diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts b/frontend/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
index c7d7f77..150f68e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/actions/focus-trap.ts
@@ -64,11 +64,16 @@ export function focusTrap(
 	node.addEventListener('keydown', onKeyDown);
 
 	if (opts.autoFocus !== false) {
-		// Defer one frame so the element is fully laid out (sheets animate in).
+		// Focus the container synchronously on mount so the trap owns the keyboard
+		// immediately — otherwise an Escape pressed before the deferred focus below
+		// lands on an element *outside* the node, where this node-scoped listener
+		// never sees it (the keystroke is silently dropped). Then defer one frame to
+		// move focus onto the first control once the sheet has laid out / animated in.
+		if (!node.hasAttribute('tabindex')) node.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1');
+		node.focus({ preventScroll: true });
 		requestAnimationFrame(() => {
 			const list = focusables(node);
 			const target = list[0] ?? node;
-			if (!node.hasAttribute('tabindex')) node.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1');
 			target.focus({ preventScroll: true });
 		});
 	}
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/recover/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/recover/+page.svelte
index 40de203..d2864ad 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/recover/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/recover/+page.svelte
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
+	import { goto, afterNavigate } from '$app/navigation';
 	import { api, ApiError } from '$lib/api';
 	import { setAuth, getPin, getToken } from '$lib/auth';
 	import { browser } from '$app/environment';
 	import IconButton from '$lib/components/IconButton.svelte';
 
+	// `from` is non-null only when we arrived here via in-app (client-side)
+	// navigation; on a full-page load (deep link, new tab) it's null. Using
+	// history.length is unreliable — a fresh tab keeps `about:blank` as the prior
+	// entry, so history.back() would land there instead of inside the app.
+	let cameFromApp = $state(false);
+	afterNavigate(({ from }) => {
+		cameFromApp = from !== null;
+	});
+
 	function goBack() {
 		// Prefer the actual previous page (most users land here from /join or /account).
 		// Fall back to a sensible default based on auth state for deep-linked users.
-		if (browser && window.history.length > 1) {
+		if (cameFromApp) {
 			window.history.back();
 			return;
 		}