diff --git a/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewDir.vue b/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewDir.vue
index 653ae953..4497a68b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewDir.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewDir.vue
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
         type="text"
         @keyup.enter="submit"
         v-model.trim="name"
-        v-focus
+        ref="wantInput"
       />
     </div>
 
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ export default {
   computed: {
     ...mapGetters(["isFiles", "isListing"]),
   },
+  mounted() {
+    this.$nextTick(() => setTimeout(() => this.$refs.wantInput.focus(), 100))
+  },
   methods: {
     submit: async function (event) {
       event.preventDefault();
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewFile.vue b/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewFile.vue
index 8b6fc582..96ef9459 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewFile.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/prompts/NewFile.vue
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       <p>{{ $t("prompts.newFileMessage") }}</p>
       <input
         class="input input--block"
-        v-focus
+        ref="wantInput"
         type="text"
         @keyup.enter="submit"
         v-model.trim="name"
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ export default {
   computed: {
     ...mapGetters(["isFiles", "isListing"]),
   },
+  mounted() {
+    this.$nextTick(() => setTimeout(() => this.$refs.wantInput.focus(), 100))
+  },
   methods: {
     submit: async function (event) {
       event.preventDefault();
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/prompts/Prompts.vue b/frontend/src/components/prompts/Prompts.vue
index 53b3949f..0e2c5e64 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/prompts/Prompts.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/prompts/Prompts.vue
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ export default {
   computed: {
     ...mapState(["plugins"]),
     ...mapGetters(["currentPrompt", "currentPromptName"]),
+    // yes, if the stack of modals/dialogs is not empty
     showOverlay: function () {
       return (
         this.currentPrompt !== null &&
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/prompts/Rename.vue b/frontend/src/components/prompts/Rename.vue
index f3a96c2e..7af41390 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/prompts/Rename.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/prompts/Rename.vue
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       </p>
       <input
         class="input input--block"
-        v-focus
+        ref="wantInput"
         type="text"
         @keyup.enter="submit"
         v-model.trim="name"
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ export default {
     ...mapState(["req", "selected", "selectedCount"]),
     ...mapGetters(["isListing"]),
   },
+  mounted() {
+    this.$nextTick(() => setTimeout(() => this.$refs.wantInput.focus(), 100))
+  },
+
   methods: {
     cancel: function () {
       this.$store.commit("closeHovers");
diff --git a/frontend/src/store/mutations.js b/frontend/src/store/mutations.js
index 1f9912c5..7c43a04e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/store/mutations.js
+++ b/frontend/src/store/mutations.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const mutations = {
     state.show = null;
     state.showShell = !state.showShell;
   },
+  // display a modal prompt or a dialog, such as when renaming a file
+  // opinion: should be renamed to showPrompt or showDialog because "hover" means something else in HTML speak
   showHover: (state, value) => {
     if (typeof value !== "object") {
       state.prompts.push({
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ const mutations = {
     }
 
     state.prompts.push({
-      prompt: value.prompt, // Should not be null
+      prompt: value.prompt, // Should not be null ('newDir', 'newFile', etc)
       confirm: value?.confirm,
       action: value?.action,
       props: value?.props,