diff --git a/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.test.tsx b/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.test.tsx
index 94a9feeb4..d75836116 100644
--- a/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.test.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.test.tsx
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 // on up to this backdrop and closed To hardware as well. The header the model
 // translated lives only in this modal's state, so it went with it.
 //
-// Esc goes the same way. Send and Publish listen for no keys, so this modal
-// hears the Esc meant for them, and it closes the one on top.
+// Esc goes the same way. This modal hears the Esc meant for the window on
+// top, Send or Publish, and closes that one alone. Publish hears the same
+// Esc itself and closes itself, which leaves this modal open all the same.
 //
 // The modal is mounted the way the lab mounts it, behind an open flag that
 // onClose clears, so a stray close really unmounts it. The pasted header is
@@ -403,12 +404,16 @@ describe("HardwareModal", () => {
   it("Esc over the Publish modal closes Publish alone and keeps the header", async () => {
     render(<Lab />);
     pasteHeaderAndContinue();
-    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText("Upload to the community"));
+    const upload = screen.getByText("Upload to the community");
+    upload.focus();
+    fireEvent.click(upload);
     await screen.findByText("Share to Community");
+    expect(screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Title" })).toHaveFocus();
 
     fireEvent.keyDown(document.activeElement!, { key: "Escape" });
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(screen.queryByText("Share to Community")).toBeNull());
+    expect(upload).toHaveFocus();
     expectHeaderKept();
   });
 
diff --git a/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.tsx b/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.tsx
index 919dd26ae..e9ff44ff1 100644
--- a/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/pattern-lab/HardwareModal.tsx
@@ -217,9 +217,9 @@ export default function HardwareModal({
   // here as well, and that one began in the card.
   const closeOnBackdrop = useBackdropClose(onClose);
 
-  // Esc closes the window on top. Send and Publish open over this one and
-  // hear no keys of their own, so the first Esc is theirs and the header
-  // stays.
+  // Esc closes the window on top and the header stays. Send opens over this
+  // one and hears no keys of its own, so this listener closes it. Publish
+  // hears Esc itself, and both listeners close Publish and nothing else.
   const cardRef = useDialog<HTMLDivElement>(() => {
     if (sendOpen) setSendOpen(false);
     else if (publishCode !== null) setPublishCode(null);
diff --git a/web/src/components/community/PublishModal.tsx b/web/src/components/community/PublishModal.tsx
index 3bdc40152..30dea52f4 100644
--- a/web/src/components/community/PublishModal.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/community/PublishModal.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
+import { useDialog } from "@/lib/hooks/useDialog";
 import { authClient } from "@/lib/community/auth-client";
 import { COMMUNITY_FETCH_INIT, communityApiUrl } from "@/lib/community/apiBase";
 import { useSubmitLatch } from "@/lib/community/submitLatch";
@@ -121,6 +122,17 @@ export default function PublishModal({
   const latch = useSubmitLatch();
   const [includeShow, setIncludeShow] = useState(true);
 
+  // The card takes the focus first, so the hook sees the Share button that
+  // opened the window and hands the focus back to it on close. The title
+  // field's autoFocus used to move it before the hook could look, and the
+  // field is not there yet while the session is being checked.
+  const cardRef = useDialog<HTMLDivElement>(onClose);
+  const titleRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const formShown = !isPending && Boolean(session);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (formShown) titleRef.current?.focus({ preventScroll: true });
+  }, [formShown]);
+
   const licenseChoices = parentLicense ? forkLicenseOptions(parentLicense) : LICENSE_OPTIONS;
   // Default to the recommended licence, unless the parent's terms rule it out.
   const [licenseId, setLicenseId] = useState(
@@ -252,7 +264,12 @@ export default function PublishModal({
 
