diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/notebookActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/notebookActions.ts
index fcb8f406517479fc771720b30c0c7f8d30ad0cfa..d505d096d93abb26b82a05cc54dfa45fc10c30d6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/notebookActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/notebookActions.ts
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 			});
 	}
 
-	run(accessor: ServicesAccessor, context?: INotebookCellActionContext) {
+	async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor, context?: INotebookCellActionContext) {
 		if (!isCellActionContext(context)) {
 			context = getActiveCellContext(accessor);
 			if (!context) {
@@ -705,14 +705,28 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 			}
 		}
 
-		return context.notebookEditor.deleteNotebookCell(context.cell);
+		const index = context.notebookEditor.viewModel!.getCellIndex(context.cell);
+		const result = await context.notebookEditor.deleteNotebookCell(context.cell);
+
+		if (result) {
+			// deletion succeeds, move focus to the next cell
+
+			if (index < context.notebookEditor.viewModel!.length) {
+				context.notebookEditor.focusNotebookCell(context.notebookEditor.viewModel!.viewCells[index], false);
+			}
+		}
 	}
 });
 
 async function moveCell(context: INotebookCellActionContext, direction: 'up' | 'down'): Promise<void> {
-	direction === 'up' ?
+	const result = direction === 'up' ?
 		context.notebookEditor.moveCellUp(context.cell) :
 		context.notebookEditor.moveCellDown(context.cell);
+
+	if (result) {
+		// move cell command only works when the cell container has focus
+		context.notebookEditor.focusNotebookCell(context.cell, false);
+	}
 }
 
 async function copyCell(context: INotebookCellActionContext, direction: 'up' | 'down'): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookBrowser.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookBrowser.ts
index 8716504c9ec8740ff2b34bd79b010ba1691c4472..50e694cf7cc93a0926dbb67b29a9ed00bf320d30 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookBrowser.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookBrowser.ts
@@ -134,22 +134,22 @@ export interface INotebookEditor {
 	/**
 	 * Delete a cell from the notebook
 	 */
-	deleteNotebookCell(cell: ICellViewModel): void;
+	deleteNotebookCell(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Move a cell up one spot
 	 */
-	moveCellUp(cell: ICellViewModel): void;
+	moveCellUp(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Move a cell down one spot
 	 */
-	moveCellDown(cell: ICellViewModel): void;
+	moveCellDown(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Move a cell above or below another cell
 	 */
-	moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<void>;
+	moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Switch the cell into editing mode.
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
index 0ff2c47bfc30fec437b9e98f97fd2a5490ae7987..a280a65bb7d084f6090ca9fc0223961ad093752c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
@@ -675,35 +675,36 @@ export class NotebookEditor extends BaseEditor implements INotebookEditor {
 		return new Promise(resolve => { r = resolve; });
 	}
 
-	async deleteNotebookCell(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<void> {
+	async deleteNotebookCell(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
 		(cell as CellViewModel).save();
 		const index = this.notebookViewModel!.getCellIndex(cell);
 		this.notebookViewModel!.deleteCell(index, true);
+		return true;
 	}
 
-	async moveCellDown(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<void> {
+	async moveCellDown(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
 		const index = this.notebookViewModel!.getCellIndex(cell);
 		if (index === this.notebookViewModel!.length - 1) {
-			return;
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		const newIdx = index + 1;
 		return this.moveCellToIndex(index, newIdx);
 	}
 
-	async moveCellUp(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<void> {
+	async moveCellUp(cell: ICellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
 		const index = this.notebookViewModel!.getCellIndex(cell);
 		if (index === 0) {
-			return;
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		const newIdx = index - 1;
 		return this.moveCellToIndex(index, newIdx);
 	}
 
-	async moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<void> {
+	async moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<boolean> {
 		if (cell === relativeToCell) {
-			return;
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		const originalIdx = this.notebookViewModel!.getCellIndex(cell);
@@ -713,15 +714,15 @@ export class NotebookEditor extends BaseEditor implements INotebookEditor {
 		return this.moveCellToIndex(originalIdx, newIdx);
 	}
 
-	private async moveCellToIndex(index: number, newIdx: number): Promise<void> {
+	private async moveCellToIndex(index: number, newIdx: number): Promise<boolean> {
 		if (!this.notebookViewModel!.moveCellToIdx(index, newIdx, true)) {
-			return;
+			throw new Error('Notebook Editor move cell, index out of range');
 		}
 
-		let r: () => void;
+		let r: (val: boolean) => void;
 		DOM.scheduleAtNextAnimationFrame(() => {
 			this.list?.revealElementInView(this.notebookViewModel!.viewCells[newIdx]);
-			r();
+			r(true);
 		});
 
 		return new Promise(resolve => { r = resolve; });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/test/testNotebookEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/test/testNotebookEditor.ts
index 14ffa70f66d74d521541db70c923f11c2d1b5249..dad32eeeab5f4d1b39a836792761c8f5421ed78a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/test/testNotebookEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/test/testNotebookEditor.ts
@@ -95,15 +95,15 @@ export class TestNotebookEditor implements INotebookEditor {
 		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
 
-	moveCellDown(cell: CellViewModel): void {
+	moveCellDown(cell: CellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
 		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
 
-	moveCellUp(cell: CellViewModel): void {
+	moveCellUp(cell: CellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
 		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
 
-	moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<void> {
+	moveCell(cell: ICellViewModel, relativeToCell: ICellViewModel, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<boolean> {
 		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
 
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ export class TestNotebookEditor implements INotebookEditor {
 	async insertNotebookCell(cell: CellViewModel, type: CellKind, direction: 'above' | 'below'): Promise<CellViewModel> {
 		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
-	deleteNotebookCell(cell: CellViewModel): void {
-		// throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
+	deleteNotebookCell(cell: CellViewModel): Promise<boolean> {
+		throw new Error('Method not implemented.');
 	}
 	editNotebookCell(cell: CellViewModel): void {
 		// throw new Error('Method not implemented.');