diff --git a/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx b/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
index a801934c3..34fb166ec 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx
@@ -223,14 +223,25 @@ export const MessageAllReactionItem = as<
         <OverlayCenter>
           <FocusTrap
             focusTrapOptions={{
-              initialFocus: false,
+              // #185 P5: move focus into the viewer so it is announced (it opened
+              // silently with focus left on the reaction behind it).
+              initialFocus: '[data-reaction-viewer]',
               returnFocusOnDeactivate: false,
               onDeactivate: () => handleClose(),
               clickOutsideDeactivates: true,
               escapeDeactivates: stopPropagation,
             }}
           >
-            <Modal variant="Surface" size="300">
+            <Modal
+              variant="Surface"
+              size="300"
+              role="dialog"
+              aria-modal="true"
+              aria-label="Reactions"
+              data-reaction-viewer=""
+              tabIndex={-1}
+              style={{ outline: 'none' }}
+            >
               <ReactionViewer
                 room={room}
                 relations={relations}
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/message/Reactions.tsx b/src/app/features/room/message/Reactions.tsx
index e8b3181af..9f08e6dac 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/message/Reactions.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/message/Reactions.tsx
@@ -211,13 +211,24 @@ export const Reactions = as<'div', ReactionsProps>(
             <OverlayCenter>
               <FocusTrap
                 focusTrapOptions={{
-                  initialFocus: false,
+                  // #185 P5: move focus into the viewer so it is announced (it opened
+                  // silently with focus left on the reaction behind it).
+                  initialFocus: '[data-reaction-viewer]',
                   onDeactivate: () => setViewer(false),
                   clickOutsideDeactivates: true,
                   escapeDeactivates: stopPropagation,
                 }}
               >
-                <Modal variant="Surface" size="300">
+                <Modal
+                  variant="Surface"
+                  size="300"
+                  role="dialog"
+                  aria-modal="true"
+                  aria-label="Reactions"
+                  data-reaction-viewer=""
+                  tabIndex={-1}
+                  style={{ outline: 'none' }}
+                >
                   <ReactionViewer
                     room={room}
                     initialKey={typeof viewer === 'string' ? viewer : undefined}
diff --git a/src/app/features/shortcuts/KeyboardShortcutsDialog.tsx b/src/app/features/shortcuts/KeyboardShortcutsDialog.tsx
index c10c454f4..7fdb21679 100644
--- a/src/app/features/shortcuts/KeyboardShortcutsDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/shortcuts/KeyboardShortcutsDialog.tsx
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ export function KeyboardShortcutsDialog() {
       <OverlayCenter>
         <FocusTrap
           focusTrapOptions={{
-            initialFocus: false,
+            // #185 P2: move focus into the dialog so a screen reader announces
+            // it (it opened silently with focus left behind in the timeline).
+            initialFocus: '#keyboard-shortcuts-dialog',
             onDeactivate: closeDialog,
             clickOutsideDeactivates: true,
             escapeDeactivates: stopPropagation,
@@ -147,8 +149,12 @@ export function KeyboardShortcutsDialog() {
         >
           <Dialog
             variant="Surface"
+            id="keyboard-shortcuts-dialog"
+            role="dialog"
+            aria-modal="true"
             aria-labelledby="keyboard-shortcuts-dialog-title"
-            style={modalStyle}
+            tabIndex={-1}
+            style={{ ...modalStyle, outline: 'none' }}
           >
             <Header
               style={{
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/ClientLayout.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/ClientLayout.tsx
index 4cb42de31..1825aed3c 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/ClientLayout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/ClientLayout.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ export function ClientLayout({ nav, children }: ClientLayoutProps) {
         onBlur={(e) => {
           (e.currentTarget as HTMLElement).style.top = '-40px';
         }}
+        // #185 P1: following the fragment left focus on <body> (the <main> target
+        // wasn't focusable), so screen readers announced nothing and the URL got
+        // a stray #main-content. Move focus to <main> explicitly instead.
+        onClick={(e) => {
+          e.preventDefault();
+          document.getElementById('main-content')?.focus();
+        }}
       >
         Skip to main content
       </a>
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ export function ClientLayout({ nav, children }: ClientLayoutProps) {
         <Box shrink="No" as="nav" aria-label="Room navigation">
           {nav}
         </Box>
-        <Box grow="Yes" as="main" id="main-content">
+        <Box grow="Yes" as="main" id="main-content" tabIndex={-1} style={{ outline: 'none' }}>
           {children}
         </Box>
         {bookmarksOpen && (