--- a/browser/components/downloads/content/allDownloadsViewOverlay.js
+++ b/browser/components/downloads/content/allDownloadsViewOverlay.js
@@ -424,21 +424,25 @@ DownloadsPlacesView.prototype = {
     // Hack for bug 836283: reset xbl fields to their old values after the
     // binding is reattached to avoid breaking the selection state
     let xblFields = new Map();
     for (let key of Object.getOwnPropertyNames(this._richlistbox)) {
       let value = this._richlistbox[key];
       xblFields.set(key, value);
     }
 
+    let oldActiveElement = document.activeElement;
     let parentNode = this._richlistbox.parentNode;
     let nextSibling = this._richlistbox.nextSibling;
     parentNode.removeChild(this._richlistbox);
     this._richlistbox.prepend(this.batchFragment);
     parentNode.insertBefore(this._richlistbox, nextSibling);
+    if (oldActiveElement && oldActiveElement != document.activeElement) {
+      oldActiveElement.focus();
+    }
 
     for (let [key, value] of xblFields) {
       this._richlistbox[key] = value;
     }
   },
 
   onDownloadAdded(download, { insertBefore } = {}) {
     let shell = new HistoryDownloadElementShell(download);