   return (
     <div className={styles.modalOverlay} role="dialog" aria-modal="true" onClick={onClose}>
-      <div className={styles.modalCard} onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}>
+      <div
+        ref={cardRef}
+        tabIndex={-1}
+        className={styles.modalCard}
+        onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+      >
         <div className={styles.modalHeader}>
           <span>{editOf ? "Update your pattern" : "Share to Community"}</span>
           <button type="button" onClick={onClose} aria-label="Close">
@@ -317,10 +334,10 @@ export default function PublishModal({
             <label className={styles.field}>
               <span className={styles.fieldLabel}>Title</span>
               <input
+                ref={titleRef}
                 className={styles.textInput}
                 value={title}
                 maxLength={TITLE_MAX}
-                autoFocus
                 onChange={(event) => setTitle(event.target.value)}
               />
             </label>
diff --git a/web/src/components/community/dialogKeys.test.tsx b/web/src/components/community/dialogKeys.test.tsx
index e268adc20..2c1f7d749 100644
--- a/web/src/components/community/dialogKeys.test.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/community/dialogKeys.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 // 1440px each stayed open on Esc, and four left the focus on the button
 // behind them. Each case opens its window from a real button, so the focus
 // has somewhere to come back to.
+//
+// Share to Community, the window Pattern Lab's Share opens, came after them.
+// It closed on a press outside alone, and its title field took the focus
+// before anything could note the Share button.
 
 import { useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
@@ -11,21 +15,24 @@ import AddHeaderModal from "./AddHeaderModal";
 import AddPerformanceModal from "./AddPerformanceModal";
 import AuthModal from "./AuthModal";
 import EditDetailsModal from "./EditDetailsModal";
+import PublishModal from "./PublishModal";
 import ReportModal from "./ReportModal";
 
 const auth = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   session: { user: { id: "u1", name: "Tester" } } as { user: { id: string; name: string } } | null,
+  pending: false,
 }));
 
 vi.mock("next/navigation", () => ({ useRouter: () => ({ refresh: vi.fn(), push: vi.fn() }) }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/community/auth-client", () => ({
-  authClient: { useSession: () => ({ data: auth.session, isPending: false }) },
+  authClient: { useSession: () => ({ data: auth.session, isPending: auth.pending }) },
   dummyEmailFor: (name: string) => `${name}@example.invalid`,
 }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/posthogEvents", () => ({ captureEvent: vi.fn() }));
 
 afterEach(() => {
   auth.session = { user: { id: "u1", name: "Tester" } };
+  auth.pending = false;
 });
 
 function Page({
@@ -86,6 +93,18 @@ const WINDOWS: [string, (close: () => void) => ReactNode][] = [
   ],
   ["Add firmware header", (close) => <AddHeaderModal patternId="p1" initialCpp={null} onClose={close} />],
   ["Publish a performance", (close) => <AddPerformanceModal patternId="p1" onClose={close} />],
+  [
+    "Share to Community",
+    (close) => (
+      <PublishModal
+        code="export function draw(display) {}"
+        parentId={null}
+        parentTitle={null}
+        initialTitle="Wave"
+        onClose={close}
+      />
+    ),
+  ],
 ];
 
 describe.each(WINDOWS)("the %s window", (_name, dialog) => {
@@ -112,6 +131,43 @@ describe("community windows", () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Title" })).toHaveFocus();
   });
 
+  it("Share to Community still starts on the title field", () => {
+    render(<Page dialog={WINDOWS[5][1]} />);
+    open();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Title" })).toHaveFocus();
+  });
+
+  // The lab's first Share can open before the session is known. The card
+  // holds the focus until then, and the title takes it when the form shows.
+  it("Share to Community moves to the title field once the session is known", () => {
+    auth.pending = true;
+    const onClose = vi.fn();
+    const { rerender } = render(<Page dialog={WINDOWS[5][1]} onClose={onClose} />);
+    const opener = open();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Checking session…")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog")).toContainElement(document.activeElement as HTMLElement);
+
+    auth.pending = false;
+    rerender(<Page dialog={WINDOWS[5][1]} onClose={onClose} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Title" })).toHaveFocus();
+
+    pressEsc();
+    expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(opener).toHaveFocus();
+  });
+
+  it("a sign-in form inside Share to Community lets one Esc close it", () => {
+    auth.session = null;
+    const onClose = vi.fn();
+    render(<Page dialog={WINDOWS[5][1]} onClose={onClose} />);
+    const opener = open();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Create account" })).toBeTruthy();
+    fireEvent.keyDown(screen.getByLabelText("Password"), { key: "Escape" });
+    expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(opener).toHaveFocus();
+  });
+
   it("a sign-in form inside the report window lets one Esc close the report", () => {
     auth.session = null;
     const onClose = vi.fn();