diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/ace-theme.js b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/ace-theme.js
index e9b298e89a..eafb76ff0a 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/ace-theme.js
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/ace-theme.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const foregroundColor = uiColors.gray.light3;
 const backgroundColor = uiColors.gray.dark3;
 const borderColor = uiColors.gray.dark1;
 const activeLineColor = uiColors.gray.dark2;
+const selectionColor = uiColors.gray.dark1;
 
 const cursorColor = uiColors.green.base;
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ const layoutCss = `
     background: transparent;
   }
   .ace-mongosh .ace_marker-layer .ace_selection {
-    background: transparent;
+    background: ${selectionColor};
   }
 `;
 
diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.spec.tsx b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.spec.tsx
index 138ca52422..1e4fbe5cfd 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.spec.tsx
@@ -134,4 +134,14 @@ describe('<Editor />', () => {
     execCommandBoundTo(aceEditor, 'Down');
     expect(spy).not.to.have.been.called;
   });
+
+  it('sets the input ref for the editor', () => {
+    const spy = sinon.spy();
+    const wrapper = mount(<Editor setInputRef={spy} />);
+
+    const aceEditor = getAceEditorInstance(wrapper);
+
+    expect(spy).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+    expect(spy.args[0][0].editor).to.equal(aceEditor);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.tsx b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.tsx
index a10c4b77ee..acf4744604 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.tsx
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/editor.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ interface EditorProps {
   onArrowDownOnLastLine?(): void | Promise<void>;
   onChange?(value: string): void | Promise<void>;
   autocompleter?: Autocompleter;
+  setInputRef?(ref): void;
   value?: string;
 }
 
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ export class Editor extends Component<EditorProps> {
     onArrowUpOnFirstLine: PropTypes.func,
     onArrowDownOnLastLine: PropTypes.func,
     onChange: PropTypes.func,
+    setInputRef: PropTypes.func,
     value: PropTypes.string
   };
 
@@ -71,6 +73,11 @@ export class Editor extends Component<EditorProps> {
       }}
       name={`mongosh-ace-${Date.now()}`}
       mode="javascript"
+      ref={(ref: any): void => {
+        if (this.props.setInputRef) {
+          this.props.setInputRef(ref);
+        }
+      }}
       theme="mongosh"
       onChange={this.props.onChange}
       onLoad={this.onEditorLoad}
diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell-input.tsx b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell-input.tsx
index 5ed935cf37..002ba4dda2 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell-input.tsx
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell-input.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ interface ShellInputProps {
   onInput?(code: string): void | Promise<void>;
   history?: readonly string[];
   autocompleter?: Autocompleter;
+  setInputRef?(ref): void;
 }
 
 interface ShellInputState {
@@ -22,7 +23,8 @@ export class ShellInput extends Component<ShellInputProps, ShellInputState> {
   static propTypes = {
     onInput: PropTypes.func,
     history: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
-    autocompleter: PropTypes.object
+    autocompleter: PropTypes.object,
+    setInputRef: PropTypes.func
   };
 
   readonly state: ShellInputState = {
@@ -120,6 +122,7 @@ export class ShellInput extends Component<ShellInputProps, ShellInputState> {
       onArrowUpOnFirstLine={this.historyBack}
       onArrowDownOnLastLine={this.historyNext}
       autocompleter={this.props.autocompleter}
+      setInputRef={this.props.setInputRef}
     />);
 
     const className = classnames(styles['shell-input']);
diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.spec.tsx b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.spec.tsx
index 0b79d0213e..32670c4f19 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.spec.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import { ShellInput } from './shell-input';
 import { ShellOutput } from './shell-output';
 import { ShellOutputEntry } from './shell-output-line';
 
+const styles = require('./shell.less');
+
 const wait: (ms?: number) => Promise<void> = (ms = 10) => {
   return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
 };
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ describe('<Shell />', () => {
   let fakeRuntime;
   let wrapper: ShallowWrapper | ReactWrapper;
   let scrollIntoView;
+  let elementFocus;
   let onInput;
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ describe('<Shell />', () => {
     };
 
     scrollIntoView = sinon.spy(Element.prototype, 'scrollIntoView');
+    elementFocus = sinon.spy(HTMLElement.prototype, 'focus');
 
     fakeRuntime = {
       evaluate: sinon.fake.returns({ value: 'some result' })
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ describe('<Shell />', () => {
 
   afterEach(() => {
     scrollIntoView.restore();
+    elementFocus.restore();
   });
 
   it('renders a ShellOutput component', () => {
@@ -265,4 +270,30 @@ describe('<Shell />', () => {
 
     expect(Element.prototype.scrollIntoView).to.have.been.calledTwice;
   });
+
+  it('focuses on the input when the background container is clicked', () => {
+    wrapper = mount(<Shell runtime={fakeRuntime} />);
+    const container = wrapper.find(`.${styles.shell}`);
+
+    const fakeMouseEvent: any = {
+      target: 'a',
+      currentTarget: 'a'
+    };
+    container.prop('onClick')(fakeMouseEvent);
+
+    expect(HTMLElement.prototype.focus).to.have.been.calledOnce;
+  });
+
+  it('does not focus on the input when an element that is not the background container is clicked', () => {
+    wrapper = mount(<Shell runtime={fakeRuntime} />);
+    const container = wrapper.find(`.${styles.shell}`);
+
+    const fakeMouseEvent: any = {
+      target: 'a',
+      currentTarget: 'b'
+    };
+    container.prop('onClick')(fakeMouseEvent);
+
+    expect(HTMLElement.prototype.focus).to.not.have.been.called;
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.tsx b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.tsx
index 9065bb4b05..fca501b8b6 100644
--- a/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.tsx
+++ b/packages/browser-repl/src/components/shell.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ export class Shell extends Component<ShellProps, ShellState> {
   };
 
   private shellInputElement?: HTMLElement;
+  private shellInputRef?: {
+    editor?: HTMLElement;
+  };
 
   readonly state: ShellState = {
     output: this.props.initialOutput.slice(-this.props.maxOutputLength),
@@ -188,18 +191,34 @@ export class Shell extends Component<ShellProps, ShellState> {
     this.shellInputElement.scrollIntoView();
   }
 
+  private onShellClicked = (event: React.MouseEvent): void => {
+    // Focus on input when clicking the shell background (not clicking output).
+    if (event.currentTarget === event.target) {
+      if (this.shellInputRef && this.shellInputRef.editor) {
+        this.shellInputRef.editor.focus();
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
   render(): JSX.Element {
-    return (<div className={classnames(styles.shell)}>
-      <div>
-        <ShellOutput
-          output={this.state.output} />
-      </div>
-      <div ref={(el): void => { this.shellInputElement = el; }}>
-        <ShellInput
-          onInput={this.onInput}
-          history={this.state.history}
-          autocompleter={this.props.runtime} />
+    return (
+      <div
+        className={classnames(styles.shell)}
+        onClick={this.onShellClicked}
+      >
+        <div>
+          <ShellOutput
+            output={this.state.output} />
+        </div>
+        <div ref={(el): void => { this.shellInputElement = el; }}>
+          <ShellInput
+            onInput={this.onInput}
+            history={this.state.history}
+            autocompleter={this.props.runtime}
+            setInputRef={(ref): void => { this.shellInputRef = ref;}}
+          />
+        </div>
       </div>
-    </div>);
+    );
   }
 }