diff --git a/js/ui/dialog.js b/js/ui/dialog.js
index 3fdc3ef88..781fe0a97 100644
--- a/js/ui/dialog.js
+++ b/js/ui/dialog.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ var Dialog = new Lang.Class({
         this.parent({ layout_manager: new Clutter.BinLayout() });
         this.connect('destroy', Lang.bind(this, this._onDestroy));
 
+        this._initialKeyFocus = null;
         this._pressedKey = null;
         this._buttonKeys = {};
         this._createDialog();
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@ var Dialog = new Lang.Class({
         return Clutter.EVENT_PROPAGATE;
     },
 
+    get initialKeyFocus() {
+        return this._initialKeyFocus || this;
+    },
+
     addContent: function (actor) {
         this.contentLayout.add (actor, { expand: true });
     },
@@ -116,7 +121,7 @@ var Dialog = new Lang.Class({
         if (isDefault)
             button.add_style_pseudo_class('default');
 
-        if (!this._initialKeyFocusDestroyId)
+        if (this._initialKeyFocus == null || isDefault)
             this._initialKeyFocus = button;
 
         for (let i in keys)
diff --git a/js/ui/modalDialog.js b/js/ui/modalDialog.js
index 1547b89d3..0e66e032a 100644
--- a/js/ui/modalDialog.js
+++ b/js/ui/modalDialog.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ var ModalDialog = new Lang.Class({
         }
 
         global.focus_manager.add_group(this.dialogLayout);
-        this._initialKeyFocus = this.dialogLayout;
+        this._initialKeyFocus = null;
         this._initialKeyFocusDestroyId = 0;
         this._savedKeyFocus = null;
     },
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ var ModalDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._initialKeyFocus = actor;
 
         this._initialKeyFocusDestroyId = actor.connect('destroy', Lang.bind(this, function() {
-            this._initialKeyFocus = this.dialogLayout;
+            this._initialKeyFocus = null;
             this._initialKeyFocusDestroyId = 0;
         }));
     },
@@ -237,7 +237,8 @@ var ModalDialog = new Lang.Class({
             this._savedKeyFocus.grab_key_focus();
             this._savedKeyFocus = null;
         } else {
-            this._initialKeyFocus.grab_key_focus();
+            let focus = this._initialKeyFocus || this.dialogLayout.initialKeyFocus;
+            focus.grab_key_focus();
         }
 
         if (!this._shellReactive)