diff --git a/packages/app/src/panels/draft-panel.tsx b/packages/app/src/panels/draft-panel.tsx
index e96ea9ef67..5974097f66 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/panels/draft-panel.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/panels/draft-panel.tsx
@@ -17,8 +17,15 @@ function useDraftPanelDescriptor() {
 }
 
 function DraftPanel() {
-  const { serverId, workspaceId, tabId, target, openFileInWorkspace, retargetCurrentTab } =
-    usePaneContext();
+  const {
+    serverId,
+    workspaceId,
+    tabId,
+    target,
+    isPaneFocused,
+    openFileInWorkspace,
+    retargetCurrentTab,
+  } = usePaneContext();
   invariant(target.kind === "draft", "DraftPanel requires draft target");
 
   return (
@@ -27,6 +34,7 @@ function DraftPanel() {
       workspaceId={workspaceId}
       tabId={tabId}
       draftId={target.draftId}
+      isPaneFocused={isPaneFocused}
       onOpenWorkspaceFile={({ filePath }) => {
         openFileInWorkspace(filePath);
       }}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-agent-tab.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-agent-tab.tsx
index d5e40cb23d..4694c0c1c8 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-agent-tab.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-agent-tab.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { useHostRuntimeClient, useHostRuntimeIsConnected } from "@/runtime/host-
 import { buildDraftStoreKey } from "@/stores/draft-keys";
 import type { Agent } from "@/stores/session-store";
 import { encodeImages } from "@/utils/encode-images";
+import { shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer } from "@/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus";
 import type {
   AgentCapabilityFlags,
   AgentSessionConfig,
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ type WorkspaceDraftAgentTabProps = {
   workspaceId: string;
   tabId: string;
   draftId: string;
+  isPaneFocused: boolean;
   onCreated: (snapshot: AgentSnapshotPayload) => void;
   onOpenWorkspaceFile: (input: { filePath: string }) => void;
 };
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ export function WorkspaceDraftAgentTab({
   workspaceId,
   tabId,
   draftId,
+  isPaneFocused,
   onCreated,
   onOpenWorkspaceFile,
 }: WorkspaceDraftAgentTabProps) {
@@ -251,7 +254,7 @@ export function WorkspaceDraftAgentTab({
             images={draftInput.images}
             onChangeImages={draftInput.setImages}
             clearDraft={draftInput.clear}
-            autoFocus={!isSubmitting}
+            autoFocus={shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer({ isPaneFocused, isSubmitting })}
             onAddImages={handleAddImagesCallback}
             commandDraftConfig={draftCommandConfig}
             statusControls={{
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.test.ts b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a486dcdba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer } from "./workspace-draft-pane-focus";
+
+describe("shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer", () => {
+  it("focuses the draft composer when the pane is focused and idle", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer({
+        isPaneFocused: true,
+        isSubmitting: false,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not focus the draft composer when the pane is unfocused", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer({
+        isPaneFocused: false,
+        isSubmitting: false,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not focus the draft composer while the draft is submitting", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer({
+        isPaneFocused: true,
+        isSubmitting: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.ts b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9c14f0376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/workspace/workspace-draft-pane-focus.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export function shouldAutoFocusWorkspaceDraftComposer(input: {
+  isPaneFocused: boolean;
+  isSubmitting: boolean;
+}): boolean {
+  return input.isPaneFocused && !input.isSubmitting;
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.test.ts b/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f513deaa18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { focusWithRetries } from "./web-focus";
+
+describe("focusWithRetries", () => {
+  let frameQueue: FrameRequestCallback[] = [];
+  let originalRequestAnimationFrame: typeof requestAnimationFrame | undefined;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    frameQueue = [];
+    originalRequestAnimationFrame = globalThis.requestAnimationFrame;
+    globalThis.requestAnimationFrame = vi.fn((callback: FrameRequestCallback) => {
+      frameQueue.push(callback);
+      return frameQueue.length;
+    }) as typeof requestAnimationFrame;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalRequestAnimationFrame) {
+      globalThis.requestAnimationFrame = originalRequestAnimationFrame;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    delete (globalThis as { requestAnimationFrame?: typeof requestAnimationFrame })
+      .requestAnimationFrame;
+  });
+
+  function flushAnimationFrames(count: number): void {
+    for (let index = 0; index < count; index += 1) {
+      const callbacks = frameQueue;
+      frameQueue = [];
+      for (const callback of callbacks) {
+        callback(index);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  it("tries to focus immediately before waiting for animation frames", () => {
+    let focused = false;
+    const focus = vi.fn(() => {
+      focused = true;
+    });
+    const onSuccess = vi.fn();
+
+    focusWithRetries({
+      focus,
+      isFocused: () => focused,
+      onSuccess,
+    });
+
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(onSuccess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(frameQueue).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps retrying on later animation frames until focus succeeds", () => {
+    let focused = false;
+    let attempts = 0;
+    const focus = vi.fn(() => {
+      attempts += 1;
+      if (attempts >= 3) {
+        focused = true;
+      }
+    });
+    const onSuccess = vi.fn();
+
+    focusWithRetries({
+      focus,
+      isFocused: () => focused,
+      onSuccess,
+    });
+
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(onSuccess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    flushAnimationFrames(2);
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(onSuccess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    flushAnimationFrames(2);
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+    expect(onSuccess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("stops retrying after cancellation", () => {
+    const focus = vi.fn();
+
+    const cancel = focusWithRetries({
+      focus,
+      isFocused: () => false,
+    });
+
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    cancel();
+    flushAnimationFrames(4);
+
+    expect(focus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.ts b/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.ts
index 8959619f2e..6b940afec8 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/utils/web-focus.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,7 @@ export function focusWithRetries({
     });
   };
 
-  requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-    requestAnimationFrame(tick);
-  });
+  tick();
 
   return () => {
     cancelled = true;