diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/ShortcutKeyCombo.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/ShortcutKeyCombo.tsx
index 1f231b9b7f5..8ec8c3a34bf 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/ShortcutKeyCombo.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/ShortcutKeyCombo.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
-function KeyCap({ label }: { label: string }): React.JSX.Element {
+function KeyCap({ label, className }: { label: string; className?: string }): React.JSX.Element {
   return (
-    <span className="inline-flex min-w-6 items-center justify-center rounded border border-border/80 bg-secondary/70 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground shadow-sm">
+    <span
+      className={cn(
+        'inline-flex min-w-6 items-center justify-center rounded border border-border/80 bg-secondary/70 px-1.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground shadow-sm',
+        className
+      )}
+    >
       {label}
     </span>
   )
@@ -13,12 +18,15 @@ type ShortcutKeyComboProps = {
   keys: string[]
   className?: string
   separatorClassName?: string
+  // Override cap colors when chips sit on a non-default surface (e.g. a filled primary card).
+  keyCapClassName?: string
 }
 
 export function ShortcutKeyCombo({
   keys,
   className,
-  separatorClassName
+  separatorClassName,
+  keyCapClassName
 }: ShortcutKeyComboProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const isMac = navigator.userAgent.includes('Mac')
 
@@ -26,7 +34,7 @@ export function ShortcutKeyCombo({
     <span className={cn('inline-flex items-center gap-1', className)}>
       {keys.map((key, index) => (
         <React.Fragment key={`${key}-${index}`}>
-          <KeyCap label={key} />
+          <KeyCap label={key} className={keyCapClassName} />
           {/* Why: Orca renders Mac shortcuts as adjacent glyphs, but Windows/Linux
               shortcuts read more naturally with explicit "+" separators. */}
           {!isMac && index < keys.length - 1 ? (
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx
index 10e3ff8ed9c..ace7b22bc85 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,17 @@ function renderServerPathStartStep(runtimeEnvironmentId: string | null): string
   )
 }
 
-async function renderLocalStartStepDom(isSshLikely: boolean): Promise<{
+type LocalStartStepDomOptions = {
+  isAdding?: boolean
+  addProjectBusyLabel?: string | null
+  nestedScanInProgress?: boolean
+  nestedScanId?: string | null
+}
+
+async function renderLocalStartStepDom(
+  isSshLikely: boolean,
+  options: LocalStartStepDomOptions = {}
+): Promise<{
   container: HTMLDivElement
   root: Root
 }> {
@@ -61,19 +71,21 @@ async function renderLocalStartStepDom(isSshLikely: boolean): Promise<{
 
   await act(async () => {
     root.render(
-      <AddRepoLocalStartStep
-        repoCount={1}
-        isSshLikely={isSshLikely}
-        isAdding={false}
-        addProjectBusyLabel={null}
-        nestedScanInProgress={false}
-        nestedScanId={null}
-        onBrowse={vi.fn()}
-        onOpenCloneStep={vi.fn()}
-        onOpenRemoteStep={vi.fn()}
-        onOpenCreateStep={vi.fn()}
-        onStopNestedScan={vi.fn()}
-      />
+      <TooltipProvider>
+        <AddRepoLocalStartStep
+          repoCount={1}
+          isSshLikely={isSshLikely}
+          isAdding={options.isAdding ?? false}
+          addProjectBusyLabel={options.addProjectBusyLabel ?? null}
+          nestedScanInProgress={options.nestedScanInProgress ?? false}
+          nestedScanId={options.nestedScanId ?? null}
+          onBrowse={vi.fn()}
+          onOpenCloneStep={vi.fn()}
+          onOpenRemoteStep={vi.fn()}
+          onOpenCreateStep={vi.fn()}
+          onStopNestedScan={vi.fn()}
+        />
+      </TooltipProvider>
     )
   })
 
@@ -120,7 +132,7 @@ describe('AddRepoLocalStartStep', () => {
     expect(markup).toContain('Clone from URL')
     expect(markup).toContain('Remote project')
     expect(markup).toContain('Create new project')
-    expect(markup).toContain('Or add from')
+    expect(markup).toContain('Other ways to add')
     expect(markup).not.toContain('More options')
   })
 
