diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.test.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.test.tsx
index 26b8000660..29f15ece72 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.test.tsx
@@ -305,6 +305,27 @@ describe("ThreadRow", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("starts thread bootstrap on keyboard focus before activation", () => {
+    const phase = createPerfPhaseLog();
+    prefetchThreadDetailBootstrap.mockImplementation(() => {
+      phase.mark("bootstrap-prefetch");
+    });
+    renderThreadRow({ thread: createThread({ id: "thr_focus" }) });
+    const link = screen.getByRole("link", { name: "Open Thread" });
+
+    fireEvent.focus(link);
+    phase.mark("focus-complete");
+    fireEvent.keyDown(link, { key: "Enter" });
+    phase.mark("activate-complete");
+
+    phase.expectBefore("bootstrap-prefetch", "focus-complete");
+    phase.expectBefore("focus-complete", "activate-complete");
+    expect(prefetchThreadDetailBootstrap).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.anything(),
+      "thr_focus",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("does not prefetch thread bootstrap on a non-primary pointer", () => {
     renderThreadRow({});
     fireEvent.pointerDown(screen.getByRole("link", { name: "Open Thread" }), {
diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.tsx
index e14650ee24..799de5d619 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/sidebar/ThreadRow.tsx
@@ -699,6 +699,9 @@ function ThreadRowComponent({
         to={getThreadRoutePath({ projectId, threadId: thread.id })}
         data-sidebar-thread-shortcut-target=""
         data-sidebar-thread-id={thread.id}
+        onFocus={() => {
+          prefetchThreadDetailBootstrap(queryClient, thread.id);
+        }}
         onClick={(event) => {
           if (isEditing) {
             event.preventDefault();