diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte b/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
index 00f2fc3..354b098 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script>
     import { onDestroy, onMount } from "svelte";
     import { getItem } from "../storage";
-    import { selectedChannel, sendMessageAction, setMessageInputEvent, smallViewport, typingStore, userInfoStore } from "../stores";
+    import { overlayStore, selectedChannel, sendMessageAction, setMessageInputEvent, smallViewport, typingStore, userInfoStore, usesKeyboardNavigation } from "../stores";
 
     export let channel;
     let messageInput = "";
@@ -65,14 +65,21 @@
     const unsubscribers = [];
 
 
-    // Focus the text area when the component first loads, or when the user selects another channel
-    const focusTextarea = () => {
-        if (messageTextarea && getItem("ui:useragent:formFactor") !== "touch") {
-            messageTextarea.focus();
+    const handleDocumentKeydown = () => {
+        if (document.activeElement && (["input", "textarea"]).includes(document.activeElement.tagName.toLowerCase())) {
+            return;
         }
+        if (overlayStore.isOverlayPresent()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        messageTextarea.focus();
     };
-    onMount(focusTextarea);
-    unsubscribers.push(selectedChannel.on(focusTextarea));
+
+    onMount(() => {
+        document.addEventListener("keydown", handleDocumentKeydown);
+        return () => document.removeEventListener("keydown", handleDocumentKeydown);
+    });
 
     // Handle the setMessageInput event
     unsubscribers.push(setMessageInputEvent.on((value) => {
@@ -121,7 +128,11 @@
         contain: strict;
     }
 
+    /* TODO: is this good? */
     .message-input:focus-visible {
+        outline: none;
+    }
+    .message-input.keyboard-nav:focus-visible {
         outline: 2px solid var(--purple-2);
     }
 
@@ -179,6 +190,7 @@
             bind:value={ messageInput }
             bind:this={ messageTextarea }
             class:small={ $smallViewport || getItem("ui:alwaysUseMobileChatBar") }
+            class:keyboard-nav={ $usesKeyboardNavigation }
         />
         {#if $smallViewport || getItem("ui:alwaysUseMobileChatBar")}
             <button class="icon-button send-button material-icons-outlined" on:click="{ sendMessage }">
diff --git a/frontend/src/responsive.js b/frontend/src/responsive.js
index 0e34b90..3bb497e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/responsive.js
+++ b/frontend/src/responsive.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { getItem } from "./storage";
-import { showSidebar, smallViewport, theme } from "./stores";
+import { showSidebar, smallViewport, theme, usesKeyboardNavigation } from "./stores";
 
 function initViewportSizeHandler() {
     const root = document.querySelector(':root');
@@ -33,8 +33,22 @@ function updateTheme(themeName) {
     classes.add(`theme--${themeName}`);
 }
 
+function initKeyboardNavigationDetection() {
+    document.addEventListener("keydown", ({ key }) => {
+        if (key === "Tab") {
+            usesKeyboardNavigation.set(true);
+        }
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener("click", e => {
+        // screenX and screenY are 0 when a user presses enter for navigation
+        usesKeyboardNavigation.set(!e.screenX && !e.screenY);
+    });
+}
+
 export function initResponsiveHandlers() {
     initViewportSizeHandler();
+    initKeyboardNavigationDetection();
 
     const mediaQuery = window.matchMedia('(min-width: 768px)');
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores.js b/frontend/src/stores.js
index 2a2d526..a5f96ed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores.js
+++ b/frontend/src/stores.js
@@ -410,6 +410,10 @@ class OverlayStore extends Store {
         super([], "OverlayStore");
     }
 
+    isOverlayPresent() {
+        return !!this.value.length;
+    }
+
     push(type, props={}) {
         const id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 9999999);
 
@@ -840,6 +844,7 @@ export const selectedChannel = new SelectedChannelStore();
 export const showSidebar = new Store(true, "showSidebar");
 export const showPresenceSidebar = new Store(false, "showPresenceSidebar");
 export const smallViewport = new Store(false, "smallViewport");
+export const usesKeyboardNavigation = new Store(false, "usesKeyboardNavigation");
 export const showChannelView = new Store(true, "showChannelView");
 export const theme = new StorageItemStore("ui:theme");
 export const sendTypingUpdatesItemStore = new StorageItemStore("ui:online:sendTypingUpdates");