diff --git a/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx b/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
index 1a2f7764fc..b5809f464b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
   normalizeRememberedInstanceSettingsPath,
 } from "../lib/instance-settings";
 import { queryKeys } from "../lib/queryKeys";
+import { scheduleMainContentFocus } from "../lib/main-content-focus";
 import { cn } from "../lib/utils";
 import { NotFoundPage } from "../pages/NotFound";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
@@ -268,6 +269,12 @@ export function Layout() {
     }
   }, [location.hash, location.pathname, location.search]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (typeof document === "undefined") return;
+    const mainContent = document.getElementById("main-content");
+    return scheduleMainContentFocus(mainContent);
+  }, [location.pathname]);
+
   return (
     <GeneralSettingsProvider value={{ keyboardShortcutsEnabled }}>
       <div
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.test.ts b/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e82f5b58c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import {
+  scheduleMainContentFocus,
+  shouldFocusMainContentAfterNavigation,
+} from "./main-content-focus";
+
+describe("main-content-focus", () => {
+  let originalRequestAnimationFrame: typeof window.requestAnimationFrame;
+  let originalCancelAnimationFrame: typeof window.cancelAnimationFrame;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = "";
+    originalRequestAnimationFrame = window.requestAnimationFrame;
+    originalCancelAnimationFrame = window.cancelAnimationFrame;
+    window.requestAnimationFrame = ((callback: FrameRequestCallback) =>
+      window.setTimeout(() => callback(performance.now()), 0)) as typeof window.requestAnimationFrame;
+    window.cancelAnimationFrame = ((handle: number) => window.clearTimeout(handle)) as typeof window.cancelAnimationFrame;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    window.requestAnimationFrame = originalRequestAnimationFrame;
+    window.cancelAnimationFrame = originalCancelAnimationFrame;
+    document.body.innerHTML = "";
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("prefers the main content when navigation leaves focus outside it", async () => {
+    const sidebarButton = document.createElement("button");
+    const main = document.createElement("main");
+    main.tabIndex = -1;
+    document.body.append(sidebarButton, main);
+    sidebarButton.focus();
+
+    scheduleMainContentFocus(main);
+    await new Promise((resolve) => window.setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(main);
+  });
+
+  it("does not steal focus from an active element already inside main content", async () => {
+    const main = document.createElement("main");
+    const input = document.createElement("input");
+    main.tabIndex = -1;
+    main.appendChild(input);
+    document.body.append(main);
+    input.focus();
+
+    scheduleMainContentFocus(main);
+    await new Promise((resolve) => window.setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input);
+  });
+
+  it("treats disconnected elements as needing main-content focus", () => {
+    const main = document.createElement("main");
+    main.tabIndex = -1;
+    document.body.append(main);
+
+    const staleButton = document.createElement("button");
+    staleButton.focus();
+
+    expect(shouldFocusMainContentAfterNavigation(main, staleButton)).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.ts b/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d96fafc8a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/main-content-focus.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+export function shouldFocusMainContentAfterNavigation(
+  mainElement: HTMLElement | null,
+  activeElement: Element | null,
+): boolean {
+  if (!(mainElement instanceof HTMLElement)) return false;
+  if (!(activeElement instanceof HTMLElement)) return true;
+  if (!document.contains(activeElement)) return true;
+  if (activeElement === document.body || activeElement === document.documentElement) return true;
+  return !mainElement.contains(activeElement);
+}
+
+export function scheduleMainContentFocus(mainElement: HTMLElement | null): () => void {
+  if (!(mainElement instanceof HTMLElement)) return () => {};
+
+  const frame = window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+    if (!shouldFocusMainContentAfterNavigation(mainElement, document.activeElement)) return;
+    mainElement.focus({ preventScroll: true });
+  });
+
+  return () => window.cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
+}