diff --git a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/escape.rs b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/escape.rs
index 823c7539..54f09957 100644
--- a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/escape.rs
+++ b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/escape.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//! Keep overlay Escape ahead of modal cancellation in the ordinary widget tree.
+//! Keep overlay ownership ahead of cancellation and captured reorder Apply.
 //!
 //! Iced skips root.update when an overlay captures an event. Keeping this
 //! wrapper present even when inactive preserves the child's widget state. A
@@ -103,6 +103,28 @@ impl<R: renderer::Renderer> Widget<Message, Theme, R> for Bridge<'_, R> {
             Event::Keyboard(keyboard::Event::KeyPressed { key: keyboard::Key::Named(keyboard::key::Named::Enter), modifiers, .. })
                 if modifiers.control() && !modifiers.alt() && !modifiers.shift() && !modifiers.logo())
         {
+            // A picker may have opened earlier in this same input batch, before
+            // App state can invalidate the captured reorder action.
+            if let Some(element) = self.content.as_widget_mut().overlay(
+                &mut tree.children[0],
+                layout,
+                renderer,
+                viewport,
+                Vector::ZERO,
+            ) {
+                let mut current = overlay::Nested::new(element);
+                let node = current.layout(renderer, viewport.size());
+                current.update(
+                    event,
+                    Layout::new(&node),
+                    cursor,
+                    renderer,
+                    clipboard,
+                    shell,
+                );
+                shell.capture_event();
+                return;
+            }
             if matches!(
                 event,
                 Event::Keyboard(keyboard::Event::KeyPressed { repeat: false, .. })
@@ -146,6 +168,13 @@ impl<R: renderer::Renderer> Widget<Message, Theme, R> for Bridge<'_, R> {
             if shell.is_event_captured() {
                 return;
             }
+            if self.reorder_active
+                && let Some(cancel) = &self.messages[1]
+            {
+                shell.publish(cancel.clone());
+                shell.capture_event();
+                return;
+            }
         }
         self.content.as_widget_mut().update(
             &mut tree.children[0],
diff --git a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder.rs b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder.rs
index bf93fd22..5b5d46c4 100644
--- a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder.rs
+++ b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder.rs
@@ -163,9 +163,7 @@ impl App {
                 Ok(session) => {
                     self.scenario_reorder.session = Some(session);
                     self.status = "Choose a semantic destination, then apply reorder. Saved positions are preserved.".into();
-                    return iced::widget::text_input::focus(scenario::reorder_view::query_id(
-                        event.token,
-                    ));
+                    return scenario::reorder_view::focus_query(event.token);
                 }
                 Err(reason) => self.status = reason,
             }
diff --git a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder/tests.rs b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder/tests.rs
index eff0b9e5..fbb86346 100644
--- a/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/oa-desktop/src/app/scenario_reorder/tests.rs
@@ -798,14 +798,6 @@ async fn mounted_refused_preview_blocks_ctrl_enter_and_old_focus_task_cannot_foc
     let new_focus = app.update(Message::ScenarioReorder(Box::new(start)));
     let token = app.scenario_reorder.session.as_ref().unwrap().token();
     let query_id = scenario::reorder_view::query_id(token);
-    mounted.perform(&mut app, old_focus).await;
-    assert!(
-        !mounted
-            .geometry(&app)
-            .focused
-            .iter()
-            .any(|(id, _, focused)| id.as_ref() == Some(&query_id) && *focused)
-    );
     mounted.perform(&mut app, new_focus).await;
     assert!(
         mounted
@@ -814,6 +806,31 @@ async fn mounted_refused_preview_blocks_ctrl_enter_and_old_focus_task_cannot_foc
             .iter()
             .any(|(id, _, focused)| id.as_ref() == Some(&query_id) && *focused)
     );
+    mounted.perform(&mut app, old_focus).await;
+    assert!(
+        mounted
+            .geometry(&app)
+            .focused
+            .iter()
+            .any(|(id, _, focused)| id.as_ref() == Some(&query_id) && *focused)
+    );
+    let mut typing = enter(false, false);
+    if let iced::Event::Keyboard(iced::keyboard::Event::KeyPressed {
+        key,
+        modified_key,
+        text,
+        ..
