diff --git a/.changeset/warm-hornets-fetch.md b/.changeset/warm-hornets-fetch.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb84a72f0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/warm-hornets-fetch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog': patch
+---
+
+Keyboard navigation to open EntityContextMenu now focus visible the first element.
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
index 1961fe6cac..5e6e8ff3a9 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/EntityContextMenu/EntityContextMenu.tsx
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export function EntityContextMenu(props: EntityContextMenuProps) {
         transformOrigin={{ vertical: 'top', horizontal: 'right' }}
         aria-labelledby="long-menu"
       >
-        <MenuList>
+        <MenuList autoFocusItem={Boolean(anchorEl)}>
           {extraItems}
           <UnregisterEntity
             unregisterEntityOptions={UNSTABLE_contextMenuOptions}