diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
index 6eccc48eb..2bbb2eba2 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
@@ -856,7 +856,9 @@ impl Dialog {
             "insertFunction" => {
                 // A Function Library menu opens it on its own category.
                 let category = p("category").as_str().unwrap_or(crate::function_library::MOST_RECENTLY_USED).to_string();
-                Dialog::custom("insertFunction", "Insert Function", json!({"category": category}))
+                let mut d = Dialog::custom("insertFunction", "Insert Function", json!({"category": category}));
+                d.focus_first_field = true;
+                d
             }
             "find" => {
                 let mut d = Dialog::custom("find", "Find and Replace", json!({"what": "", "with": "", "within": "sheet", "lookIn": "formulas"}));
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/insert_function.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/insert_function.rs
index a77de272b..6a93530f7 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/insert_function.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/insert_function.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use super::show::ok_cancel;
+use super::show::{ok_cancel, take_first_focus};
 use super::{Dialog, Json, SheetApp, json, vec2};
 
 /// Insert Function: search names (as the formula language spells them) and descriptions, or pick
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ pub(super) fn insert_function(app: &mut SheetApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dia
     ui.horizontal(|ui| {
         ui.label(language.tr("Search:"));
         let r = ui.add(egui::TextEdit::singleline(&mut d.search).desired_width(300.0).hint_text(language.tr("e.g. lookup, average, date")));
-        r.request_focus();
+        // Once only, so Tab can move on to the category list.
+        take_first_focus(d, &r);
     });
     // A new search (typed, or set through the control channel) looks through every function, as
     // Excel's does.
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/show.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/show.rs
index 071a94e5b..a2e452fb0 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/show.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/show.rs
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ fn form(ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dialog, confirm: &mut bool, open: &mut bool)
 /// Enter sets the width, as in Excel.
 /// Keeps asking until the field really has focus: a new window's first frame is an invisible
 /// sizing pass where a focus request is ignored.
-fn take_first_focus(d: &mut Dialog, r: &egui::Response) {
+pub(super) fn take_first_focus(d: &mut Dialog, r: &egui::Response) {
     if !d.focus_first_field {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/function_library.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/function_library.rs
index 3d8a37d5e..dd86f4652 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/function_library.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/it/function_library.rs
@@ -239,6 +239,30 @@ fn insert_function_has_its_title_and_a_working_category_list() {
     assert_ne!(h.state().session.prefs.recent_functions[0], "XLOOKUP");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn insert_function_lets_tab_reach_the_category_list() {
+    use egui::accesskit::Role;
+    let mut h = formulas_tab(1440.0);
+    click(&mut h, "Insert Function");
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    let search_focused = |h: &Harness| h.get_all_by_role(Role::TextInput).any(|n| n.is_focused());
+    assert!(search_focused(&h), "the search box takes the focus when the dialog opens");
+    h.input_mut().events.push(Event::Text("npv".into()));
+    h.run_steps(2);
+    assert_eq!(h.state().dialog.as_ref().map(|d| d.search.as_str()), Some("npv"));
+    // Tab moves on to the category list, and the search box does not take the focus back.
+    h.input_mut().events.extend([key_event(Key::Tab, true), key_event(Key::Tab, false)]);
+    h.run_steps(5);
+    assert!(h.get_by_role(Role::ComboBox).is_focused(), "Tab reaches the category list");
+    assert!(!search_focused(&h));
+    // The list opens from the keyboard (its Date & Time joins the ribbon's).
+    let listed = |h: &Harness| h.get_all_by_label("Date & Time").count();
+    let before = listed(&h);
+    h.input_mut().events.extend([key_event(Key::Space, true), key_event(Key::Space, false)]);
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    assert_eq!(listed(&h), before + 1, "the list is open");
+}
+
 /// The text shapes the last frame painted, with their left edge and width.
 fn painted_text(h: &Harness) -> Vec<(String, f32, f32)> {
     let mut out = Vec::new();