diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
index 3a304af..c8541ed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AppShell.vue
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ async function signOut() {
 
 <template>
   <div class="flex min-h-full flex-col">
+    <!-- First tab stop on every page. The header and sidebar are a dozen-odd tab
+         stops that repeat on every navigation; without this a keyboard user walks
+         all of them again to reach their own notes. Hidden until focused. -->
+    <a
+      href="#main"
+      class="sr-only focus:not-sr-only focus:absolute focus:left-3 focus:top-3 focus:z-50 focus:rounded-md focus:bg-white focus:px-3 focus:py-2 focus:text-sm focus:font-medium focus:shadow-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-brand dark:focus:bg-neutral-900"
+    >
+      Skip to notes
+    </a>
     <header
       class="sticky top-0 z-20 border-b border-neutral-200 bg-neutral-50/90 backdrop-blur dark:border-neutral-800 dark:bg-neutral-950/90"
     >
@@ -416,7 +425,10 @@ async function signOut() {
         </nav>
       </aside>
 
-      <main class="min-w-0 flex-1"><RouterView /></main>
+      <!-- tabindex="-1" so the skip link above actually moves FOCUS here, not just
+           the viewport — several browsers scroll to a plain anchor without focusing
+           it, which leaves the next Tab back at the top of the page. -->
+      <main id="main" tabindex="-1" class="min-w-0 flex-1 focus:outline-none"><RouterView /></main>
     </div>
 
     <LabelsModal v-if="managing" @close="managing = false" />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/BaseModal.vue b/frontend/src/components/BaseModal.vue
index edf031b..e5fe31d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/BaseModal.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/BaseModal.vue
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 // The backdrop + centered dialog panel every modal shares: a fixed dimmed overlay and
-// a bordered, rounded panel with role="dialog". Emits `close` on Escape (while focus is
-// inside the panel — matching the app's existing modals) and on a backdrop pointer-down
-// (mousedown outside the panel). The caller sizes/shadows/pads the panel via `panelClass`
-// and fills it (its own header + content) through the default slot.
+// a bordered, rounded panel with role="dialog". Emits `close` on Escape and on a
+// backdrop pointer-down (mousedown outside the panel). The caller sizes/shadows/pads
+// the panel via `panelClass` and fills it (its own header + content) through the
+// default slot.
+//
+// Owns the dialog's focus contract on behalf of all four callers: focus moves in on
+// open, Tab is trapped inside, and focus returns to the opener on close. Doing it
+// here rather than per-modal is why CommandPalette's own input focus is the only
+// bespoke focus handling left.
 //
 // NoteEditor deliberately does NOT use this — its backdrop mousedown is drag-guarded and
 // its Escape/⌘-Enter handling is bespoke (unsaved-edit safety), so it keeps its own shell.
+import { onBeforeUnmount, onMounted, ref } from "vue";
+
 withDefaults(
   defineProps<{
     /** Panel size / shadow / padding classes (structure — rounded/border/bg — is fixed). */
@@ -19,6 +26,67 @@ withDefaults(
   { panelClass: "w-full max-w-sm shadow-xl", align: "start" },
 );
 const emit = defineEmits<{ (e: "close"): void }>();
+
+const panel = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null);
+/** Whatever had focus before we opened, so closing can hand it back. */
+let restoreTo: HTMLElement | null = null;
+
+const FOCUSABLE = [
+  "a[href]",
+  "button:not([disabled])",
+  "input:not([disabled])",
+  "select:not([disabled])",
+  "textarea:not([disabled])",
+  '[tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])',
+].join(",");
+
+/** Tabbable descendants, in document order, skipping anything not rendered. */
+function focusable(): HTMLElement[] {
+  if (!panel.value) return [];
+  return Array.from(panel.value.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>(FOCUSABLE)).filter(
+    (el) => el.getClientRects().length > 0,
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Keep Tab inside the panel.
+ *
+ * `aria-modal="true"` tells assistive tech the rest of the page is inert, but it
+ * doesn't enforce anything — without this, Tab walks straight out into content the
+ * user has just been told isn't there.
+ */
+function onTab(e: KeyboardEvent): void {
+  const items = focusable();
+  if (!items.length) {
+    // Nothing to land on: hold focus on the panel rather than releasing it.
+    e.preventDefault();
+    panel.value?.focus();
+    return;
+  }
+  const first = items[0];
+  const last = items[items.length - 1];
+  const active = document.activeElement;
+  if (e.shiftKey && (active === first || active === panel.value)) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    last.focus();
+  } else if (!e.shiftKey && active === last) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    first.focus();
+  }
+}
+
+onMounted(() => {
+  restoreTo = document.activeElement as HTMLElement | null;
+  // The fix for more than tab order: Escape is handled ON the panel, so until
+  // focus is actually inside it, Escape did nothing at all in every modal that
+  // doesn't focus its own input (LabelsModal, the integration prompt, shortcuts).
+  const target = focusable()[0] ?? panel.value;
+  target?.focus();
+});
+
+// Focus would otherwise fall back to <body>, so the next Tab restarts from the top
+// of the page rather than from whatever the user was working on.
+onBeforeUnmount(() => restoreTo?.focus?.());
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -27,13 +95,19 @@ const emit = defineEmits<{ (e: "close"): void }>();
     :class="align === 'center' ? 'items-center' : 'items-start pt-[12vh]'"
     @mousedown.self="emit('close')"
   >
+    <!-- tabindex="-1" so the panel itself can hold focus when it contains nothing
+         focusable — without it, focus would stay behind the overlay and Escape,
+         which is handled here, would never fire. -->
     <div
-      class="rounded-xl border border-neutral-200 bg-white dark:border-neutral-700 dark:bg-neutral-900"
+      ref="panel"
+      class="rounded-xl border border-neutral-200 bg-white focus:outline-none dark:border-neutral-700 dark:bg-neutral-900"
       :class="panelClass"
       role="dialog"
       aria-modal="true"
+      tabindex="-1"
       :aria-label="ariaLabel"
       @keydown.esc="emit('close')"
+      @keydown.tab="onTab"
     >
       <slot />
     </div>