diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c0d12ed36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import { act } from 'react'
+import { createRoot, type Root } from 'react-dom/client'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { AutomationListSearchField } from './AutomationListSearchField'
+
+let container: HTMLDivElement
+let root: Root
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  container = document.createElement('div')
+  document.body.appendChild(container)
+  root = createRoot(container)
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  act(() => root.unmount())
+  container.remove()
+})
+
+describe('AutomationListSearchField', () => {
+  it('autofocuses the search input on mount', () => {
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(
+        <AutomationListSearchField
+          query=""
+          isTooLarge={false}
+          onQueryChange={() => undefined}
+          onClear={() => undefined}
+        />
+      )
+    })
+
+    const input = container.querySelector('input')
+    expect(input).not.toBeNull()
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.tsx
index 3a2bceb7c..d1691a490 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationListSearchField.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export function AutomationListSearchField({
       <Search className="pointer-events-none absolute left-2.5 top-1/2 size-3.5 -translate-y-1/2 text-muted-foreground" />
       <Input
         ref={inputRef}
+        autoFocus
         value={query}
         aria-label={translate(
           'auto.components.automations.AutomationListSearchField.label',
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
index 118d4938e..393f70a6b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -1204,6 +1204,8 @@ function Settings(): React.JSX.Element {
         hasRepos={repos.length > 0}
         searchQuery={settingsSearchInputQuery}
         searchInputRef={searchInputRef}
+        // Why: deep-links open panes/modals that own focus; plain entry lands in search.
+        searchAutoFocus={settingsNavigationTarget == null}
         onBack={closeSettingsPageWithPromptGuard}
         onSearchChange={setSettingsSearchQuery}
         onSelectSection={scrollToSection}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
index 5c912b051..c56e71b96 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/SettingsSidebar.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type SettingsSidebarProps = {
   hasRepos: boolean
   searchQuery: string
   searchInputRef?: RefObject<HTMLInputElement | null>
+  searchAutoFocus?: boolean
   onBack: () => void
   onSearchChange: (query: string) => void
   onSelectSection: (
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ export function SettingsSidebar({
   hasRepos,
   searchQuery,
   searchInputRef,
+  searchAutoFocus = false,
   onBack,
   onSearchChange,
   onSelectSection
@@ -196,6 +198,7 @@ export function SettingsSidebar({
           <Search className="pointer-events-none absolute left-3 top-1/2 size-4 -translate-y-1/2 text-muted-foreground" />
           <Input
             ref={searchInputRef}
+            autoFocus={searchAutoFocus}
             value={searchQuery}
             onChange={(event) => onSearchChange(event.target.value)}
             placeholder={translate(
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.test.ts
index ff761bbc2..4f7df50e9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type { Worktree } from '../../../../shared/types'
 import {
+  getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget,
   handleWorktreeParentPickerKeyDown,
   selectWorktreeParent
 } from './WorktreeParentPickerPopover'
@@ -173,6 +176,36 @@ describe('clampWorktreeParentPickerIndex', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget', () => {
+  function makeSidebarRow(): { listbox: HTMLElement; row: HTMLElement } {
+    const listbox = document.createElement('div')
+    listbox.tabIndex = 0
+    listbox.setAttribute('role', 'listbox')
+    const row = document.createElement('div')
+    row.setAttribute('role', 'option')
+    listbox.appendChild(row)
+    return { listbox, row }
+  }
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = ''
+  })
+
+  it('restores focus to the focusable container of the anchored row', () => {
+    const { listbox, row } = makeSidebarRow()
+    document.body.appendChild(listbox)
+
+    expect(getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget(row)).toBe(listbox)
+  })
+
+  it('skips a row whose sidebar was already unmounted or never anchored', () => {
+    const { row } = makeSidebarRow()
+
+    expect(getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget(row)).toBeNull()
+    expect(getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget(null)).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
 describe('parent picker keyboard input', () => {
   it.each([
     { isComposing: true, keyCode: 13 },
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.tsx
index 49af0e99e..8647dabbc 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeParentPickerPopover.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,20 @@ function getAnchorRect(anchorElement: HTMLElement | null): AnchorRect | null {
   return anchorElement?.getBoundingClientRect() ?? null
 }
 