@@ -182,6 +194,108 @@ describe('AddRepoLocalStartStep', () => {
       root.unmount()
     })
   })
+
+  it('marks the autofocused Browse action as selected with the ⏎ chip', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false)
+
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Browse folder').textContent).toContain('⏎')
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Clone from URL').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('moves the ⏎ selection to whichever action receives focus', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false)
+    const cloneButton = findButton(container, 'Clone from URL')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      cloneButton.focus()
+    })
+
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Clone from URL').textContent).toContain('⏎')
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Browse folder').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('clears the ⏎ selection when focus leaves the action list', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false)
+    const outsideButton = document.createElement('button')
+    document.body.appendChild(outsideButton)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      outsideButton.focus()
+    })
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(outsideButton)
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Browse folder').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Clone from URL').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('does not show an ⏎ selection while add actions are busy', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false, {
+      isAdding: true,
+      addProjectBusyLabel: 'Scanning repositories',
+      nestedScanInProgress: true,
+      nestedScanId: 'scan-1'
+    })
+    const stopScanButton = container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
+      'button[aria-label="Stop scan"]'
+    )
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      stopScanButton?.focus()
+    })
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(stopScanButton)
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Browse folder').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+    expect(findButton(container, 'Clone from URL').textContent).not.toContain('⏎')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('hides the visual ⏎ chip from assistive technology', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false)
+    const browseButton = findButton(container, 'Browse folder')
+    const enterChip = Array.from(browseButton.querySelectorAll('[aria-hidden="true"]')).find(
+      (entry) => entry.textContent?.includes('⏎')
+    )
+
+    expect(enterChip).toBeTruthy()
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('roves selection down the action list with the ArrowDown key', async () => {
+    const { container, root } = await renderLocalStartStepDom(false)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      findButton(container, 'Browse folder').dispatchEvent(
+        new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { key: 'ArrowDown', bubbles: true })
+      )
+    })
+
+    // ArrowDown from Browse moves focus — and the ⏎ chip — to the first secondary action.
+    const firstSecondary = findButton(container, 'Clone from URL')
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(firstSecondary)
+    expect(firstSecondary.textContent).toContain('⏎')
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount()
+    })
+  })
 })
 
 describe('AddRepoServerPathStartStep', () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
index bfa8f5486e3..01e26e0b0df 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef, type ComponentType, type Ref } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, type ComponentType, type Ref } from 'react'
 import { CircleStop, Loader2 } from 'lucide-react'
 import { DialogDescription, DialogHeader, DialogTitle } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
+import { ShortcutKeyCombo } from '@/components/ShortcutKeyCombo'
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from '@/components/ui/tooltip'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { getAddRepoLocalStartActions } from './add-repo-local-start-actions'
@@ -32,8 +33,14 @@ function AddRepoNestedScanProgressNotice({
               variant="ghost"
               size="icon-xs"
               className="group text-muted-foreground hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive focus-visible:bg-destructive/10 focus-visible:text-destructive focus-visible:ring-destructive/40"
-              aria-label={translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.9906cae183", "Stop scan")}
-              title={translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.69ea7f8dc4", "Stop scanning")}
+              aria-label={translate(
+                'auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.9906cae183',
+                'Stop scan'
+              )}
+              title={translate(
+                'auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.69ea7f8dc4',
+                'Stop scanning'
+              )}
               onClick={onStopNestedScan}
             >
               <Loader2 className="size-3.5 animate-spin text-annotation-highlight group-hover:hidden group-focus-visible:hidden" />
@@ -41,7 +48,11 @@ function AddRepoNestedScanProgressNotice({
             </Button>
           </TooltipTrigger>
           <TooltipContent side="top" sideOffset={4}>
-            {translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.d301db1c9a", "Scanning repositories. Click to stop.")}</TooltipContent>
+            {translate(
+              'auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.d301db1c9a',
+              'Scanning repositories. Click to stop.'
+            )}
+          </TooltipContent>
         </Tooltip>
       ) : null}
     </div>
@@ -76,6 +87,7 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
   onStopNestedScan
 }: AddRepoLocalStartStepProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const browseActionRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement | null>(null)
+  const actionsRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null)
   const { primaryAction, secondaryActions } = getAddRepoLocalStartActions({
     isSshLikely,
     onBrowse,
@@ -84,37 +96,91 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
     onOpenCreateStep
   })
 
+  // The white fill + ⏎ chip is a roving selection indicator, not a fixed "primary" badge:
+  // it follows keyboard focus so Enter always activates the highlighted action. Browse is
+  // autofocused on open, so it starts selected; Tab and ↑/↓ move the highlight.
+  const [selectedKind, setSelectedKind] = useState<string | null>(primaryAction.kind)
+
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (isAdding) {
+      setSelectedKind(null)
+      return
+    }
     if (!isAdding) {
       browseActionRef.current?.focus()
     }
   }, [isAdding])
 
