diff --git a/change/@fluentui-react-dialog-890df3cd-7a3d-4215-a779-d73397bba5f0.json b/change/@fluentui-react-dialog-890df3cd-7a3d-4215-a779-d73397bba5f0.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f9c77014a94d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change/@fluentui-react-dialog-890df3cd-7a3d-4215-a779-d73397bba5f0.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "patch",
+  "comment": "fix: prefer autofocus element over first focusable in Dialog/Drawer (#35749)",
+  "packageName": "@fluentui/react-dialog",
+  "email": "198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.test.ts b/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..fdd99ab126d7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import type * as React from 'react';
+import { renderHook, act } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
+import { useFocusFinders } from '@fluentui/react-tabster';
+import { useFluent_unstable } from '@fluentui/react-shared-contexts';
+import { useFocusFirstElement } from './useFocusFirstElement';
+
+jest.mock('@fluentui/react-tabster');
+jest.mock('@fluentui/react-shared-contexts');
+
+const mockFindFirstFocusable = jest.fn();
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  jest.clearAllMocks();
+  (useFocusFinders as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ findFirstFocusable: mockFindFirstFocusable });
+  (useFluent_unstable as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ targetDocument: document });
+});
+
+describe('useFocusFirstElement', () => {
+  it('focuses the first focusable element when dialog opens and no autofocus element is present', () => {
+    const container = document.createElement('div');
+    const firstButton = document.createElement('button');
+    container.appendChild(firstButton);
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+
+    mockFindFirstFocusable.mockReturnValue(firstButton);
+    const focusSpy = jest.spyOn(firstButton, 'focus');
+
+    const { result, rerender } = renderHook(({ open }) => useFocusFirstElement(open, 'modal'), {
+      initialProps: { open: false },
+    });
+
+    // Attach the ref to the container
+    (result.current as React.RefObject<HTMLElement | null>).current = container;
+
+    act(() => {
+      rerender({ open: true });
+    });
+
+    expect(mockFindFirstFocusable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(container);
+    expect(focusSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    document.body.removeChild(container);
+  });
+
+  it('focuses the autofocus element instead of the first focusable element when autofocus element is present', () => {
+    const container = document.createElement('div');
+    const firstButton = document.createElement('button');
+    const autoFocusInput = document.createElement('input');
+    autoFocusInput.setAttribute('autofocus', '');
+
+    container.appendChild(firstButton);
+    container.appendChild(autoFocusInput);
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+
+    mockFindFirstFocusable.mockReturnValue(firstButton);
+    const firstButtonFocusSpy = jest.spyOn(firstButton, 'focus');
+    const autoFocusInputFocusSpy = jest.spyOn(autoFocusInput, 'focus');
+
+    const { result, rerender } = renderHook(({ open }) => useFocusFirstElement(open, 'modal'), {
+      initialProps: { open: false },
+    });
+
+    // Attach the ref to the container
+    (result.current as React.RefObject<HTMLElement | null>).current = container;
+
+    act(() => {
+      rerender({ open: true });
+    });
+
+    // findFirstFocusable should not be called since autofocus element was found
+    expect(mockFindFirstFocusable).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    // The autofocus element should be focused, not the first button
+    expect(autoFocusInputFocusSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(firstButtonFocusSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    document.body.removeChild(container);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.ts b/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.ts
index ff1a4c7837f30..ca140bed0239c 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.ts
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-dialog/library/src/utils/useFocusFirstElement.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ export function useFocusFirstElement(
     if (!open) {
       return;
     }
-    const element = dialogRef.current && findFirstFocusable(dialogRef.current);
+    const autoFocusElement = dialogRef.current?.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[autofocus]');
+    const element = autoFocusElement || (dialogRef.current && findFirstFocusable(dialogRef.current));
     if (element) {
       element.focus();
     } else {