diff --git a/app/components/Package/Card.vue b/app/components/Package/Card.vue
index 12d25268b7..6c601cde1f 100644
--- a/app/components/Package/Card.vue
+++ b/app/components/Package/Card.vue
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ const numberFormatter = useNumberFormatter()
           size="small"
           :aria-pressed="props.filters?.keywords.includes(keyword)"
           :title="`Filter by ${keyword}`"
-          :data-result-index="index"
           @click.stop="emit('clickKeyword', keyword)"
         >
           {{ keyword }}
diff --git a/app/pages/search.vue b/app/pages/search.vue
index e71faaf252..cd3faef3e2 100644
--- a/app/pages/search.vue
+++ b/app/pages/search.vue
@@ -453,6 +453,16 @@ watch(displayResults, results => {
   }
 })
 
+/**
+ * Focus the header search input
+ */
+function focusSearchInput() {
+  const searchInput = document.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>(
+    'input[type="search"], input[name="q"]',
+  )
+  searchInput?.focus()
+}
+
 function handleResultsKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
   // If the active element is an input, navigate to exact match or wait for results
   if (e.key === 'Enter' && document.activeElement?.tagName === 'INPUT') {
@@ -489,7 +499,12 @@ function handleResultsKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
 
   if (e.key === 'ArrowUp') {
     e.preventDefault()
-    const nextIndex = currentIndex < 0 ? 0 : Math.max(currentIndex - 1, 0)
+    // At first result or no result focused: return focus to search input
+    if (currentIndex <= 0) {
+      focusSearchInput()
+      return
+    }
+    const nextIndex = currentIndex - 1
     const el = elements[nextIndex]
     if (el) focusElement(el)
     return
diff --git a/test/e2e/interactions.spec.ts b/test/e2e/interactions.spec.ts
index b900bbafa7..b981a70272 100644
--- a/test/e2e/interactions.spec.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/interactions.spec.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,49 @@ test.describe('Search Pages', () => {
     await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/(package|org|user)\/vue/)
   })
 
+  test('/search?q=vue → ArrowDown navigates only between results, not keyword buttons', async ({
+    page,
+    goto,
+  }) => {
+    await goto('/search?q=vue', { waitUntil: 'hydration' })
+
+    await expect(page.locator('text=/found \\d+|showing \\d+/i').first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15000,
+    })
+
+    const firstResult = page.locator('[data-result-index="0"]').first()
+    const secondResult = page.locator('[data-result-index="1"]').first()
+    await expect(firstResult).toBeVisible()
+    await expect(secondResult).toBeVisible()
+
+    // ArrowDown from input focuses the first result
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown')
+    await expect(firstResult).toBeFocused()
+
+    // Second ArrowDown focuses the second result (not a keyword button within the first)
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown')
+    await expect(secondResult).toBeFocused()
+  })
+
+  test('/search?q=vue → ArrowUp from first result returns focus to search input', async ({
+    page,
+    goto,
+  }) => {
+    await goto('/search?q=vue', { waitUntil: 'hydration' })
+
+    await expect(page.locator('text=/found \\d+|showing \\d+/i').first()).toBeVisible({
+      timeout: 15000,
+    })
+
+    // Navigate to first result
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown')
+    await expect(page.locator('[data-result-index="0"]').first()).toBeFocused()
+
+    // ArrowUp returns to the search input
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowUp')
+    await expect(page.locator('input[type="search"]')).toBeFocused()
+  })
+
   test('/search?q=vue → "/" focuses the search input from results', async ({ page, goto }) => {
     await goto('/search?q=vue', { waitUntil: 'hydration' })