diff --git a/src/renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx b/src/renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx
index bf8b8f7d2..3de97da0c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ interface IAppLayout {
 export const AppLayout: FC<IAppLayout> = ({ children }) => {
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col min-h-screen bg-gitify-background">
-      <Sidebar />
-      {/* Content area with left padding to make space for the sidebar */}
+      {/* Content first in DOM so initial focus won't land on sidebar buttons */}
       <div className="flex-1 pl-sidebar">{children}</div>
+
+      <Sidebar />
     </div>
   );
 };
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/layout/__snapshots__/AppLayout.test.tsx.snap b/src/renderer/components/layout/__snapshots__/AppLayout.test.tsx.snap
index d1f1c1731..c673e5aa8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/layout/__snapshots__/AppLayout.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/renderer/components/layout/__snapshots__/AppLayout.test.tsx.snap
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ exports[`renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx should render itself & its chi
       <div
         class="flex flex-col min-h-screen bg-gitify-background"
       >
+        <div
+          class="flex-1 pl-sidebar"
+        >
+          Test
+        </div>
         <div
           class="fixed left-sidebar -ml-sidebar w-sidebar h-full bg-gitify-sidebar [&_svg]:text-white prc-Stack-Stack-WJVsK"
           data-align="stretch"
@@ -260,11 +265,6 @@ exports[`renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx should render itself & its chi
             </span>
           </div>
         </div>
-        <div
-          class="flex-1 pl-sidebar"
-        >
-          Test
-        </div>
       </div>
     </div>
   </body>,
@@ -272,6 +272,11 @@ exports[`renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx should render itself & its chi
     <div
       class="flex flex-col min-h-screen bg-gitify-background"
     >
+      <div
+        class="flex-1 pl-sidebar"
+      >
+        Test
+      </div>
       <div
         class="fixed left-sidebar -ml-sidebar w-sidebar h-full bg-gitify-sidebar [&_svg]:text-white prc-Stack-Stack-WJVsK"
         data-align="stretch"
@@ -524,11 +529,6 @@ exports[`renderer/components/layout/AppLayout.tsx should render itself & its chi
           </span>
         </div>
       </div>
-      <div
-        class="flex-1 pl-sidebar"
-      >
-        Test
-      </div>
     </div>
   </div>,
   "debug": [Function],