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 559d648407..b43a860f2a 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
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor, within } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { atom } from 'nanostores'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
@@ -113,4 +113,28 @@ describe('SessionActionsMenu', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('menuitem', { name: /rename/i })).toBeTruthy()
     expect(screen.getByRole('menuitem', { name: /archive/i })).toBeTruthy()
   })
+
+  it('opens the rename dialog focused on its input, not the row trigger', async () => {
+    renderMenu()
+
+    const trigger = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Session actions' })
+
+    fireEvent.pointerDown(trigger, { button: 0, pointerType: 'mouse' })
+    fireEvent.pointerUp(trigger, { button: 0, pointerType: 'mouse' })
+    fireEvent.click(trigger)
+
+    const rename = await screen.findByRole('menuitem', { name: /rename/i })
+    fireEvent.click(rename)
+
+    // The dialog opens and its textbox takes focus. If the menu's close restored
+    // focus to the row trigger instead, Space would activate the row and the
+    // arrow keys would move the list rather than the caret (the reported bug).
+    const dialog = await screen.findByRole('dialog')
+    const input = within(dialog).getByRole('textbox')
+
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- asserting real focus requires the live document
+    await waitFor(() => expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input))
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- asserting real focus requires the live document
+    expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(trigger)
+  })
 })
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 0a32e1881f..2787b329f4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/session-actions-menu.tsx
@@ -189,6 +189,14 @@ function useSessionActions({
   const { t } = useI18n()
   const r = t.sidebar.row
   const [renameOpen, setRenameOpen] = useState(false)
+  // The rename item opens a Dialog. When a menu closes, Radix restores focus to
+  // its trigger — for a sidebar row that trigger is the row's own <button>, so
+  // focus lands there instead of the dialog's input: Space then activates the
+  // row (selecting the session) and the arrow keys move the list rather than
+  // the caret. Suppress that one restore so the dialog keeps focus; every other
+  // action leaves the restore alone (it's the correct behavior for them). Mirrors
+  // the project menu's appearance-popover guard.
+  const suppressCloseFocusRef = useRef(false)
   const tiles = useStore($sessionTiles)
   const selectedStoredSessionId = useStore($selectedStoredSessionId)
 
@@ -240,6 +248,8 @@ function useSessionActions({
       label: r.rename,
       onSelect: () => {
         triggerHaptic('selection')
+        // Keep focus off the row trigger so it lands in the dialog input.
+        suppressCloseFocusRef.current = true
         setRenameOpen(true)
       }
     }),
@@ -438,7 +448,16 @@ function useSessionActions({
     />
   )
 
-  return { renameDialog, renderItems }
+  // Consumed once per close: when rename was the action that closed the menu,
+  // block Radix's focus-restore to the trigger so the dialog input keeps focus.
+  const onCloseAutoFocus = (event: Event) => {
+    if (suppressCloseFocusRef.current) {
+      suppressCloseFocusRef.current = false
+      event.preventDefault()
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { onCloseAutoFocus, renameDialog, renderItems }
 }
 
 interface SessionActionsMenuProps
@@ -448,7 +467,7 @@ interface SessionActionsMenuProps
 
 export function SessionActionsMenu({ children, align = 'end', sideOffset = 6, ...actions }: SessionActionsMenuProps) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
-  const { renameDialog, renderItems } = useSessionActions(actions)
+  const { onCloseAutoFocus, renameDialog, renderItems } = useSessionActions(actions)
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -457,6 +476,7 @@ export function SessionActionsMenu({ children, align = 'end', sideOffset = 6, ..
         ariaLabel={t.sidebar.row.sessionActions}
         contentClassName="w-40"
         items={renderItems}
+        onCloseAutoFocus={onCloseAutoFocus}
         sideOffset={sideOffset}
       >
         {children}
@@ -472,11 +492,16 @@ interface SessionContextMenuProps extends SessionActions {
 
 export function SessionContextMenu({ children, ...actions }: SessionContextMenuProps) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
-  const { renameDialog, renderItems } = useSessionActions(actions)
+  const { onCloseAutoFocus, renameDialog, renderItems } = useSessionActions(actions)
 
   return (
     <>
-      <ActionsContextMenu ariaLabel={t.sidebar.row.sessionActions} contentClassName="w-40" items={renderItems}>
+      <ActionsContextMenu
+        ariaLabel={t.sidebar.row.sessionActions}
+        contentClassName="w-40"
+        items={renderItems}
+        onCloseAutoFocus={onCloseAutoFocus}
+      >
         {children}
       </ActionsContextMenu>
       {renameDialog}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/actions-menu.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/actions-menu.tsx
index 998174621c..f46cc04f99 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/actions-menu.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/ui/actions-menu.tsx
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export function renderActionItem(
 
 interface ActionsMenuProps extends Pick<
   React.ComponentProps<typeof DropdownMenuContent>,
-  'align' | 'side' | 'sideOffset'
+  'align' | 'side' | 'sideOffset' | 'onCloseAutoFocus'
 > {
   /** The trigger (a kebab button). Wrapped in `DropdownMenuTrigger asChild`. */
   children: React.ReactNode
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ export function ActionsMenu({
   children,
   contentClassName,
   items,
+  onCloseAutoFocus,
   onOpenChange,
   open,
   side,
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ export function ActionsMenu({
         align={align}
         aria-label={ariaLabel}
         className={contentClassName}
+        onCloseAutoFocus={onCloseAutoFocus}
         side={side}
         sideOffset={sideOffset}
       >
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ interface ActionsContextMenuProps {
   contentClassName?: string
   /** Skip the wrapper (render children bare) — e.g. nothing is actionable yet. */
   disabled?: boolean
+  onCloseAutoFocus?: (event: Event) => void
 }
 
 /**
@@ -163,7 +166,8 @@ export function ActionsContextMenu({
   children,
   contentClassName,
   disabled,
-  items
+  items,
+  onCloseAutoFocus
 }: ActionsContextMenuProps) {
   if (disabled) {
     return <>{children}</>
@@ -172,7 +176,7 @@ export function ActionsContextMenu({
   return (
     <ContextMenu>
       <ContextMenuTrigger asChild>{children}</ContextMenuTrigger>
-      <ContextMenuContent aria-label={ariaLabel} className={contentClassName}>
+      <ContextMenuContent aria-label={ariaLabel} className={contentClassName} onCloseAutoFocus={onCloseAutoFocus}>
         {items(CONTEXT_KIT)}
       </ContextMenuContent>
     </ContextMenu>