diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/coreActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/coreActions.ts
index cb63a7b06b92b..58e4cd2da3d1d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/coreActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/coreActions.ts
@@ -687,8 +687,6 @@ registerAction2(class ExecuteCellSelectBelow extends NotebookCellAction {
 			}
 			return;
 		} else {
-			const executionP = runCell(accessor, context);
-
 			// Try to select below, fall back on inserting
 			const nextCell = context.notebookEditor.viewModel.cellAt(idx + 1);
 			if (nextCell) {
@@ -700,7 +698,7 @@ registerAction2(class ExecuteCellSelectBelow extends NotebookCellAction {
 				}
 			}
 
-			return executionP;
+			return runCell(accessor, context);
 		}
 	}
 });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
index ef5a4fa441c0e..6468518da843e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditor.ts
@@ -49,9 +49,11 @@ export class NotebookEditor extends EditorPane {
 
 	private readonly inputListener = this._register(new MutableDisposable());
 
-	// todo@rebornix is there a reason that `super.fireOnDidFocus` isn't used?
+	// override onDidFocus and onDidBlur to be based on the NotebookEditorWidget element
 	private readonly _onDidFocusWidget = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
 	override get onDidFocus(): Event<void> { return this._onDidFocusWidget.event; }
+	private readonly _onDidBlurWidget = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
+	override get onDidBlur(): Event<void> { return this._onDidBlurWidget.event; }
 
 	private readonly _onDidChangeModel = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
 	readonly onDidChangeModel: Event<void> = this._onDidChangeModel.event;
@@ -226,6 +228,7 @@ export class NotebookEditor extends EditorPane {
 		const isReadOnly = input.hasCapability(EditorInputCapabilities.Readonly);
 		await this._widget.value!.setOptions({ ...options, isReadOnly });
 		this._widgetDisposableStore.add(this._widget.value!.onDidFocus(() => this._onDidFocusWidget.fire()));
+		this._widgetDisposableStore.add(this._widget.value!.onDidBlur(() => this._onDidBlurWidget.fire()));
 
 		this._widgetDisposableStore.add(this._editorDropService.createEditorDropTarget(this._widget.value!.getDomNode(), {
 			containsGroup: (group) => this.group?.id === group.id
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
index 540da8eb753fa..aad2d558c8e52 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
@@ -1621,12 +1621,15 @@ export class NotebookEditorWidget extends Disposable implements INotebookEditor
 	updateEditorFocus() {
 		// Note - focus going to the webview will fire 'blur', but the webview element will be
 		// a descendent of the notebook editor root.
-		const focused = DOM.isAncestor(document.activeElement, this._overlayContainer);
+		const focused = this._overlayContainer.contains(document.activeElement);
 		this._editorFocus.set(focused);
 		this.viewModel?.setEditorFocus(focused);
 	}
 
 	hasEditorFocus() {
+		// _editorFocus is driven by the FocusTracker, which is only guaranteed to _eventually_ fire blur.
+		// If we need to know whether we have focus at this instant, we need to check the DOM manually.
+		this.updateEditorFocus();
 		return this._editorFocus.get() || false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/codeCell.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/codeCell.ts
index a507556d08715..02ecec5c8f1bc 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/codeCell.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/codeCell.ts
@@ -56,18 +56,19 @@ export class CodeCell extends Disposable {
 			if (model && templateData.editor) {
 				templateData.editor.setModel(model);
 				viewCell.attachTextEditor(templateData.editor);
-				if (notebookEditor.getActiveCell() === viewCell && viewCell.focusMode === CellFocusMode.Editor && this.notebookEditor.hasEditorFocus()) {
-					templateData.editor?.focus();
-				}
+				const focusEditorIfNeeded = () => {
+					if (notebookEditor.getActiveCell() === viewCell && viewCell.focusMode === CellFocusMode.Editor && this.notebookEditor.hasEditorFocus()) {
+						templateData.editor?.focus();
+					}
+				};
+				focusEditorIfNeeded();
 
 				const realContentHeight = templateData.editor?.getContentHeight();
 				if (realContentHeight !== undefined && realContentHeight !== editorHeight) {
 					this.onCellHeightChange(realContentHeight);
 				}
 
-				if (this.notebookEditor.getActiveCell() === this.viewCell && viewCell.focusMode === CellFocusMode.Editor && this.notebookEditor.hasEditorFocus()) {
-					templateData.editor?.focus();
-				}
+				focusEditorIfNeeded();
 			}
 		});