diff --git a/src/components/FileExplorer.js b/src/components/FileExplorer.js
index 3dd07c6..4d7a860 100644
--- a/src/components/FileExplorer.js
+++ b/src/components/FileExplorer.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export default class FileExplorer extends React.Component {
   }
 
   render() {
-    const { stateText, visibleNodes, freeze, handleKeyDown, handleSearchKeyChange, onNodeClick, toggleShowSettings } = this.props
+    const { stateText, visibleNodes, freeze, handleKeyDown, handleSearchKeyChange, onNodeClick, toggleShowSettings, onFocusSearchBar } = this.props
     return (
       <div className={cx(`file-explorer`, { freeze })} tabIndex={-1} onKeyDown={handleKeyDown} onClick={ freeze ? toggleShowSettings : null}>
         {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export default class FileExplorer extends React.Component {
           ? <LoadingIndicator text={stateText} />
           : visibleNodes && (
             <React.Fragment>
-              <SearchBar onSearchKeyChange={handleSearchKeyChange} />
+              <SearchBar onSearchKeyChange={handleSearchKeyChange} onFocus={onFocusSearchBar} />
               {this.renderFiles(visibleNodes, onNodeClick)}
             </React.Fragment>
           )
diff --git a/src/components/SearchBar.js b/src/components/SearchBar.js
index 9b8508e..50547a4 100644
--- a/src/components/SearchBar.js
+++ b/src/components/SearchBar.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import React from 'react'
 
-export default function SearchBar({ onSearchKeyChange }) {
+export default function SearchBar({ onSearchKeyChange, onFocus }) {
   return (
     <div className={'search-input-wrapper'}>
       <input
+        onFocus={onFocus}
         tabIndex={0}
         className="form-control search-input"
         aria-label="search files"
diff --git a/src/driver/core/FileExplorer.js b/src/driver/core/FileExplorer.js
index 50b50ed..1d75be7 100644
--- a/src/driver/core/FileExplorer.js
+++ b/src/driver/core/FileExplorer.js
@@ -87,26 +87,31 @@ const setStateText = dispatch => text => dispatch({
   stateText: text,
 })
 
-const handleKeyDown = dispatch => ({ key }) => dispatch(({ visibleNodes: { nodes, focusedNode, expandedNodes, depths } }) => {
+const handleKeyDown = dispatch => event => dispatch(({ visibleNodes: { nodes, focusedNode, expandedNodes, depths } }) => {
+  function handleVerticalMove(index) {
+    if (0 <= index && index < nodes.length) {
+      DOMHelper.focusFileExplorer()
+      dispatch(focusNode, nodes[index])
+    } else {
+      DOMHelper.focusSearchInput()
+      dispatch(focusNode, null)
+    }
+  }
+
+  const { key } = event
+  // prevent document body scrolling if the keypress results in Gitako action
+  let muteEvent = true
   if (focusedNode) {
     const focusedNodeIndex = nodes.indexOf(focusedNode)
     switch (key) {
       case 'ArrowUp':
         // focus on previous node
-        if (focusedNodeIndex === 0) {
-          dispatch(focusNode, nodes[nodes.length - 1])
-        } else {
-          dispatch(focusNode, nodes[focusedNodeIndex - 1])
-        }
+        handleVerticalMove(focusedNodeIndex - 1)
         break
 
       case 'ArrowDown':
         // focus on next node
-        if (focusedNodeIndex + 1 < nodes.length) {
-          dispatch(focusNode, nodes[focusedNodeIndex + 1])
-        } else {
-          dispatch(focusNode, nodes[0])
-        }
+        handleVerticalMove(focusedNodeIndex + 1)
         break
 
       case 'ArrowLeft':
@@ -137,7 +142,6 @@ const handleKeyDown = dispatch => ({ key }) => dispatch(({ visibleNodes: { nodes
         } else if (focusedNode.type === 'blob') {
           DOMHelper.loadWithPJAX(focusedNode.url)
         } else if (focusedNode.type === 'commit') {
-          // redirect to its parent folder
           window.open(focusedNode.url)
         }
         break
@@ -148,27 +152,39 @@ const handleKeyDown = dispatch => ({ key }) => dispatch(({ visibleNodes: { nodes
         } else if (focusedNode.type === 'blob') {
           DOMHelper.loadWithPJAX(focusedNode.url)
         } else if (focusedNode.type === 'commit') {
-          // redirect to its parent folder
           window.open(focusedNode.url)
         }
         break
-
+      default:
+        muteEvent = false
+    }
+    if (muteEvent) {
+      event.preventDefault()
     }
   } else {
     // now search input is focused
     if (nodes.length) {
       switch (key) {
         case 'ArrowDown':
+          DOMHelper.focusFileExplorer()
           dispatch(focusNode, nodes[0])
           break
         case 'ArrowUp':
+          DOMHelper.focusFileExplorer()
           dispatch(focusNode, nodes[nodes.length - 1])
           break
+        default:
+          muteEvent = false
+      }
+      if (muteEvent) {
+        event.preventDefault()
       }
     }
   }
 })
 
