diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/prefabs/Chat.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/prefabs/Chat.tsx
index d1483f93..ce9b2679 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/prefabs/Chat.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/prefabs/Chat.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { ChatMessage, ChatOptions } from '@livekit/components-core'
-import * as React from 'react'
+import React, { useEffect } from 'react'
 import {
   formatChatMessageLinks,
   useChat,
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ export function Chat({ ...props }: ChatProps) {
   const { isChatOpen } = useSidePanel()
   const chatSnap = useSnapshot(chatStore)
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isChatOpen || !inputRef.current) return
+    inputRef.current.focus()
+  }, [isChatOpen])
+
   // Use useParticipants hook to trigger a re-render when the participant list changes.
   const participants = useParticipants()