diff --git a/apps/web/src/main.tsx b/apps/web/src/main.tsx
index 67c1fa0..19737bd 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/main.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/main.tsx
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@ function useRouteScroll() {
 }
 
 /**
- * After a navigation, focus moves to the new page's heading (its first h1, given tabindex -1) once it renders, and
- * its text goes to a polite live region. The first page load keeps the browser's own focus.
+ * After a navigation, the new page's heading (its first h1) is announced in a polite live region once it renders,
+ * and takes focus (tabindex -1), unless the navigation came from the dock or the course outline: those controls
+ * stay put, so focus stays on the one that was used (Enter on Next twice goes two lessons on). The first page load
+ * keeps the browser's own focus.
  */
 function useRouteFocus(): string {
   const loc = useLocation();
@@ -52,9 +54,10 @@ function useRouteFocus(): string {
       if (!h || h === last.current) return false;
       last.current = h;
       if (initial) return true;
+      setSaid(h.textContent ?? "");
+      if (document.activeElement?.closest(".stc-dock, .lr-side")) return true;
       if (!h.hasAttribute("tabindex")) h.setAttribute("tabindex", "-1");
       h.focus({ preventScroll: true });
-      setSaid(h.textContent ?? "");
       return true;
     };
     if (take()) return;
diff --git a/apps/web/src/motion.e2e.test.ts b/apps/web/src/motion.e2e.test.ts
index babe438..4585afd 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/motion.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/motion.e2e.test.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ async function open(p: string, ready: string) {
 }
 
 async function key(k: string, code: number) {
-  await chrome.send("Input.dispatchKeyEvent", { type: "keyDown", key: k, code: k, windowsVirtualKeyCode: code });
+  // Enter needs its text to activate a focused button or link.
+  await chrome.send("Input.dispatchKeyEvent", { type: "keyDown", key: k, code: k, windowsVirtualKeyCode: code, ...(k === "Enter" ? { text: "\r" } : {}) });
   await chrome.send("Input.dispatchKeyEvent", { type: "keyUp", key: k, code: k, windowsVirtualKeyCode: code });
 }
 
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ run("navigation motion (headless Chrome)", () => {
     await until(async () => (await title()) === "Code along", "third lesson");
     await until(async () => (await m()).anims.includes("stc-page@lr lr-lesson"), "lesson entrance");
     expect(await exists(".lr-main .stc-loading")).toBe(false);
+    // Focus was on <body> (a scripted click does not focus the button), so the new heading takes it.
     await until(async () => (await focusedH1()) === "Code along", "focus on the h1");
     await until(async () => (await announced()) === "Code along", "announcement");
     expect(await chrome.eval<boolean>(`getComputedStyle(document.activeElement).outlineStyle === "none"`)).toBe(true);
@@ -192,6 +194,29 @@ run("navigation motion (headless Chrome)", () => {
     await chrome.eval("history.go(-2), true");
     await until(async () => (await title()) === "Introduction", "intro again");
     await until(async () => (await chrome.eval<number>("scrollY")) === 900, "restored scroll", 3000);
+    await until(async () => (await focusedH1()) === "Introduction", "back/forward focuses the h1");
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  test("keyboard on the dock: Enter on Next twice goes two lessons on, focus stays on Next, titles are announced", async () => {
+    await open("/c/sample/m1-intro", ".lr-main .lr-lesson h1.title");
+    const onNext = () => chrome.eval<boolean>(`document.activeElement === document.querySelector(".stc-dock .stc-pill--primary")`);
+    await chrome.eval(`document.querySelector(".stc-dock .stc-pill--primary").focus(), true`);
+    await key("Enter", 13);
+    await until(async () => (await title()) === "Watch the clip", "second lesson");
+    await until(async () => (await announced()) === "Watch the clip", "announcement");
+    expect(await onNext()).toBe(true);
+    await key("Enter", 13);
+    await until(async () => (await title()) === "Code along", "third lesson");
+    await until(async () => (await announced()) === "Code along", "announcement");
+    expect(await onNext()).toBe(true);
+    expect(await path()).toBe("/c/sample/m1-code");
+
+    // The outline keeps focus too: a sidebar link activated from the keyboard stays focused.
+    await chrome.eval(`document.querySelector('.lr-les[href="/c/sample/m1-intro"]').focus(), true`);
+    await key("Enter", 13);
+    await until(async () => (await title()) === "Introduction", "intro");
+    await until(async () => (await announced()) === "Introduction", "announcement");
+    expect(await chrome.eval<boolean>(`document.activeElement === document.querySelector('.lr-les[href="/c/sample/m1-intro"]')`)).toBe(true);
   }, 30_000);
 
   test("a click right after a navigation is handled", async () => {