListElement>;
+            onFocus: React.FocusEventHandler<HTMLUListElement>;
         };
     } {
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useListKeyDown());
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useListKeyboardNavigation());
         result.current.listRef.current = mockList;
         return result;
     }
@@ -137,4 +138,18 @@ describe("useListKeyDown", () => {
 
         expect(mockEvent.preventDefault).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    it("should focus the first item if list itself is focused", () => {
+        const result = render();
+        result.current.onFocus({ target: mockList } as React.FocusEvent<HTMLUListElement>);
+        expect(mockItems[0].focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it("should focus the selected item if list itself is focused", () => {
+        mockItems[1].setAttribute("aria-selected", "true");
+        const result = render();
+
+        result.current.onFocus({ target: mockList } as React.FocusEvent<HTMLUListElement>);
+        expect(mockItems[1].focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.ts b/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.ts
similarity index 66%
rename from src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.ts
rename to src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.ts
index 9948511b9f..71d87aa12a 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyDown.ts
+++ b/src/shared-components/hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation.ts
@@ -5,17 +5,45 @@
  * Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
  */
 
-import { useCallback, useRef, type RefObject, type KeyboardEvent, type KeyboardEventHandler } from "react";
+import {
+    useCallback,
+    useRef,
+    type RefObject,
+    type KeyboardEvent,
+    type KeyboardEventHandler,
+    type FocusEventHandler,
+    type FocusEvent,
+} from "react";
 
 /**
  * A hook that provides keyboard navigation for a list of options.
  */
-export function useListKeyDown(): {
+export function useListKeyboardNavigation(): {
     listRef: RefObject<HTMLUListElement | null>;
     onKeyDown: KeyboardEventHandler<HTMLUListElement>;
+    onFocus: FocusEventHandler<HTMLUListElement>;
 } {
     const listRef = useRef<HTMLUListElement>(null);
 
+    const onFocus = useCallback((evt: FocusEvent<HTMLUListElement>) => {
+        if (!listRef.current) return;
+
+        if (evt.target === listRef.current) {
+            // By default, focus the selected item
+            let selectedChild = listRef.current?.firstElementChild;
+
+            // If there is a selected item, focus that instead
+            for (const child of listRef.current.children) {
+                if (child.getAttribute("aria-selected") === "true") {
+                    selectedChild = child;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+
+            (selectedChild as HTMLElement)?.focus();
+        }
+    }, []);
+
     const onKeyDown = useCallback((evt: KeyboardEvent<HTMLUListElement>) => {
         const { key } = evt;
 
@@ -60,5 +88,5 @@ export function useListKeyDown(): {
             evt.preventDefault();
         }
     }, []);
-    return { listRef, onKeyDown };
+    return { listRef, onKeyDown, onFocus };
 }
diff --git a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/RichItem.tsx b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/RichItem.tsx
index 2d7a0ae57f..3cef2690fc 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/RichItem.tsx
+++ b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/RichItem.tsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export const RichItem = memo(function RichItem({
         <li
             className={styles.richItem}
             role="option"
-            tabIndex={0}
+            tabIndex={-1}
             aria-selected={selected}
             aria-label={title}
             {...props}
diff --git a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/__snapshots__/RichItem.test.tsx.snap b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/__snapshots__/RichItem.test.tsx.snap
index fced60db2a..84f6669b7a 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/__snapshots__/RichItem.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichItem/__snapshots__/RichItem.test.tsx.snap
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the item in default state 1`] = `
       aria-label="Rich Item Title"
       class="richItem"
       role="option"
-      tabindex="0"
+      tabindex="-1"
     >
       <div
         class="flex avatar"
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the item in selected state 1`] = `
       aria-selected="true"
       class="richItem"
       role="option"
-      tabindex="0"
+      tabindex="-1"
     >
       <div
         aria-hidden="true"
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the item without timestamp 1`] = `
       aria-label="Rich Item Title"
       class="richItem"
       role="option"
-      tabindex="0"
+      tabindex="-1"
     >
       <div
         class="flex avatar"
diff --git a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/RichList.tsx b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/RichList.tsx
index 6e34ab2287..549491e299 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/RichList.tsx
+++ b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/RichList.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import classNames from "classnames";
 
 import styles from "./RichList.module.css";
 import { Flex } from "../../utils/Flex";
-import { useListKeyDown } from "../../hooks/useListKeyDown";
+import { useListKeyboardNavigation } from "../../hooks/useListKeyboardNavigation";
 
 export interface RichListProps extends HTMLProps<HTMLDivElement> {
     /**
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export function RichList({
     ...props
 }: PropsWithChildren<RichListProps>): JSX.Element {
     const id = useId();
-    const { listRef, onKeyDown } = useListKeyDown();
+    const { listRef, onKeyDown, onFocus } = useListKeyboardNavigation();
 
     return (
         <Flex className={classNames(styles.richList, className)} direction="column" {...props}>
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export function RichList({
                     aria-labelledby={id}
                     tabIndex={0}
                     onKeyDown={onKeyDown}
+                    onFocus={onFocus}
                 >
                     {children}
                 </ul>
diff --git a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/__snapshots__/RichList.test.tsx.snap b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/__snapshots__/RichList.test.tsx.snap
index 34cd1af3fb..818984a786 100644
--- a/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/__snapshots__/RichList.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/shared-components/rich-list/RichList/__snapshots__/RichList.test.tsx.snap
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the list 1`] = `
           aria-label="First Item"
           class="richItem"
           role="option"
-          tabindex="0"
+          tabindex="-1"
         >
           <div
             class="flex avatar"
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the list 1`] = `
           aria-selected="true"
           class="richItem"
           role="option"
-          tabindex="0"
+          tabindex="-1"
         >
           <div
             aria-hidden="true"
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the list 1`] = `
           aria-label="Third Item"
           class="richItem"
           role="option"
-          tabindex="0"
+          tabindex="-1"
         >
           <div
             class="flex avatar"
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the list 1`] = `
           aria-label="Fourth Item"
           class="richItem"
           role="option"
-          tabindex="0"
+          tabindex="-1"
         >
           <div
             class="flex avatar"
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ exports[`RichItem renders the list 1`] = `
           aria-label="Fifth Item"
           class="richItem"
           role="option"
-          tabindex="0"
+          tabindex="-1"
         >
           <div
             class="flex avatar"