diff --git a/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.test.tsx b/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f45f4381a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+// Mock Embla so we can assert the keyboard handler calls scrollPrev/scrollNext (#8308) without a real
+// carousel engine. useEmblaCarousel returns [refCallback, api]; the api only needs the members Carousel
+// touches (scroll + canScroll + the reInit/select event wiring in its effects).
+const scrollPrev = vi.fn();
+const scrollNext = vi.fn();
+const mockApi = {
+  scrollPrev,
+  scrollNext,
+  canScrollPrev: () => true,
+  canScrollNext: () => true,
+  on: vi.fn(),
+  off: vi.fn(),
+};
+vi.mock("embla-carousel-react", () => ({
+  default: () => [() => {}, mockApi],
+}));
+
+import { Carousel, CarouselContent, CarouselItem } from "./carousel";
+
+function renderCarousel(orientation: "horizontal" | "vertical") {
+  return render(
+    <Carousel orientation={orientation}>
+      <CarouselContent>
+        <CarouselItem>one</CarouselItem>
+        <CarouselItem>two</CarouselItem>
+      </CarouselContent>
+    </Carousel>,
+  );
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  scrollPrev.mockClear();
+  scrollNext.mockClear();
+});
+
+describe("Carousel keyboard navigation is orientation-aware (#8308)", () => {
+  it("horizontal (default): ArrowLeft -> scrollPrev, ArrowRight -> scrollNext", () => {
+    renderCarousel("horizontal");
+    const region = screen.getByRole("region");
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowLeft" });
+    expect(scrollPrev).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowRight" });
+    expect(scrollNext).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("horizontal: ArrowUp/ArrowDown do NOT scroll", () => {
+    renderCarousel("horizontal");
+    const region = screen.getByRole("region");
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowUp" });
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowDown" });
+    expect(scrollPrev).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(scrollNext).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("vertical: ArrowUp -> scrollPrev, ArrowDown -> scrollNext", () => {
+    renderCarousel("vertical");
+    const region = screen.getByRole("region");
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowUp" });
+    expect(scrollPrev).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowDown" });
+    expect(scrollNext).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("vertical: ArrowLeft/ArrowRight (no on-screen meaning in this layout) do NOT scroll", () => {
+    renderCarousel("vertical");
+    const region = screen.getByRole("region");
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowLeft" });
+    fireEvent.keyDown(region, { key: "ArrowRight" });
+    expect(scrollPrev).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(scrollNext).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.tsx b/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.tsx
index 3e035ec14..154986c3d 100644
--- a/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.tsx
+++ b/packages/loopover-ui-kit/src/components/carousel.tsx
@@ -83,17 +83,29 @@ const Carousel = React.forwardRef<
       api?.scrollNext();
     }, [api]);
 
+    // The single source of truth for orientation the CarouselContext already exposes -- reused here so the
+    // keyboard handler stays orientation-aware like every other part of the component (#8308), rather than a
+    // second independent check.
+    const resolvedOrientation =
+      orientation || (opts?.axis === "y" ? "vertical" : "horizontal");
+
     const handleKeyDown = React.useCallback(
       (event: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
-        if (event.key === "ArrowLeft") {
+        // A vertical carousel's prev/next buttons already point up/down, so bind ArrowUp/ArrowDown to match;
+        // horizontal (the default) keeps ArrowLeft/ArrowRight. ArrowUp/ArrowLeft -> scrollPrev, the other -> scrollNext.
+        const prevKey =
+          resolvedOrientation === "vertical" ? "ArrowUp" : "ArrowLeft";
+        const nextKey =
+          resolvedOrientation === "vertical" ? "ArrowDown" : "ArrowRight";
+        if (event.key === prevKey) {
           event.preventDefault();
           scrollPrev();
-        } else if (event.key === "ArrowRight") {
+        } else if (event.key === nextKey) {
           event.preventDefault();
           scrollNext();
         }
       },
-      [scrollPrev, scrollNext],
+      [resolvedOrientation, scrollPrev, scrollNext],
     );
 
     React.useEffect(() => {
@@ -124,8 +136,7 @@ const Carousel = React.forwardRef<
           carouselRef,
           api: api,
           opts,
-          orientation:
-            orientation || (opts?.axis === "y" ? "vertical" : "horizontal"),
+          orientation: resolvedOrientation,
           scrollPrev,
           scrollNext,
           canScrollPrev,