+  // ↑/↓ rove focus across the action buttons in visual order; focus drives the selection.
+  const handleArrowNavigation = (event: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>): void => {
+    if (event.key !== 'ArrowDown' && event.key !== 'ArrowUp') {
+      return
+    }
+    const buttons = Array.from(
+      actionsRef.current?.querySelectorAll<HTMLButtonElement>('button[data-add-repo-action]') ?? []
+    )
+    if (buttons.length === 0) {
+      return
+    }
+    const currentIndex = buttons.findIndex((button) => button === document.activeElement)
+    const delta = event.key === 'ArrowDown' ? 1 : -1
+    const nextIndex = (currentIndex + delta + buttons.length) % buttons.length
+    event.preventDefault()
+    buttons[nextIndex]?.focus()
+  }
+
+  const handleActionsBlur = (event: React.FocusEvent<HTMLDivElement>): void => {
+    if (!(event.relatedTarget instanceof HTMLButtonElement)) {
+      setSelectedKind(null)
+      return
+    }
+    if (!event.relatedTarget.matches('button[data-add-repo-action]')) {
+      setSelectedKind(null)
+    }
+  }
+
   return (
     <>
       <DialogHeader>
-        <DialogTitle>{translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.d13757911c", "Add a project")}</DialogTitle>
+        <DialogTitle>
+          {translate('auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.d13757911c', 'Add a project')}
+        </DialogTitle>
         {repoCount === 0 ? (
-          <DialogDescription>{translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.acf895cb42", "Add a project to get started with Orca.")}</DialogDescription>
+          <DialogDescription>
+            {translate(
+              'auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.acf895cb42',
+              'Add a project to get started with Orca.'
+            )}
+          </DialogDescription>
         ) : null}
       </DialogHeader>
 
-      <div className="space-y-3 pt-2">
+      <div
+        className="space-y-3 pt-2"
+        ref={actionsRef}
+        onBlur={handleActionsBlur}
+        onKeyDown={handleArrowNavigation}
+      >
         <AddRepoPrimaryStartAction
           icon={primaryAction.icon}
           title={primaryAction.title}
           description={primaryAction.description}
           disabled={isAdding}
+          selected={selectedKind === primaryAction.kind}
           buttonRef={browseActionRef}
           onClick={primaryAction.onClick}
+          onFocus={() => setSelectedKind(primaryAction.kind)}
         />
 
         {/* Keep secondary entry methods always visible so they stay discoverable without an extra click. */}
         {/* Label clarifies the lighter-weight rows are alternate entry methods, not lesser features. */}
         <div className="space-y-1.5">
-          <p className="text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground">{translate("auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.f3c96237ae", "Or add from…")}</p>
-          {/* Match the primary card's surface (bg-background) so the group reads as the same family, not a recessed panel. */}
-          <div className="overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-border/80 bg-background">
+          <p className="text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground">
+            {translate('auto.components.sidebar.AddRepoStartSteps.87596c1446', 'Other ways to add')}
+          </p>
+          {/* Outline uses the `input` token (white-ish in dark mode) to match Browse's visible outline variant;
+              primary-foreground is near-black in dark mode and rendered the border invisible. */}
+          <div className="overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-input bg-background">
             {secondaryActions.map((action, index) => (
               <AddRepoSecondaryStartAction
                 key={action.kind}
@@ -122,7 +188,9 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
                 title={action.title}
                 description={action.description}
                 disabled={isAdding}
+                selected={selectedKind === action.kind}
                 onClick={action.onClick}
+                onFocus={() => setSelectedKind(action.kind)}
                 className={index === 0 ? '' : 'border-t border-border/70'}
               />
             ))}
@@ -147,35 +215,73 @@ type AddRepoStartActionProps = {
   title: string
   description: string
   disabled: boolean
+  // Selected = keyboard-focused: renders the white fill + trailing ⏎ chip so Enter's target is obvious.
+  selected: boolean
   onClick: () => void
+  onFocus: () => void
   buttonRef?: Ref<HTMLButtonElement>
 }
 
