diff --git a/src/main/frontend/components/icon.cljs b/src/main/frontend/components/icon.cljs
index 16c74467d9..c68eebe746 100644
--- a/src/main/frontend/components/icon.cljs
+++ b/src/main/frontend/components/icon.cljs
@@ -1571,12 +1571,16 @@
                        :data {:value avatar-value
                               :backgroundColor backgroundColor
                               :color color}})
-        on-chosen (:on-chosen opts)]
+        on-chosen (:on-chosen opts)
+        highlighted-id (:highlighted-id opts)]
     [:div.custom-tab-content
      ;; Text option
      (when text-item
        [:button.custom-tab-item
-        {:on-click #(reset! *view :text-picker)}
+        {:data-item-id "custom-text"
+         :tabIndex "-1"
+         :class (when (= "custom-text" highlighted-id) "is-highlighted")
+         :on-click #(reset! *view :text-picker)}
         [:div.custom-tab-item-preview
          (icon text-item {:size 24})]
         [:span.custom-tab-item-label "Text"]])
@@ -1584,14 +1588,20 @@
      ;; Avatar option
      (when avatar-item
        [:button.custom-tab-item
-        {:on-click #(on-chosen % avatar-item)}
+        {:data-item-id "custom-avatar"
+         :tabIndex "-1"
+         :class (when (= "custom-avatar" highlighted-id) "is-highlighted")
+         :on-click #(on-chosen % avatar-item)}
         [:div.custom-tab-item-preview
          (icon avatar-item {:size 24})]
         [:span.custom-tab-item-label "Avatar"]])
 
      ;; Image option — always show dashed placeholder with camera icon
      [:button.custom-tab-item
-      {:on-click #(reset! *view :asset-picker)}
+      {:data-item-id "custom-image"
+       :tabIndex "-1"
+       :class (when (= "custom-image" highlighted-id) "is-highlighted")
+       :on-click #(reset! *view :asset-picker)}
       [:div.custom-tab-item-preview
        [:span.image-tile-placeholder
         {:style {:width 28
diff --git a/src/main/frontend/components/icon.css b/src/main/frontend/components/icon.css
index 4d597f6d53..891f19a119 100644
--- a/src/main/frontend/components/icon.css
+++ b/src/main/frontend/components/icon.css
@@ -430,15 +430,40 @@
   @apply transition-all duration-150;
   border: 1px solid var(--rx-gray-06);
   background-color: var(--rx-gray-03);
+  /* Baseline transparent outline so outline-color can transition
+     transparent → accent without the browser's currentColor flashing
+     through during the discrete style/width jump. */
+  outline: 2px solid transparent;
+  outline-offset: -2px;
 
   &:hover {
     border-color: var(--rx-accent-09);
   }
 }
 
+/* Keyboard-nav highlight for custom tiles: neutralize the generic
+   button.is-highlighted rule (which paints the full column including
+   the label) and move the ring onto the 48x48 preview child instead. */
+.cp__emoji-icon-picker button.custom-tab-item.is-highlighted {
+  background-color: transparent !important;
+  outline: none;
+  border-radius: 0 !important;
+}
+
+.cp__emoji-icon-picker button.custom-tab-item.is-highlighted .custom-tab-item-preview {
+  background-color: var(--lx-accent-04);
+  outline: 2px solid var(--lx-accent-09);
+  outline-offset: -2px;
+}
+
+.cp__emoji-icon-picker button.custom-tab-item.is-highlighted .custom-tab-item-label {
+  color: var(--lx-accent-11);
+}
+
 .custom-tab-item-label {
   @apply text-xs;
   color: var(--rx-gray-11);
+  transition: color 150ms;
 }
 
 /* Shared drag overlay hint — used by both icon picker and asset picker */