diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.test.tsx
index 60de5f5ca5..21e276bb04 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.test.tsx
@@ -247,12 +247,19 @@ describe('SessionActionsMenu', () => {
     expect(await screen.queryByRole('dialog')).toBeNull()
     expect(onDelete).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
-    // Re-open and confirm with Enter: the delete call fires.
+    // Re-open and confirm with Enter at wherever focus actually is. Firing on
+    // the dialog node would pass even when the menu leaves focus on the row
+    // trigger — where Enter re-activates the row instead of confirming.
     fireEvent.pointerDown(trigger, { button: 0, pointerType: 'mouse' })
     fireEvent.pointerUp(trigger, { button: 0, pointerType: 'mouse' })
     fireEvent.click(trigger)
     fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole('menuitem', { name: /delete/i }))
-    fireEvent.keyDown(await screen.findByRole('dialog'), { key: 'Enter' })
+
+    const reopened = await screen.findByRole('dialog')
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- asserting real focus requires the live document
+    await waitFor(() => expect(reopened.contains(document.activeElement)).toBe(true))
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- asserting real focus requires the live document
+    fireEvent.keyDown(document.activeElement!, { key: 'Enter' })
 
     expect(await screen.findByText('Session deleted')).toBeTruthy()
     expect(onDelete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx
index 2550800e72..70962073db 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx
@@ -22,14 +22,7 @@ import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { ColorSwatches } from '@/components/ui/color-swatches'
 import { ConfirmDialog } from '@/components/ui/confirm-dialog'
 import { CopyButton } from '@/components/ui/copy-button'
-import {
-  Dialog,
-  DialogContent,
-  DialogFooter,
-  DialogHeader,
-  DialogTitle,
-  preventCloseButtonAutoFocus
-} from '@/components/ui/dialog'
+import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogFooter, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
 import { renameSession } from '@/hermes'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
@@ -580,7 +573,6 @@ function DeleteSessionDialog({ open, onOpenChange, onConfirm, sessionTitle }: De
       doneLabel={r.deleted}
       onClose={() => onOpenChange(false)}
       onConfirm={onConfirm}
-      onOpenAutoFocus={preventCloseButtonAutoFocus}
       open={open}
       title={r.deleteTitle}
     />
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/confirm-dialog.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/confirm-dialog.tsx
index d4d5fc327d..3d60069c4b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/confirm-dialog.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/confirm-dialog.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { ActionStatus } from '@/components/ui/action-status'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
@@ -28,15 +28,12 @@ interface ConfirmDialogProps {
   destructive?: boolean
   /** Close as soon as onConfirm resolves — for optimistic actions that finish in the background. */
   dismissOnConfirm?: boolean
-  /** Focus control for dialogs with no input. Pass `preventCloseButtonAutoFocus`
-   *  so opening doesn't land focus on the close/cancel button (which would pop
-   *  its tooltip with no pointer near it). */
-  onOpenAutoFocus?: (event: Event) => void
 }
 
-// Shared confirmation dialog: Enter confirms (from anywhere in the dialog),
-// Esc/Cancel/backdrop dismiss. Owns the pending → done → close beat and inline
-// error, so callers pass only an async onConfirm that does the work.
+// Shared confirmation dialog: opens focused on Confirm, Enter confirms (from
+// anywhere in the dialog), Esc/Cancel/backdrop dismiss. Owns the pending → done
+// → close beat and inline error, so callers pass only an async onConfirm that
+// does the work.
 export function ConfirmDialog({
   open,
   onClose,
@@ -48,10 +45,10 @@ export function ConfirmDialog({
   doneLabel,
   cancelLabel,
   destructive = false,
-  dismissOnConfirm = false,
-  onOpenAutoFocus
+  dismissOnConfirm = false
 }: ConfirmDialogProps) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
+  const confirmRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null)
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<'done' | 'idle' | 'saving'>('idle')
   const [error, setError] = useState<null | string>(null)
   const busy = status === 'saving' || status === 'done'
@@ -109,7 +106,14 @@ export function ConfirmDialog({
             void run()
           }
         }}
-        onOpenAutoFocus={onOpenAutoFocus}
+        onOpenAutoFocus={event => {
+          // Focus must land inside the dialog or the handler above never sees
+          // the key: it stays on whatever opened the dialog (a menu item, a
+          // sidebar row) and Enter re-triggers that instead. Radix's default
+          // would take the X — confirm is the button Enter maps to.
+          event.preventDefault()
+          confirmRef.current?.focus()
+        }}
       >
         <DialogHeader>
           <DialogTitle>{title}</DialogTitle>
@@ -127,7 +131,12 @@ export function ConfirmDialog({
           <Button disabled={busy} onClick={onClose} type="button" variant="ghost">
             {resolvedCancelLabel}
           </Button>
-          <Button disabled={busy} onClick={() => void run()} variant={destructive ? 'destructive' : 'default'}>
+          <Button
+            disabled={busy}
+            onClick={() => void run()}
+            ref={confirmRef}
+            variant={destructive ? 'destructive' : 'default'}
+          >
             <ActionStatus
               busy={resolvedBusyLabel}
               done={resolvedDoneLabel}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
index 0a9414dd6b..9c09fa87db 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ const DIALOG_BANNER_TONES: Record<DialogBannerTone, string> = {
 // element ends up being the close button, and since Tip shows on focus as well
 // as hover, that autofocus makes the "Close" tip appear immediately with no
 // pointer ever near the button. Dialogs like that should pass this in
-// explicitly as `onOpenAutoFocus={preventCloseButtonAutoFocus}`.
+// explicitly as `onOpenAutoFocus={preventCloseButtonAutoFocus}`. Note it leaves
+// focus wherever it was — outside the dialog — so a dialog that answers keys
+// (Enter to confirm) must focus something of its own instead.
 export function preventCloseButtonAutoFocus(event: Event) {
   event.preventDefault()
 }