diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/browser-agent/session.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/browser-agent/session.ts
index 6f494b979f8..abbefea8537 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/browser-agent/session.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/browser-agent/session.ts
@@ -2012,6 +2012,22 @@ export function reloadPage(contents: WebContents): void {
   contents.reload()
 }
 
+/**
+ * Reloads past the HTTP cache, the browser's Shift-reload. A failed or hung
+ * page takes the plain reload's recovery instead: a load error retries the
+ * URL that failed, which need not be the committed page, and a hung renderer
+ * must be restarted, since reloading it in place waits on the hung page.
+ */
+function hardReloadPage(contents: WebContents): void {
+  const issue = tabForContents(contents)?.pageIssue
+  if (issue?.kind === 'load-error' || issue?.kind === 'unresponsive') {
+    reloadPage(contents)
+    return
+  }
+  prepareExplicitNavigation(contents)
+  contents.reloadIgnoringCache()
+}
+
 /** Hands one page selection to the exact app window and chat hosting its tab. */
 function addPageSelectionToChat(contents: WebContents, text: string): void {
   if (!text.trim() || getBrowserScopeId() !== getActiveBrowserScopeId()) return
@@ -2494,8 +2510,7 @@ function initializeTabView(
         return
       }
       if (shortcut === 'hard-reload') {
-        prepareExplicitNavigation(contents)
-        contents.reloadIgnoringCache()
+        hardReloadPage(contents)
         return
       }
 
@@ -3512,8 +3527,7 @@ export function handleFocusedShortcut(
       reloadPage(shortcutTab.view.webContents)
       return true
     case 'hard-reload':
-      prepareExplicitNavigation(shortcutTab.view.webContents)
-      shortcutTab.view.webContents.reloadIgnoringCache()
+      hardReloadPage(shortcutTab.view.webContents)
       return true
     case 'back':
       goBack(shortcutTab.view.webContents)
diff --git a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-find-bar.tsx b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-find-bar.tsx
index 5827b5d2013..8a1f2bc6539 100644
--- a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-find-bar.tsx
+++ b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-find-bar.tsx
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export function BrowserFindBar({ inputRef, onClose, scopeId }: BrowserFindBarPro
           // The panel and the global command layer both listen for these.
           event.stopPropagation()
           // Keys during an IME composition edit the composed text.
-          if (event.nativeEvent.isComposing) return
+          if (event.nativeEvent.isComposing || event.nativeEvent.keyCode === 229) return
           if (event.key === 'Escape') {
             event.preventDefault()
             dismiss()
diff --git a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-page-issue.tsx b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-page-issue.tsx
index e1a5bc9d603..d59a858afd0 100644
--- a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-page-issue.tsx
+++ b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-page-issue.tsx
@@ -125,17 +125,15 @@ export function browserPageIssueCopy(issue: BrowserPageIssue): BrowserPageIssueC
   }
 }
 
-function isEditingOutside(heading: HTMLElement | null): boolean {
+/**
+ * Whether nothing in Sim holds focus, as when it was in the native page that
+ * just failed. Any focused element, from the chat composer to the omnibox,
+ * keeps it. `document.activeElement` survives a window blur, so a caret left
+ * in chat still counts.
+ */
+function isFocusFree(): boolean {
   const active = document.activeElement
-  // activeElement survives a window blur, so a caret left in chat still counts.
-  if (!(active instanceof HTMLElement)) return false
-  const section = heading?.closest('section')
-  if (section?.contains(active)) return false
-  return (
-    active.isContentEditable ||
-    active instanceof HTMLInputElement ||
-    active instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement
-  )
+  return !active || active === document.body
 }
 
 /** Replaces a hidden native page and optionally claims renderer focus for keyboard recovery. */
@@ -144,9 +142,8 @@ export function BrowserPageIssueView({ issue, onReload, focusRecovery }: Browser
   const copy = browserPageIssueCopy(issue)
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    // Keyboard recovery for someone who was in the page; a caret in chat or
-    // any other Sim field stays where it is.
-    if (focusRecovery && !isEditingOutside(headingRef.current)) headingRef.current?.focus()
+    // Keyboard recovery for someone who was in the browser.
+    if (focusRecovery && isFocusFree()) headingRef.current?.focus()
   }, [focusRecovery, issue])
 
   const Icon = issue.kind === 'load-error' ? Globe : CircleAlert
diff --git a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-session.tsx b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-session.tsx
index 94ce6a6d3a3..fa9fc4b5bd2 100644
--- a/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-session.tsx
+++ b/apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/home/components/mothership-view/components/resource-content/components/browser-session/browser-session.tsx
@@ -1157,7 +1157,7 @@ export function BrowserSession({
                   onKeyDown={(event) => {
                     event.stopPropagation()
                     // Keys during an IME composition edit the composed text, not the URL.
-                    if (event.nativeEvent.isComposing) return
+                    if (event.nativeEvent.isComposing || event.nativeEvent.keyCode === 229) return
                     if (event.key === 'ArrowDown' || event.key === 'ArrowUp') {
                       // Never move a highlight through a list that is not on screen.
                       if (!suggestionsOpen) return