+    }) = &mut typing
+    {
+        *key = iced::keyboard::Key::Character("x".into());
+        *modified_key = key.clone();
+        *text = Some("x".into());
+    }
+    let messages = mounted
+        .batch(&mut app, &[typing], mouse::Cursor::Unavailable)
+        .await;
+    assert!(messages.iter().any(|message| matches!(message, Message::ScenarioReorder(event) if matches!(&event.intent, Intent::Query(query) if query == "x"))));
+    assert_eq!(app.scenario_reorder.query, "x");
     choose(
         &mut app,
         Slot {
@@ -849,3 +866,83 @@ async fn mounted_refused_preview_blocks_ctrl_enter_and_old_focus_task_cannot_foc
     assert_eq!(app.document.bundle(), &baseline.bundle);
     assert!(!app.document.can_undo());
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn mounted_same_batch_arrangement_picker_owns_ctrl_enter_before_app_observes_it() {
+    use crate::behavior::canvas_workspace::tests::{Mounted, key};
+    use iced::{keyboard::key::Named, mouse};
+    let (mut app, owner, _) = setup(true);
+    app.window_size = iced::Size::new(1440., 1000.);
+    let mut mounted = Mounted::new(&mut app).await;
+    let start = packet(&app, Intent::Begin);
+    let task = app.update(Message::ScenarioReorder(Box::new(start)));
+    mounted.perform(&mut app, task).await;
+    choose(
+        &mut app,
+        Slot {
+            parent: owner,
+            before: None,
+        },
+    );
+    mounted.settle(&mut app).await;
+    assert!(matches!(
+        app.scenario_reorder
+            .session
+            .as_ref()
+            .unwrap()
+            .current_preview()
+            .unwrap()
+            .outcome,
+        Outcome::Change
+    ));
+    let token = app.scenario_reorder.session.as_ref().unwrap().token();
+    let epoch = app.canvas_epoch;
+    let baseline = app.document.snapshot();
+    let selected = app.multiselect_snapshot().unwrap();
+    let camera = app.behavior.scenario.camera_boundary();
+    let point = mounted
+        .geometry(&app)
+        .bounds("scenario-arrangement-picker")
+        .center();
+    // One UserInterface update: the picker becomes an overlay before App can
+    // receive any message announcing a changed keyboard owner.
+    let (messages, statuses) = mounted.input_with_status(
+        &app,
+        &[
+            iced::Event::Mouse(mouse::Event::CursorMoved { position: point }),
+            iced::Event::Mouse(mouse::Event::ButtonPressed(mouse::Button::Left)),
+            iced::Event::Mouse(mouse::Event::ButtonReleased(mouse::Button::Left)),
+            enter(true, false),
+        ],
+        mouse::Cursor::Available(point),
+    );
+    assert_eq!(statuses.last(), Some(&iced::event::Status::Captured));
+    assert!(!messages.iter().any(|message| matches!(message, Message::ScenarioReorder(event) if matches!(event.intent, Intent::Finish(_) | Intent::Choose(_) | Intent::Cancel))), "picker must own the combo despite the cached valid proposal: {messages:?}");
+    for message in messages {
+        let task = app.update(message);
+        mounted.perform(&mut app, task).await;
+    }
+    assert_eq!(app.canvas_epoch, epoch);
+    assert_eq!(
+        app.scenario_reorder.session.as_ref().unwrap().token(),
+        token
+    );
+    assert_eq!(app.document.bundle(), &baseline.bundle);
+    assert_eq!(app.project(), &baseline.decoded.project);
+    assert_eq!(app.multiselect_snapshot().unwrap(), selected);
+    assert!(camera == app.behavior.scenario.camera_boundary());
+    assert!(!app.document.can_undo());
+    // Establish that the actual picker opened: first Escape closes only its
+    // overlay, while the following Escape reaches the reorder operation.
+    let messages = mounted
+        .batch(&mut app, &[key(Named::Escape)], mouse::Cursor::Unavailable)
+        .await;
+    assert!(!messages.iter().any(|message| matches!(message, Message::ScenarioReorder(event) if matches!(event.intent, Intent::Cancel))));
+    assert!(app.scenario_reorder.session.is_some());
+    let messages = mounted
+        .batch(&mut app, &[key(Named::Escape)], mouse::Cursor::Unavailable)
+        .await;
+    assert!(messages.iter().any(|message| matches!(message, Message::ScenarioReorder(event) if matches!(event.intent, Intent::Cancel))));
+    assert!(app.scenario_reorder.session.is_none());
+    assert_eq!(app.document.bundle(), &baseline.bundle);
+}
diff --git a/crates/oa-desktop/src/behavior/scenario/reorder_view.rs b/crates/oa-desktop/src/behavior/scenario/reorder_view.rs
index 75c7341b..f91bcf6e 100644
--- a/crates/oa-desktop/src/behavior/scenario/reorder_view.rs
+++ b/crates/oa-desktop/src/behavior/scenario/reorder_view.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,43 @@ pub(crate) fn query_id(token: Id) -> iced::widget::Id {
     iced::widget::Id::from(format!("scenario-reorder-query:{token}"))
 }
 
+pub(crate) fn focus_query(token: Id) -> iced::Task<Message> {
+    use iced::advanced::widget::{Operation, operation};
+    struct Find {
+        target: iced::widget::Id,
+        present: bool,
+    }
+    impl Operation for Find {
+        fn traverse(&mut self, visit: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn Operation)) {
+            visit(self);
+        }
+        fn focusable(
+            &mut self,
+            id: Option<&iced::widget::Id>,
+            _: iced::Rectangle,
+            _: &mut dyn operation::Focusable,
+        ) {
+            self.present |= id == Some(&self.target);
+        }
+        fn finish(&mut self) -> operation::Outcome<()> {
+            if self.present {
+                operation::Outcome::Chain(Box::new(operation::focusable::focus(
+                    self.target.clone(),
+                )))
+            } else {
+                operation::Outcome::None
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    // Generic focus would blur every current widget if the old token vanished.
+    // Discover the exact target without changing focus before chaining it.
+    iced::advanced::widget::operate(Find {
+        target: query_id(token),
+        present: false,
+    })
+    .discard()
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn apply_message(app: &App) -> Option<Message> {
     if !app.scenario_reorder_enabled() {
         return None;