diff --git a/src/ui/ModalDialog.cpp b/src/ui/ModalDialog.cpp
index fae07f9..074eed3 100644
--- a/src/ui/ModalDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ModalDialog.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ bool ModalDialog::isDismissible() const
     return false;
 }
 
+QWidget* ModalDialog::getInitialFocusWidget() const
+{
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
 void ModalDialog::requestDismiss()
 {
     reject();
diff --git a/src/ui/ModalDialog.h b/src/ui/ModalDialog.h
index 3c981ab..b229a0d 100644
--- a/src/ui/ModalDialog.h
+++ b/src/ui/ModalDialog.h
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ public:
     // has no way out but choosing (REQ-DEF-SCHEMATIC-DROP).
     virtual bool isDismissible() const;
 
+    // The widget that should hold the keyboard once the modal is open -- a name prompt's
+    // line edit -- or nullptr to leave the focus on the modal itself. Asked for by
+    // ModalLayer rather than read off focusWidget(), because hosting the modal reparents
+    // it and a reparent clears the focus its constructor set.
+    virtual QWidget* getInitialFocusWidget() const;
+
 public slots:
     // What a dismissal does, whichever gesture asked for it. Cancelling is the default;
     // a dialog with modes of its own overrides this to back out of them one at a time
diff --git a/src/ui/ModalLayer.cpp b/src/ui/ModalLayer.cpp
index c5a526b..ed5fe93 100644
--- a/src/ui/ModalLayer.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ModalLayer.cpp
@@ -66,17 +66,15 @@ int ModalLayer::execute(ModalDialog& content, const QRect& anchorRect)
     content.show();
     updateVisibility();
 
-    // The modal's own focus widget where it has one -- a name dialog puts the caret in
+    // The widget the modal names where it names one -- a name dialog puts the caret in
     // its line edit -- and the modal itself otherwise, so keys reach it and not the game
     // world behind (REQ-UI-MODAL-CHROME).
-    if (content.focusWidget() != nullptr)
+    QWidget* focusTarget = content.getInitialFocusWidget();
+    if (focusTarget == nullptr)
     {
-        content.focusWidget()->setFocus();
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        content.setFocus();
+        focusTarget = &content;
     }
+    focusTarget->setFocus();
 
     // The dialog's own loop, run here rather than by QDialog::exec(), so the layer knows
     // what is open and can place it, dim behind it, and take the clicks beside it.
diff --git a/src/ui/NameInputDialog.cpp b/src/ui/NameInputDialog.cpp
index cccce27..9c0082d 100644
--- a/src/ui/NameInputDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/NameInputDialog.cpp
@@ -46,10 +46,17 @@ NameInputDialog::NameInputDialog(const QString& title, const QString& prompt,
     addHeader(mainLayout, title, false);
 
     // The line edit is what the player came here to use, and it takes Q as a character
-    // because it holds the focus (REQ-UI-DIALOG-DISMISS).
+    // because it holds the focus (REQ-UI-DIALOG-DISMISS). Set here for a dialog shown on
+    // its own, and named again through getInitialFocusWidget() for the usual case: being
+    // hosted on the modal layer reparents this dialog, which clears the focus set here.
     m_nameEdit->setFocus();
 }
 
+QWidget* NameInputDialog::getInitialFocusWidget() const
+{
+    return m_nameEdit;
+}
+
 QString NameInputDialog::getName() const
 {
     return m_nameEdit->text().trimmed();
diff --git a/src/ui/NameInputDialog.h b/src/ui/NameInputDialog.h
index 77f1ba2..658c267 100644
--- a/src/ui/NameInputDialog.h
+++ b/src/ui/NameInputDialog.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ public:
 
     QString getName() const;
 
+    QWidget* getInitialFocusWidget() const override;
+
 private:
     QLineEdit* m_nameEdit;
 };