+// Shared trailing chip so the ⏎ glyph travels with the selected action across primary and secondary rows.
+const AddRepoEnterChip = (): React.JSX.Element => (
+  <span aria-hidden="true" className="shrink-0">
+    <ShortcutKeyCombo
+      keys={['⏎']}
+      keyCapClassName="border-primary-foreground/20 bg-primary-foreground/10 text-primary-foreground/80"
+    />
+  </span>
+)
+
 const AddRepoPrimaryStartAction = ({
   icon: Icon,
   title,
   description,
   disabled,
+  selected,
   onClick,
+  onFocus,
   buttonRef
 }: AddRepoStartActionProps): React.JSX.Element => (
+  // Filled white surface marks the selected action; when unselected the card reverts to a quiet
+  // outline so the highlight reads as a moving selection, not a fixed badge. Inner tints switch to
+  // primary-foreground only while filled, because muted tokens are tuned for the dark base surface.
   <Button
     ref={buttonRef}
     type="button"
-    variant="outline"
+    variant={selected ? 'default' : 'outline'}
     onClick={onClick}
+    onFocus={onFocus}
     disabled={disabled}
-    className="h-auto min-h-24 w-full justify-start gap-4 whitespace-normal border-border/80 bg-background px-4 py-4 text-left"
+    data-add-repo-action
+    className={cn(
+      'h-auto min-h-[3.75rem] w-full justify-start gap-3 whitespace-normal px-3 py-2.5 text-left',
+      // The subtle selected border keeps Browse and secondary rows feeling like one roving set.
+      // Focus ring stays off because the fill + ⏎ chip already mark the focused action.
+      selected
+        ? 'border border-primary-foreground/20 focus-visible:border-primary-foreground/30 focus-visible:ring-0'
+        : 'bg-background shadow-none dark:bg-background'
+    )}
   >
-    <span className="grid size-11 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md text-foreground">
-      <Icon className="size-5" />
+    <span
+      className={cn(
+        'grid size-7 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md',
+        selected ? 'bg-primary-foreground/10 text-primary-foreground' : 'text-foreground'
+      )}
+    >
+      <Icon className="size-4" />
     </span>
-    <span className="min-w-0">
-      <span className="block text-sm font-semibold leading-5">{title}</span>
-      <span className="mt-0.5 block text-xs font-normal leading-5 text-muted-foreground">
+    <span className="min-w-0 flex-1">
+      <span className="block text-sm font-medium leading-5">{title}</span>
+      <span
+        className={cn(
+          'mt-0.5 block text-xs font-normal leading-5',
+          selected ? 'text-primary-foreground/70' : 'text-muted-foreground'
+        )}
+      >
         {description}
       </span>
     </span>
+    {selected ? <AddRepoEnterChip /> : null}
   </Button>
 )
 
@@ -184,26 +290,54 @@ function AddRepoSecondaryStartAction({
   title,
   description,
   disabled,
+  selected,
   onClick,
+  onFocus,
   className
 }: AddRepoStartActionProps & { className?: string }): React.JSX.Element {
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
+      data-add-repo-action
       disabled={disabled}
       onClick={onClick}
+      onFocus={onFocus}
       className={cn(
-        'flex min-h-[3.25rem] w-full items-center gap-3 px-3 py-2.5 text-left transition-colors hover:bg-accent focus-visible:bg-accent focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:ring-inset focus-visible:ring-ring/50 disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-40',
-        className
+        'flex min-h-[3.25rem] w-full items-center gap-3 border border-transparent px-3 py-2.5 text-left transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-40',
+        className,
+        // Selected mirrors the primary card's filled white surface so the highlight moves between rows.
+        selected
+          ? 'border-primary-foreground/30 bg-primary text-primary-foreground focus-visible:border-primary-foreground/40'
+          : 'hover:bg-accent focus-visible:bg-accent focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:ring-inset focus-visible:ring-ring/50'
       )}
     >
-      <span className="grid size-7 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md text-muted-foreground">
+      <span
+        className={cn(
+          'grid size-7 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-md',
+          selected ? 'bg-primary-foreground/10 text-primary-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground'
+        )}
+      >
         <Icon className="size-4" />
       </span>
-      <span className="min-w-0">
-        <span className="block text-sm font-medium leading-5 text-foreground">{title}</span>
-        <span className="block text-xs leading-4 text-muted-foreground">{description}</span>
+      <span className="min-w-0 flex-1">
+        <span
+          className={cn(
+            'block text-sm font-medium leading-5',
+            selected ? 'text-primary-foreground' : 'text-foreground'
+          )}
+        >
+          {title}
+        </span>
+        <span
+          className={cn(
+            'block text-xs leading-4',
+            selected ? 'text-primary-foreground/70' : 'text-muted-foreground'
+          )}
+        >
+          {description}
+        </span>
       </span>
+      {selected ? <AddRepoEnterChip /> : null}
     </button>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index 3d82c034bd5..c81955e74e8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -3030,7 +3030,7 @@
           "0f8aba944c": "Navigate to a directory and click Select to choose it."
         },
         "AddRepoStartSteps": {
-          "f3c96237ae": "Or add from…",
+          "87596c1446": "Other ways to add",
           "acf895cb42": "Add a project to get started with Orca.",
           "d13757911c": "Add a project",
           "d301db1c9a": "Scanning repositories. Click to stop.",