diff --git a/src/features/terminal/TerminalView.tsx b/src/features/terminal/TerminalView.tsx
index f805b310d..6b35883ab 100644
--- a/src/features/terminal/TerminalView.tsx
+++ b/src/features/terminal/TerminalView.tsx
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ function paneMenu(e: MouseEvent, key: string) {
   e.preventDefault();
   const session = getSession(key);
   if (!session) return;
+  // Right-clicking focuses the terminal, like IDEA; otherwise the menu closing
+  // restores focus to whatever was focused before it, often the editor.
+  session.focus();
   const exited = session.state.status === "exited" || session.state.status === "error";
   const mac = usePlatform.getState().os === "macos";
   const items: MenuItem[] = [
diff --git a/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx b/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
index b135322f8..ed98b0396 100644
--- a/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { getContext, setContext } from "@/platform/context";
 import { registerAction } from "@/platform/actions";
 import { Popup } from "./Popup";
-import { Menu, MenuList } from "./Menu";
+import { ContextMenuHost, Menu, MenuList, hideContextMenu, showContextMenu } from "./Menu";
 import { Dialog } from "./Dialog";
 
 function Harness({ onClose }: { onClose?: (r: string) => void }) {
@@ -177,6 +177,21 @@ describe("Dialog initial focus", () => {
 });
 
 describe("Menu action enablement", () => {
+  it("returns focus to the element focused before a context menu opened", () => {
+    render(
+      <>
+        <textarea aria-label="input" />
+        <ContextMenuHost />
+      </>,
+    );
+    const input = screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: "input" });
+    input.focus();
+    act(() => showContextMenu({ x: 0, y: 0 }, [{ label: "Paste", run: () => undefined }]));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: /Paste/ })).toHaveFocus();
+    act(() => hideContextMenu());
+    expect(input).toHaveFocus();
+  });
+
   it("follows context changes after the menu opened", () => {
     const dispose = registerAction({ id: "test.menuWhen", title: "Needs Flag", when: "qaMenuFlag", run: () => {} });
     setContext("qaMenuFlag", false);
diff --git a/src/ui/Popup.tsx b/src/ui/Popup.tsx
index 7bb6b266f..31bde957f 100644
--- a/src/ui/Popup.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Popup.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,16 @@
  * window-deactivation dismissal (top-most popup only for Escape), optional
  * focus trap and focus restore.
  */
-import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, type CSSProperties, type ReactNode, type RefObject } from "react";
+import {
+  useEffect,
+  useLayoutEffect,
+  useMemo,
+  useRef,
+  useState,
+  type CSSProperties,
+  type ReactNode,
+  type RefObject,
+} from "react";
 import { createPortal } from "react-dom";
 import clsx from "clsx";
 import {
@@ -108,10 +117,11 @@ function PopupInner({
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     onCloseRef.current = onClose;
   });
+  // Read while rendering: content such as a menu focuses itself before any effect here runs.
+  const [previous] = useState(() => document.activeElement as HTMLElement | null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const layer = openLayer(() => elRef.current);
-    const previous = document.activeElement as HTMLElement | null;
 
     const onKey = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
       if (!layer.isTop()) return;