+const onFocusSearchBar = dispatch => () => dispatch(focusNode, null)
+
 const handleSearchKeyChange = dispatch => {
   let i = 0
   return async event => {
@@ -187,10 +203,7 @@ function shouldDelayExpand(node) {
 
 const setExpand = dispatch => (node, expand) => {
   visibleNodesGenerator.setExpand(node, expand)
-  const applyChanges = () => {
-    dispatch(focusNode, node)
-    tasksAfterRender.push(DOMHelper.focusSearchInput)
-  }
+  const applyChanges = () => dispatch(focusNode, node)
   if (shouldDelayExpand(node)) {
     dispatch(mountExpandingIndicator, node)
     tasksAfterRender.push(() => setTimeout(applyChanges, 0))
@@ -219,7 +232,6 @@ const focusNode = dispatch => (node, skipScroll) => dispatch(({ visibleNodes: {
     // when focus a node not in viewport(by keyboard), scroll to it
     const indexOfToBeFocusedNode = nodes.indexOf(node)
     tasksAfterRender.push(() => DOMHelper.scrollToNodeElement(indexOfToBeFocusedNode))
-    tasksAfterRender.push(DOMHelper.focusSearchInput)
   }
   dispatch(updateVisibleNodes)
 })
@@ -261,6 +273,7 @@ export default {
   execAfterRender,
   setStateText,
   handleKeyDown,
+  onFocusSearchBar,
   handleSearchKeyChange,
   setExpand,
   toggleNodeExpansion,
diff --git a/src/driver/core/SideBar.js b/src/driver/core/SideBar.js
index f5cbf9d..cdb00e2 100644
--- a/src/driver/core/SideBar.js
+++ b/src/driver/core/SideBar.js
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ const onPJAXEnd = dispatch => () => {
   dispatch(({ metaData, copyFileButton, copySnippetButton }) => {
     DOMHelper.unmountTopProgressBar()
     DOMHelper.decorateGitHubPageContent({ copyFileButton, copySnippetButton })
-    DOMHelper.focusSearchInput()
     const mergedMetaData = { ...metaData, ...URLHelper.parse() }
     dispatch(setShouldShow, URLHelper.isInCodePage(mergedMetaData))
     dispatch(setMetaData, mergedMetaData)
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ const onKeyDown = dispatch => e => {
 const toggleShowSideBar = dispatch => () => dispatch(({ shouldShow }) => dispatch(setShouldShow, !shouldShow))
 
 const setShouldShow = dispatch => shouldShow => {
-  dispatch({ shouldShow }, shouldShow ? DOMHelper.focusSearchInput : null)
+  dispatch({ shouldShow }, shouldShow ? DOMHelper.focusFileExplorer : null)
   DOMHelper.setBodyIndent(shouldShow)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/DOMHelper.js b/src/utils/DOMHelper.js
index dddca68..139b326 100644
--- a/src/utils/DOMHelper.js
+++ b/src/utils/DOMHelper.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function getCurrentBranch() {
 
 /**
  * add the logo element into DOM
- * 
+ *
  */
 function insertLogoMountPoint() {
   const logoSelector = '.gitako .gitako-logo'
@@ -297,16 +297,21 @@ function attachCopySnippet() {
  * focus to side bar, user will be able to manipulate it with keyboard
  */
 function focusFileExplorer() {
-  const sideBarContentSelector = '.gitako .file-explorer'
+  const sideBarContentSelector = '.gitako-side-bar .file-explorer'
   const sideBarElement = document.querySelector(sideBarContentSelector)
   if (sideBarElement) {
     sideBarElement.focus()
   }
 }
 
-function focusSearchInput() {
+function getSearchInput() {
   const searchInputSelector = '.search-input'
   const searchInputElement = document.querySelector(searchInputSelector)
+  return searchInputElement
+}
+
+function focusSearchInput() {
+  const searchInputElement = getSearchInput()
   if (searchInputElement) {
     if (document.activeElement !== searchInputElement) {
       searchInputElement.focus()