diff --git a/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts b/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
index e6d422b29a5c..316feba0141b 100644
--- a/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/menu/menu.spec.ts
@@ -212,6 +212,17 @@ describe('Standalone Menu Pattern', () => {
       expect(fixture.componentInstance.itemSelected).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Banana');
     });
 
+    it('should select the focused item on enter when focus was moved externally', async () => {
+      const cherry = getItem('Cherry')!;
+      spyOn(fixture.componentInstance, 'itemSelected');
+
+      cherry.focus();
+      await fixture.whenStable();
+      await keydown(cherry, 'Enter');
+
+      expect(fixture.componentInstance.itemSelected).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Cherry');
+    });
+
     it('should select an item on space', async () => {
       const banana = getItem('Banana');
       spyOn(fixture.componentInstance, 'itemSelected');
diff --git a/src/aria/menu/menu.ts b/src/aria/menu/menu.ts
index cb7fafaaaf23..0cfd9682258c 100644
--- a/src/aria/menu/menu.ts
+++ b/src/aria/menu/menu.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ import {MENU_COMPONENT} from './menu-tokens';
     '(mouseover)': '_pattern.onMouseOver($event)',
     '(mouseout)': '_pattern.onMouseOut($event)',
     '(focusout)': '_pattern.onFocusOut($event)',
-    '(focusin)': '_pattern.onFocusIn()',
+    '(focusin)': '_pattern.onFocusIn($event)',
     '(click)': '_pattern.onClick($event)',
   },
   hostDirectives: [
diff --git a/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts b/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
index c7ff24ec72d6..8c0443542458 100644
--- a/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
+++ b/src/aria/private/menu/menu.ts
@@ -333,9 +333,17 @@ export class MenuPattern<V> {
   }
 
   /** Handles focusin events for the menu. */
-  onFocusIn() {
+  onFocusIn(event?: FocusEvent) {
     this.isFocused.set(true);
     this.hasBeenInteracted.set(true);
+
+    const target = event && _getEventTarget(event);
+    const focusedItem =
+      target && this.inputs.items().find(item => item.element()?.contains(target));
+
+    if (focusedItem) {
+      this.listBehavior.goto(focusedItem, {focusElement: false});
+    }
   }
 
   /** Handles the focusout event for the menu. */
diff --git a/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts b/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
index 85a82d8496a1..458aafb9ffb9 100644
--- a/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
+++ b/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
@@ -268,8 +268,13 @@ export class TabListPattern {
   }
 
   /** Handles focusin events for the tablist. */
-  onFocusIn() {
+  onFocusIn(event?: FocusEvent) {
     this.hasBeenInteracted.set(true);
+
+    const item = event && this._getItem(event);
+    if (item) {
+      this.navigationBehavior.goto(item, {focusElement: false});
+    }
   }
 
   /** Opens the given tab or the current active tab. */
@@ -295,8 +300,8 @@ export class TabListPattern {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Returns the tab item associated with the given pointer event. */
-  private _getItem(e: PointerEvent) {
+  /** Returns the tab item associated with the given event. */
+  private _getItem(e: Event) {
     const target = _getEventTarget<Element>(e);
     if (!target) {
       return;
diff --git a/src/aria/tabs/tab-list.ts b/src/aria/tabs/tab-list.ts
index 6cccfb77ab72..949148eab81b 100644
--- a/src/aria/tabs/tab-list.ts
+++ b/src/aria/tabs/tab-list.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ import type {Tab} from './tab';
     '[attr.aria-activedescendant]': '_pattern.activeDescendant()',
     '(keydown)': '_pattern.onKeydown($event)',
     '(click)': '_pattern.onClick($event)',
-    '(focusin)': '_pattern.onFocusIn()',
+    '(focusin)': '_pattern.onFocusIn($event)',
   },
   providers: [{provide: TAB_LIST, useExisting: TabList}],
 })
diff --git a/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts b/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
index 065677e040d1..be3bfdce94a6 100644
--- a/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
@@ -616,6 +616,21 @@ describe('Tabs', () => {
         expect(tabElements[1].getAttribute('aria-selected')).toBe('true');
       });
 
+      it('should act on the tab that receives external focus', async () => {
+        await updateTabs({selectedTab: 'tab1'});
+
+        tabElements[2].focus();
+        await fixture.whenStable();
+        expect(isTabFocused(2)).toBe(true);
+
+        await enter();
+        expect(testComponent.selectedTab()).toBe('tab3');
+
+        await left();
+        expect(isTabFocused(1)).toBe(true);
+        expect(testComponent.selectedTab()).toBe('tab3');
+      });
+
       it('should select focused tab on Enter', async () => {
         await updateTabs({selectedTab: 'tab1'});
         expect(testComponent.selectedTab()).toBe('tab1');