diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/actions/navigationActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/actions/navigationActions.ts
index d9d2323d6a69848bc94199b57183511f293f355c..22bae467a85586430da0899957166663bf600115 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/actions/navigationActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/actions/navigationActions.ts
@@ -202,8 +202,9 @@ class NavigateDownAction extends BaseNavigationAction {
 }
 
 function findVisibleNeighbour(layoutService: IWorkbenchLayoutService, part: Parts, next: boolean): Parts {
-	const neighbour = part === Parts.EDITOR_PART ? (next ? Parts.STATUSBAR_PART : Parts.PANEL_PART) : part === Parts.STATUSBAR_PART ? (next ? Parts.SIDEBAR_PART : Parts.EDITOR_PART) :
-		part === Parts.SIDEBAR_PART ? (next ? Parts.PANEL_PART : Parts.STATUSBAR_PART) : part === Parts.PANEL_PART ? (next ? Parts.EDITOR_PART : Parts.SIDEBAR_PART) : Parts.EDITOR_PART;
+	const neighbour = part === Parts.EDITOR_PART ? (next ? Parts.STATUSBAR_PART : Parts.PANEL_PART) : part === Parts.STATUSBAR_PART ? (next ? Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART : Parts.EDITOR_PART) :
+		part === Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART ? (next ? Parts.SIDEBAR_PART : Parts.STATUSBAR_PART) : part === Parts.SIDEBAR_PART ? (next ? Parts.PANEL_PART : Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART) :
+			part === Parts.PANEL_PART ? (next ? Parts.EDITOR_PART : Parts.SIDEBAR_PART) : Parts.EDITOR_PART;
 	if (layoutService.isVisible(neighbour) || neighbour === Parts.EDITOR_PART) {
 		return neighbour;
 	}
@@ -212,8 +213,8 @@ function findVisibleNeighbour(layoutService: IWorkbenchLayoutService, part: Part
 }
 
 function focusNextOrPreviousPart(layoutService: IWorkbenchLayoutService, next: boolean): void {
-	const currentlyFocusedPart = layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.EDITOR_PART) ? Parts.EDITOR_PART : layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.STATUSBAR_PART) ? Parts.STATUSBAR_PART :
-		layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.SIDEBAR_PART) ? Parts.SIDEBAR_PART : layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.PANEL_PART) ? Parts.PANEL_PART : undefined;
+	const currentlyFocusedPart = layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.EDITOR_PART) ? Parts.EDITOR_PART : layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART) ? Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART :
+		layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.STATUSBAR_PART) ? Parts.STATUSBAR_PART : layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.SIDEBAR_PART) ? Parts.SIDEBAR_PART : layoutService.hasFocus(Parts.PANEL_PART) ? Parts.PANEL_PART : undefined;
 	let partToFocus = Parts.EDITOR_PART;
 	if (currentlyFocusedPart) {
 		partToFocus = findVisibleNeighbour(layoutService, currentlyFocusedPart, next);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
index 715a0a9d1c166d5f3b28a068e9b74073a6a13dea..bb0d6570508c650a29d6f374d8b851e6ef4fd857 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ export abstract class Layout extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchLayoutServi
 	private backupFileService!: IBackupFileService;
 	private notificationService!: INotificationService;
 	private themeService!: IThemeService;
+	private activityBarService!: IActivityBarService;
 
 	protected readonly state = {
 		fullscreen: false,
@@ -260,8 +261,8 @@ export abstract class Layout extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchLayoutServi
 		this.viewDescriptorService = accessor.get(IViewDescriptorService);
 		this.titleService = accessor.get(ITitleService);
 		this.notificationService = accessor.get(INotificationService);
+		this.activityBarService = accessor.get(IActivityBarService);
 		accessor.get(IStatusbarService); // not used, but called to ensure instantiated
-		accessor.get(IActivityBarService); // not used, but called to ensure instantiated
 
 		// Listeners
 		this.registerLayoutListeners();
@@ -846,6 +847,9 @@ export abstract class Layout extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchLayoutServi
 					activeViewlet.focus();
 				}
 				break;
+			case Parts.ACTIVITYBAR_PART:
+				this.activityBarService.focusActivityBar();
+				break;
 			default:
 				// Status Bar, Activity Bar and Title Bar simply pass focus to container
 				const container = this.getContainer(part);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/activitybarPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/activitybarPart.ts
index 0ffadfcdac9a00b63700160822c4bbfc488ec6b7..377942abb073bc2b2ad6b672a750179c64a164e3 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/activitybarPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/activitybarPart.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@ export class ActivitybarPart extends Part implements IActivityBarService {
 		this.registerListeners();
 	}
 
+	focusActivityBar(): void {
+		this.compositeBar.focus();
+	}
+
 	private registerListeners(): void {
 
 		// View Container Changes
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/compositeBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/compositeBar.ts
index b78760dbf663249a0ba2aad18c5c1a4b3cbd654e..72fa96f1ff544c999c64d044420ff5f728caf94f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/compositeBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/compositeBar.ts
@@ -253,6 +253,12 @@ export class CompositeBar extends Widget implements ICompositeBar {
 		return actionBarDiv;
 	}
 
+	focus(): void {
+		if (this.compositeSwitcherBar) {
+			this.compositeSwitcherBar.focus();
+		}
+	}
+
 	layout(dimension: Dimension): void {
 		this.dimension = dimension;
 		if (dimension.height === 0 || dimension.width === 0) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/activityBar/browser/activityBarService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/activityBar/browser/activityBarService.ts
index e42d22de53302e887e852e33db721470680906ab..dc76b07f76b09fb3e94d5d96493315f5f046098e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/activityBar/browser/activityBarService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/activityBar/browser/activityBarService.ts
@@ -26,4 +26,9 @@ export interface IActivityBarService {
 	 * Returns id of visible viewlets following the visual order.
 	 */
 	getVisibleViewContainerIds(): string[];
+
+	/**
+	 * Focuses the activity bar.
+	 */
+	focusActivityBar(): void;
 }