diff --git a/web/src/lib/actions/__test__/focus-trap.spec.ts b/web/src/lib/actions/__test__/focus-trap.spec.ts
index b03064a91d..c4d43dbc71 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/actions/__test__/focus-trap.spec.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/actions/__test__/focus-trap.spec.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ describe('focusTrap action', () => {
   it('supports backward focus wrapping', async () => {
     render(FocusTrapTest, { show: true });
     await tick();
-    await user.keyboard('{Shift>}{Tab}{/Shift}');
+    await user.keyboard('{Shift}{Tab}{/Shift}');
     expect(document.activeElement).toEqual(screen.getByTestId('three'));
   });
 
diff --git a/web/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts b/web/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
index 2b03282c2d..9c7b7b3bd2 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { shortcuts } from '$lib/actions/shortcut';
 import { getTabbable } from '$lib/utils/focus-util';
 import { tick } from 'svelte';
 
@@ -12,6 +11,24 @@ interface Options {
 export function focusTrap(container: HTMLElement, options?: Options) {
   const triggerElement = document.activeElement;
 
+  // Create sentinel nodes
+  const startSentinel = document.createElement('div');
+  startSentinel.setAttribute('tabindex', '0');
+  startSentinel.dataset.focusTrap = 'start';
+
+  const backupSentinel = document.createElement('div');
+  backupSentinel.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1');
+  backupSentinel.dataset.focusTrap = 'backup';
+
+  const endSentinel = document.createElement('div');
+  endSentinel.setAttribute('tabindex', '0');
+  endSentinel.dataset.focusTrap = 'end';
+
+  // Insert sentinel nodes into the container
+  container.insertBefore(startSentinel, container.firstChild);
+  container.insertBefore(backupSentinel, startSentinel.nextSibling);
+  container.append(endSentinel);
+
   const withDefaults = (options?: Options) => {
     return {
       active: options?.active ?? true,
@@ -19,11 +36,19 @@ export function focusTrap(container: HTMLElement, options?: Options) {
   };
 
   const setInitialFocus = async () => {
-    const focusableElement = getTabbable(container, false)[0];
+    // Use tick() to ensure focus trap works correctly inside <Portal />
+    await tick();
+
+    // Get focusable elements, excluding our sentinel nodes
+    const allTabbable = getTabbable(container, false);
+    const focusableElement = allTabbable.find((el) => !Object.hasOwn(el.dataset, 'focusTrap'));
+
     if (focusableElement) {
-      // Use tick() to ensure focus trap works correctly inside <Portal />
-      await tick();
-      focusableElement?.focus();
+      focusableElement.focus();
+    } else {
+      backupSentinel.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1');
+      // No focusable elements found, use backup sentinel as fallback
+      backupSentinel.focus();
     }
   };
 
@@ -32,39 +57,56 @@ export function focusTrap(container: HTMLElement, options?: Options) {
   }
 
   const getFocusableElements = () => {
-    const focusableElements = getTabbable(container);
+    // Get all tabbable elements except our sentinel nodes
+    const allTabbable = getTabbable(container);
+    const focusableElements = allTabbable.filter((el) => !Object.hasOwn(el.dataset, 'focusTrap'));
+
     return [
       focusableElements.at(0), //
       focusableElements.at(-1),
     ];
   };
 
-  const { destroy: destroyShortcuts } = shortcuts(container, [
-    {
-      ignoreInputFields: false,
-      preventDefault: false,
-      shortcut: { key: 'Tab' },
-      onShortcut: (event) => {
-        const [firstElement, lastElement] = getFocusableElements();
-        if (document.activeElement === lastElement && withDefaults(options).active) {
-          event.preventDefault();
-          firstElement?.focus();
-        }
-      },
-    },
-    {
-      ignoreInputFields: false,
-      preventDefault: false,
-      shortcut: { key: 'Tab', shift: true },
-      onShortcut: (event) => {
-        const [firstElement, lastElement] = getFocusableElements();
-        if (document.activeElement === firstElement && withDefaults(options).active) {
-          event.preventDefault();
-          lastElement?.focus();
-        }
-      },
-    },
-  ]);
+  // Add focus event listeners to sentinel nodes
+  const handleStartFocus = () => {
+    if (withDefaults(options).active) {
+      const [, lastElement] = getFocusableElements();
+      // If no elements, stay on backup sentinel
+      if (lastElement) {
+        lastElement.focus();
+      } else {
+        backupSentinel.focus();
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleBackupFocus = () => {
+    // Backup sentinel keeps focus when there are no other focusable elements
+    if (withDefaults(options).active) {
+      const [firstElement] = getFocusableElements();
+      // Only move focus if there are actual focusable elements
+      if (firstElement) {
+        firstElement.focus();
+      }
+      // Otherwise, focus stays on backup sentinel
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleEndFocus = () => {
+    if (withDefaults(options).active) {
+      const [firstElement] = getFocusableElements();
+      // If no elements, move to backup sentinel
+      if (firstElement) {
+        firstElement.focus();
+      } else {
+        backupSentinel.focus();
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  startSentinel.addEventListener('focus', handleStartFocus);
+  backupSentinel.addEventListener('focus', handleBackupFocus);
+  endSentinel.addEventListener('focus', handleEndFocus);
 
   return {
     update(newOptions?: Options) {
@@ -74,7 +116,16 @@ export function focusTrap(container: HTMLElement, options?: Options) {
       }
     },
     destroy() {
-      destroyShortcuts?.();
+      // Remove event listeners
+      startSentinel.removeEventListener('focus', handleStartFocus);
+      backupSentinel.removeEventListener('focus', handleBackupFocus);
+      endSentinel.removeEventListener('focus', handleEndFocus);
+
+      // Remove sentinel nodes from DOM
+      startSentinel.remove();
+      backupSentinel.remove();
+      endSentinel.remove();
+
       if (triggerElement instanceof HTMLElement) {
         triggerElement.focus();
       }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
index b3c44da61a..c5f9080a13 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@
       </button>
     </span>
   {/if}
+  <!-- safari still needs a tabIndex=0 -->
   <a
+    tabindex="0"
     {href}
     data-sveltekit-preload-data={preloadData ? 'hover' : 'off'}
     draggable="false"