diff --git a/server/camlistored/ui/index.js b/server/camlistored/ui/index.js
index 4ca9da180..5b976c31f 100644
--- a/server/camlistored/ui/index.js
+++ b/server/camlistored/ui/index.js
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ cam.IndexPage = React.createClass({
 	getInitialState: function() {
 		return {
 			backwardPiggy: false,
+			keyNavEnabled: true,
 			currentURL: null,
 			// currentSearch exists in Index just to wire together the searchbox of Header, and the Map
 			// aspect, so the Map aspect can add the zoom level to the predicate in the search box.
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ cam.IndexPage = React.createClass({
 			cam.MapAspect.getAspect.bind(null, this.props.config,
 				this.props.availWidth, this.props.availHeight - this.HEADER_HEIGHT_,
 				this.updateSearchBarOnMap_, this.setPendingQuery_, this.childSearchSession_),
-			cam.PermanodeDetail.getAspect.bind(null, this.props.serverConnection, this.props.timer),
+			cam.PermanodeDetail.getAspect.bind(null, this.props.serverConnection, this.props.timer, this.toggleKeyNavigation_),
 			cam.BlobDetail.getAspect.bind(null, this.getDetailURL_, this.props.serverConnection),
 		].map(getAspect).filter(goog.functions.identity);
 
@@ -900,7 +901,16 @@ cam.IndexPage = React.createClass({
 		}
 	},
 
+	toggleKeyNavigation_: function(enabled) {
+		this.setState({
+			keyNavEnabled: enabled,
+		});
+	},
+
 	handleKeyUp_: function(e) {
+		if (!this.state.keyNavEnabled) {
+			return;
+		}
 		var isEsc = (e.keyCode == 27);
 		var isRight = (e.keyCode == 39);
 		var isLeft = (e.keyCode == 37);
diff --git a/server/camlistored/ui/permanode_detail.js b/server/camlistored/ui/permanode_detail.js
index 2f75ae08b..804461a7d 100644
--- a/server/camlistored/ui/permanode_detail.js
+++ b/server/camlistored/ui/permanode_detail.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail = React.createClass({
 		timer: React.PropTypes.shape({
 			setTimeout: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 		}).isRequired,
+		toggleKeyNav: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 	},
 
 	getInitialState: function() {
@@ -46,9 +47,11 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail = React.createClass({
 	componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
 		// this.props == nextProps is for the very first load.
 		if (this.props == nextProps || this.props.meta.blobRef != nextProps.meta.blobRef) {
-			this.setState({rows: this.getInitialRows_(nextProps.meta)});
+			this.setState({
+				rows: this.getInitialRows_(nextProps.meta),
+				newRow: {},
+			});
 		}
-		this.setState({newRow: {}});
 	},
 
 	componentWillMount: function() {
@@ -116,7 +119,10 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail = React.createClass({
 			);
 		};
 
-		return React.DOM.table(null,
+		return React.DOM.table({
+				onFocus: this.handleTableFocus_.bind(null),
+				onBlur: this.handleTableBlur_.bind(null),
+			},
 			React.DOM.tbody(null,
 				React.DOM.tr(
 					{key: 'header'},
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail = React.createClass({
 						row: r,
 					});
 				}, this)
-			)
+			),
 		);
 	},
 
@@ -149,6 +155,14 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail = React.createClass({
 		this.forceUpdate();
 	},
 
+	handleTableBlur_: function() {
+		this.props.toggleKeyNav(true);
+	},
+
+	handleTableFocus_: function() {
+		this.props.toggleKeyNav(false);
+	},
+
 	handleDelete_: function(row) {
 		this.setState({
 			rows: this.state.rows.filter(function(r) { return r != row; }),
@@ -295,7 +309,7 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail.AttributeRow = React.createClass({
 	},
 });
 
-cam.PermanodeDetail.getAspect = function(serverConnection, timer, blobref, targetSearchSession) {
+cam.PermanodeDetail.getAspect = function(serverConnection, timer, toggleKeyNav, blobref, targetSearchSession) {
 	if (!targetSearchSession) {
 		return null;
 	}
@@ -313,6 +327,7 @@ cam.PermanodeDetail.getAspect = function(serverConnection, timer, blobref, targe
 				meta: pm,
 				serverConnection: serverConnection,
 				timer: timer,
+				toggleKeyNav: toggleKeyNav,
 			});
 		},
 	};