+const FOCUSABLE_ANCHOR_SELECTOR =
+  'a[href],button,input,select,textarea,[tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])'
+
+// Why: the anchor is a non-focusable `role="option"` row, so closing focus has
+// to land on its nearest focusable container (the sidebar listbox).
+export function getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget(
+  anchorElement: HTMLElement | null
+): HTMLElement | null {
+  if (!anchorElement?.isConnected) {
+    return null
+  }
+  return anchorElement.closest<HTMLElement>(FOCUSABLE_ANCHOR_SELECTOR)
+}
+
 export function selectWorktreeParent({
   childWorktreeId,
   parentWorktreeId,
@@ -299,7 +313,8 @@ export function WorktreeParentPickerPopover({
   }
 
   return (
-    <Popover open={open} onOpenChange={onOpenChange}>
+    // Why: modal traps focus (incl. post-menu xterm restore); non-modal loses search focus.
+    <Popover modal open={open} onOpenChange={onOpenChange}>
       <PopoverAnchor virtualRef={virtualAnchorRef} />
       <PopoverContent
         align="start"
@@ -307,6 +322,17 @@ export function WorktreeParentPickerPopover({
         sideOffset={8}
         collisionPadding={PICKER_VIEWPORT_PADDING}
         className="flex max-h-(--radix-popover-content-available-height) w-80 flex-col p-0"
+        onOpenAutoFocus={(event) => {
+          event.preventDefault()
+          inputRef.current?.focus()
+        }}
+        // Why: virtual anchor has no trigger for Radix to restore focus to, so
+        // drive it back to the anchored row's listbox instead of dropping it on
+        // the detached input (i.e. document.body).
+        onCloseAutoFocus={(event) => {
+          event.preventDefault()
+          getWorktreeParentPickerFocusRestoreTarget(anchorElement)?.focus()
+        }}
         onInteractOutside={(event) => {
           if (suppressInitialOutsideCloseRef.current) {
             event.preventDefault()
@@ -333,7 +359,6 @@ export function WorktreeParentPickerPopover({
               'auto.components.sidebar.WorktreeParentPickerPopover.searchPlaceholder',
               'Search worktrees...'
             )}
-            autoFocus
           />
           <CommandList ref={listRef} className="max-h-72 min-h-0 flex-1">
             {filtered.length === 0 ? (
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/ui/command.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/ui/command.tsx
index 743cf7ee0..c9ecc5be7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/ui/command.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/ui/command.tsx
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ function CommandInput({
   wrapperClassName,
   iconClassName,
   trailing,
+  ref,
   ...props
 }: React.ComponentProps<typeof CommandPrimitive.Input> & {
   wrapperClassName?: string
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ function CommandInput({
     >
       <SearchIcon className={cn('mr-2 h-4 w-4 shrink-0 opacity-50', iconClassName)} />
       <CommandPrimitive.Input
+        ref={ref}
         data-slot="command-input"
         className={cn(
           'flex h-10 w-full rounded-md bg-transparent py-3 text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
diff --git a/tests/e2e/settings-search-shortcuts-pane.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/settings-search-shortcuts-pane.spec.ts
index 17e809708..e33320e7d 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/settings-search-shortcuts-pane.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/settings-search-shortcuts-pane.spec.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ test.describe('Settings sidebar search on the Shortcuts pane', () => {
 
     const searchInput = orcaPage.getByPlaceholder('Search settings')
     await expect(searchInput).toBeVisible()
+    // Why: plain Settings open should land focus in search so typing starts immediately.
+    await expect(searchInput).toBeFocused()
     await searchInput.fill('shortcuts')
 
     // The query matches the pane title, so the Shortcuts pane auto-activates.