diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.test.tsx
index 9eadd3a5dad..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>
     )
   })
 
@@ -210,6 +222,62 @@ describe('AddRepoLocalStartStep', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  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)
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
index ea41778251e..8fc9d45953d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/AddRepoStartSteps.tsx
@@ -99,9 +99,13 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
   // 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>(primaryAction.kind)
+  const [selectedKind, setSelectedKind] = useState<string | null>(primaryAction.kind)
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (isAdding) {
+      setSelectedKind(null)
+      return
+    }
     if (!isAdding) {
       browseActionRef.current?.focus()
     }
@@ -125,6 +129,16 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
     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>
@@ -141,7 +155,12 @@ export function AddRepoLocalStartStep({
         ) : null}
       </DialogHeader>
 
-      <div className="space-y-3 pt-2" ref={actionsRef} onKeyDown={handleArrowNavigation}>
+      <div
+        className="space-y-3 pt-2"
+        ref={actionsRef}
+        onBlur={handleActionsBlur}
+        onKeyDown={handleArrowNavigation}
+      >
         <AddRepoPrimaryStartAction
           icon={primaryAction.icon}
           title={primaryAction.title}
@@ -204,11 +223,12 @@ type AddRepoStartActionProps = {
 
 // Shared trailing chip so the ⏎ glyph travels with the selected action across primary and secondary rows.
 const AddRepoEnterChip = (): React.JSX.Element => (
-  <ShortcutKeyCombo
-    keys={['⏎']}
-    keyCapClassName="border-primary-foreground/20 bg-primary-foreground/10 text-primary-foreground/80"
-    className="shrink-0"
-  />
+  <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 = ({