diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list-item.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list-item.js
index 7e3a46dec8..a1cec9d310 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list-item.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/topic-list-item.js
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import discourseComputed, { observes } from "discourse-common/utils/decorators";
+import discourseComputed, {
+  bind,
+  observes,
+} from "discourse-common/utils/decorators";
 import Component from "@ember/component";
 import DiscourseURL from "discourse/lib/url";
 import I18n from "I18n";
@@ -58,6 +61,11 @@ export default Component.extend({
         if (this.selected && this.selected.includes(this.topic)) {
           this.element.querySelector("input.bulk-select").checked = true;
         }
+        const title = this.element.querySelector(".main-link .title");
+        if (title) {
+          title.addEventListener("focus", this._onTitleFocus);
+          title.addEventListener("blur", this._onTitleBlur);
+        }
       });
     }
   },
@@ -98,6 +106,11 @@ export default Component.extend({
     if (this.includeUnreadIndicator) {
       this.messageBus.unsubscribe(this.unreadIndicatorChannel);
     }
+    const title = this.element?.querySelector(".main-link .title");
+    if (title) {
+      title.removeEventListener("focus", this._onTitleFocus);
+      title.removeEventListener("blur", this._onTitleBlur);
+    }
   },
 
   @discourseComputed("topic.id")
@@ -259,12 +272,21 @@ export default Component.extend({
         return;
       }
 
-      const $topic = $(this.element);
-      $topic
-        .addClass("highlighted")
-        .attr("data-islastviewedtopic", opts.isLastViewedTopic);
-
-      $topic.on("animationend", () => $topic.removeClass("highlighted"));
+      this.element.classList.add("highlighted");
+      this.element.setAttribute(
+        "data-islastviewedtopic",
+        opts.isLastViewedTopic
+      );
+      this.element.addEventListener("animationend", () => {
+        this.element.classList.remove("highlighted");
+      });
+      if (
+        this.focusLastVisitedTopic &&
+        opts.isLastViewedTopic &&
+        !this.site.mobileView
+      ) {
+        this.element.querySelector(".main-link .title").focus();
+      }
     });
   },
 
@@ -279,4 +301,20 @@ export default Component.extend({
       this.highlight();
     }
   }),
+
+  @bind
+  _onTitleFocus() {
+    if (this.element && !this.isDestroying && !this.isDestroyed) {
+      const mainLink = this.element.querySelector(".main-link");
+      mainLink.classList.add("focused");
+    }
+  },
+
+  @bind
+  _onTitleBlur() {
+    if (this.element && !this.isDestroying && !this.isDestroyed) {
+      const mainLink = this.element.querySelector(".main-link");
+      mainLink.classList.remove("focused");
+    }
+  },
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/topic-list.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/topic-list.hbs
index 3ff3f75731..3a554aea95 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/topic-list.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/components/topic-list.hbs
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
                       lastVisitedTopic=lastVisitedTopic
                       selected=selected
                       lastChecked=lastChecked
-                      tagsForUser=tagsForUser}}
+                      tagsForUser=tagsForUser
+                      focusLastVisitedTopic=focusLastVisitedTopic}}
     {{raw "list/visited-line" lastVisitedTopic=lastVisitedTopic topic=topic}}
   {{/each}}
 </tbody>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/discovery/topics.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/discovery/topics.hbs
index 3c2997c58c..946d599382 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/discovery/topics.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/discovery/topics.hbs
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ model=model showResetNew=showResetNew showDismissRead=showDismissRead resetNew=(
       topics=model.topics
       discoveryList=true
       scrollOnLoad=true
-      onScroll=discoveryTopicList.saveScrollPosition}}
+      onScroll=discoveryTopicList.saveScrollPosition
+      focusLastVisitedTopic=true
+    }}
   {{/if}}
 
   {{plugin-outlet name="after-topic-list" tagName="span" connectorTagName="div" args=(hash category=category)}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/tag/show.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/tag/show.hbs
index 917209dd74..49dedfdf66 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/tag/show.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/templates/tag/show.hbs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@
                   changeSort=(action "changeSort")
                   onScroll=discoveryTopicList.saveScrollPosition
                   scrollOnLoad=true
+                  focusLastVisitedTopic=true
                 }}
               {{/if}}
             {{/discovery-topics-list}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/last-visited-topic-focus-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/last-visited-topic-focus-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2456c72da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/last-visited-topic-focus-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { acceptance, query } from "discourse/tests/helpers/qunit-helpers";
+import { test } from "qunit";
+import { visit } from "@ember/test-helpers";
+import { cloneJSON } from "discourse-common/lib/object";
+import topicFixtures from "discourse/tests/fixtures/topic";
+
+acceptance("Last Visited Topic Focus", function (needs) {
+  needs.pretender((server, helper) => {
+    const fixture = cloneJSON(topicFixtures["/t/54077.json"]);
+    fixture.id = 11996;
+    fixture.slug =
+      "its-really-hard-to-navigate-the-create-topic-reply-pane-with-the-keyboard";
+    server.get("/t/11996.json", () => helper.response(fixture));
+  });
+  test("last visited topic receives focus when you return back to the topic list", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/");
+    await visit(
+      "/t/its-really-hard-to-navigate-the-create-topic-reply-pane-with-the-keyboard/11996"
+    );
+    await visit("/");
+    const visitedTopicTitle = query(
+      '.topic-list-body tr[data-topic-id="11996"] .main-link'
+    );
+    assert.ok(visitedTopicTitle.classList.contains("focused"));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/_topic-list.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/_topic-list.scss
index ed62a5c702..90646ddcac 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/_topic-list.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/_topic-list.scss
@@ -234,6 +234,17 @@
     .raw-topic-link > * {
       pointer-events: none;
     }
+
+    &.focused {
+      box-shadow: inset 3px 0 0 var(--tertiary);
+    }
+    /* we have a custom focus indicator so we can remove the native one */
+    .title:focus {
+      outline: none;
+    }
+    .title:focus-visible {
+      outline: none;
+    }
   }
 
   .unread-indicator {