diff --git a/packages/embla-carousel-auto-scroll/src/components/AutoScroll.ts b/packages/embla-carousel-auto-scroll/src/components/AutoScroll.ts
index 4e49d81a2..485aef165 100644
--- a/packages/embla-carousel-auto-scroll/src/components/AutoScroll.ts
+++ b/packages/embla-carousel-auto-scroll/src/components/AutoScroll.ts
@@ -83,10 +83,7 @@ function AutoScroll(userOptions: AutoScrollOptionsType = {}): AutoScrollType {
     }
 
     if (options.stopOnFocusIn) {
-      eventStore.add(container, 'focusin', () => {
-        stopScroll()
-        emblaApi.scrollTo(emblaApi.selectedScrollSnap(), true)
-      })
+      emblaApi.on('slideFocusStart', stopScroll)
 
       if (!options.stopOnInteraction) {
         eventStore.add(container, 'focusout', startScroll)
@@ -100,6 +97,7 @@ function AutoScroll(userOptions: AutoScrollOptionsType = {}): AutoScrollType {
     emblaApi
       .off('pointerDown', stopScroll)
       .off('pointerUp', startScrollOnSettle)
+      .off('slideFocusStart', stopScroll)
       .off('settle', onSettle)
     stopScroll()
     destroyed = true
diff --git a/packages/embla-carousel-autoplay/src/components/Autoplay.ts b/packages/embla-carousel-autoplay/src/components/Autoplay.ts
index 1baa6a887..86e9fff17 100644
--- a/packages/embla-carousel-autoplay/src/components/Autoplay.ts
+++ b/packages/embla-carousel-autoplay/src/components/Autoplay.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function Autoplay(userOptions: AutoplayOptionsType = {}): AutoplayType {
     }
 
     if (options.stopOnFocusIn) {
-      eventStore.add(container, 'focusin', stopTimer)
+      emblaApi.on('slideFocusStart', stopTimer)
 
       if (!options.stopOnInteraction) {
         eventStore.add(container, 'focusout', startTimer)
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ function Autoplay(userOptions: AutoplayOptionsType = {}): AutoplayType {
   }
 
   function destroy(): void {
-    emblaApi.off('pointerDown', stopTimer).off('pointerUp', startTimer)
+    emblaApi
+      .off('pointerDown', stopTimer)
+      .off('pointerUp', startTimer)
+      .off('slideFocusStart', stopTimer)
     stopTimer()
     destroyed = true
     playing = false
diff --git a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EmblaCarousel.ts b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EmblaCarousel.ts
index 9b8148737..b620cb814 100644
--- a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EmblaCarousel.ts
+++ b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EmblaCarousel.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ function EmblaCarousel(
     engine.translate.to(engine.location.get())
     engine.animation.init()
     engine.slidesInView.init()
-    engine.slideFocus.init()
+    engine.slideFocus.init(self)
     engine.eventHandler.init(self)
     engine.resizeHandler.init(self)
     engine.slidesHandler.init(self)
diff --git a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EventHandler.ts b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EventHandler.ts
index aa911d748..cc2c1e942 100644
--- a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EventHandler.ts
+++ b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/EventHandler.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export interface EmblaEventListType {
   destroy: 'destroy'
   reInit: 'reInit'
   resize: 'resize'
+  slideFocusStart: 'slideFocusStart'
   slideFocus: 'slideFocus'
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/SlideFocus.ts b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/SlideFocus.ts
index e00e467f3..a4547418e 100644
--- a/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/SlideFocus.ts
+++ b/packages/embla-carousel/src/components/SlideFocus.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { EmblaCarouselType } from './EmblaCarousel'
 import { EventHandlerType } from './EventHandler'
 import { EventStoreType } from './EventStore'
 import { ScrollBodyType } from './ScrollBody'
@@ -5,12 +6,15 @@ import { ScrollToType } from './ScrollTo'
 import { SlideRegistryType } from './SlideRegistry'
 import { isBoolean, isNumber } from './utils'
 
-type FocusHandlerCallbackType = () => void
+type FocusHandlerCallbackType = (
+  emblaApi: EmblaCarouselType,
+  evt: FocusEvent
+) => boolean | void
 
 export type FocusHandlerOptionType = boolean | FocusHandlerCallbackType
 
 export type SlideFocusType = {
-  init: () => void
+  init: (emblaApi: EmblaCarouselType) => void
 }
 
 export function SlideFocus(
@@ -23,45 +27,51 @@ export function SlideFocus(
   eventHandler: EventHandlerType,
   watchFocus: FocusHandlerOptionType
 ): SlideFocusType {
+  const focusListenerOptions = { passive: true, capture: true }
   let lastTabPressTime = 0
 
-  function init(): void {
+  function init(emblaApi: EmblaCarouselType): void {
     if (!watchFocus) return
 
-    eventStore.add(document, 'keydown', registerTabPress, false)
-    slides.forEach(addSlideFocusEvent)
-  }
-
-  function registerTabPress(event: KeyboardEvent): void {
-    if (event.code === 'Tab') lastTabPressTime = new Date().getTime()
-  }
-
-  function addSlideFocusEvent(slide: HTMLElement): void {
-    const defaultFocusHandler = (): void => {
+    const defaultCallback = (index: number): void => {
       const nowTime = new Date().getTime()
       const diffTime = nowTime - lastTabPressTime
 
       if (diffTime > 10) return
 
+      eventHandler.emit('slideFocusStart')
       root.scrollLeft = 0
-      const index = slides.indexOf(slide)
+
       const group = slideRegistry.findIndex((group) => group.includes(index))
 
       if (!isNumber(group)) return
 
       scrollBody.useDuration(0)
       scrollTo.index(group, 0)
+
       eventHandler.emit('slideFocus')
     }
 
-    const focus = isBoolean(watchFocus) ? defaultFocusHandler : watchFocus
+    eventStore.add(document, 'keydown', registerTabPress, false)
 
-    eventStore.add(slide, 'focus', focus, {
-      passive: true,
-      capture: true
+    slides.forEach((slide, slideIndex) => {
+      eventStore.add(
+        slide,
+        'focus',
+        (evt: FocusEvent) => {
+          if (isBoolean(watchFocus) || watchFocus(emblaApi, evt)) {
+            defaultCallback(slideIndex)
+          }
+        },
+        focusListenerOptions
+      )
     })
   }
 
+  function registerTabPress(event: KeyboardEvent): void {
+    if (event.code === 'Tab') lastTabPressTime = new Date().getTime()
+  }
+
   const self: SlideFocusType = {
     init
   }