diff --git a/src/AboutDialog.cpp b/src/AboutDialog.cpp
index 69176b8b6..f5d9dbcd4 100644
--- a/src/AboutDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/AboutDialog.cpp
@@ -393,11 +393,10 @@ visit our [[https://forum.audacityteam.org/|forum]].");
                                          wxDefaultPosition,
                                          wxSize(ABOUT_DIALOG_WIDTH, 359),
                                          wxHW_SCROLLBAR_AUTO | wxSUNKEN_BORDER);
-   html->SetFocus();
    html->SetPage(creditStr);
 
    /* locate the html renderer where it fits in the dialogue */
-   S.Prop(1).AddWindow( html, wxEXPAND );
+   S.Prop(1).Focus().AddWindow( html, wxEXPAND );
 
    S.EndVerticalLay();
    S.EndNotebookPage();
diff --git a/src/Dependencies.cpp b/src/Dependencies.cpp
index 3cf0417b3..85c876d94 100644
--- a/src/Dependencies.cpp
+++ b/src/Dependencies.cpp
@@ -364,12 +364,12 @@ void DependencyDialog::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui& S)
 
          mCopySelectedFilesButton =
             S.Id(CopySelectedFilesButtonID)
+               .Focus()
                .AddButton(
                   _("Copy Selected Files"),
                   wxALIGN_LEFT, true);
          mCopySelectedFilesButton->Enable(
             mFileListCtrl->GetSelectedItemCount() > 0);
-         mCopySelectedFilesButton->SetFocus();
       }
       S.EndStatic();
 
diff --git a/src/FreqWindow.cpp b/src/FreqWindow.cpp
index 6d4955ea8..daa8201e7 100644
--- a/src/FreqWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/FreqWindow.cpp
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ FreqWindow::FreqWindow(wxWindow * parent, wxWindowID id,
 
       S.AddSpace(5);
 
-      mAlgChoice = S.Id(FreqAlgChoiceID)
+      mAlgChoice = S.Id(FreqAlgChoiceID).Focus()
          .AddChoice(_("&Algorithm:"), algChoices, mAlg);
       S.SetSizeHints(wxDefaultCoord, wxDefaultCoord);
 
@@ -514,7 +514,6 @@ FreqWindow::FreqWindow(wxWindow * parent, wxWindowID id,
 
    mCloseButton = static_cast<wxButton*>(FindWindowById( wxID_CANCEL ));
    mCloseButton->SetDefault();
-   mCloseButton->SetFocus();
 
    Layout();
    Fit();
@@ -522,7 +521,6 @@ FreqWindow::FreqWindow(wxWindow * parent, wxWindowID id,
    Center();
 
    SetMinSize(GetSize());
-   mAlgChoice->SetFocus();
 
 #if defined(__WXGTK__)
    // This should be rechecked with wx3.
diff --git a/src/ShuttleGui.cpp b/src/ShuttleGui.cpp
index 824ef7b2f..f5161512d 100644
--- a/src/ShuttleGui.cpp
+++ b/src/ShuttleGui.cpp
@@ -2084,6 +2084,9 @@ void ShuttleGuiBase::UpdateSizersCore(bool bPrepend, int Flags, bool prompt)
             mpWind->SetName(
                mpWind->GetName() + mItem.mNameSuffix.Translation() );
 
+         if (mItem.mFocused)
+            mpWind->SetFocus();
+
          // Reset to defaults
          mItem = {};
       }
diff --git a/src/ShuttleGui.h b/src/ShuttleGui.h
index 76c8b4be8..ae1be8477 100644
--- a/src/ShuttleGui.h
+++ b/src/ShuttleGui.h
@@ -167,12 +167,21 @@ struct Item {
       return std::move( *this );
    }
 
+   // Only the last item specified as focused (if more than one) will be
+   Item&& Focus( bool focused = true ) &&
+   {
+      mFocused = focused;
+      return std::move( *this );
+   }
+
    std::function< void(wxWindow*) > mValidatorSetter;
    TranslatableString mToolTip;
    TranslatableString mName;
    TranslatableString mNameSuffix;
 
    long miStyle{};
+
+   bool mFocused { false };
 };
 
 }
@@ -529,6 +538,13 @@ public:
    ShuttleGui & Optional( bool & bVar );
    ShuttleGui & Id(int id );
 
+   // Only the last item specified as focused (if more than one) will be
+   ShuttleGui & Focus( bool focused = true )
+   {
+      std::move( mItem ).Focus( focused );
+      return *this;
+   }
+
    ShuttleGui & ToolTip( const TranslatableString &tip )
    {
       std::move( mItem ).ToolTip( tip );
diff --git a/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp b/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
index 8749aa0c8..04b8e11f9 100644
--- a/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/ScienFilter.cpp
@@ -458,6 +458,7 @@ void EffectScienFilter::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
          wxASSERT(nTypes == WXSIZEOF(kTypeStrings));
 
          mFilterTypeCtl = S.Id(ID_Type)
+            .Focus()
             .Validator<wxGenericValidator>(&mFilterType)
             .AddChoice(_("&Filter Type:"),
                LocalizedStrings(kTypeStrings, nTypes)
@@ -516,8 +517,6 @@ void EffectScienFilter::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
    }
    S.EndMultiColumn();
 
-   mFilterTypeCtl->SetFocus();
-
    return;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
index 82dc0387c..07ea13865 100644
--- a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
@@ -2587,7 +2587,7 @@ void NyquistEffect::BuildPromptWindow(ShuttleGui & S)
 
       S.StartHorizontalLay(wxEXPAND, 1);
       {
-          mCommandText = S.AddTextWindow(wxT(""));
+          mCommandText = S.Focus().AddTextWindow(wxT(""));
           mCommandText->SetMinSize(wxSize(500, 200));
       }
       S.EndHorizontalLay();
@@ -2600,8 +2600,6 @@ void NyquistEffect::BuildPromptWindow(ShuttleGui & S)
       S.EndHorizontalLay();
    }
    S.EndVerticalLay();
-
-   mCommandText->SetFocus();
 }
 
 void NyquistEffect::BuildEffectWindow(ShuttleGui & S)
diff --git a/src/widgets/HelpSystem.cpp b/src/widgets/HelpSystem.cpp
index 4cbe9125d..1e2fafb60 100644
--- a/src/widgets/HelpSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/HelpSystem.cpp
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHtmlText(wxWindow *pParent,
       else
          html->SetPage( HtmlText);
 
-      S.Prop(1).AddWindow( html, wxEXPAND );
+      S.Prop(1).Focus().AddWindow( html, wxEXPAND );
 
       S.Id( wxID_CANCEL ).AddButton( _("Close"), wxALIGN_CENTER, true );
    }
@@ -228,7 +228,6 @@ void HelpSystem::ShowHtmlText(wxWindow *pParent,
    }
 
    html->SetRelatedStatusBar( 0 );
-   html->SetFocus();
 
    return;
 }