diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
index dbde7ca775..0a2d3c02fc 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
@@ -1,19 +1,29 @@
 import { useEditorContext } from '../../../shared/context/editor-context'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 
 export default function SymbolPaletteCloseButton() {
   const { toggleSymbolPalette } = useEditorContext()
   const { t } = useTranslation()
 
+  const handleClick = () => {
+    toggleSymbolPalette()
+    window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('editor:focus'))
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="symbol-palette-close-button-outer">
       <button
         type="button"
         className="btn-close symbol-palette-close-button"
-        onClick={toggleSymbolPalette}
+        onClick={handleClick}
         aria-label={t('close')}
       >
       </button>
     </div>
   )
 }
+
+SymbolPaletteCloseButton.propTypes = {
+  focusInput: PropTypes.func,
+}
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-item.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-item.js
index 1369534106..400da81b1e 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-item.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-item.js
@@ -1,16 +1,27 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useRef, forwardRef } from 'react'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 import OLTooltip from '@/features/ui/components/ol/ol-tooltip'
 
-export default function SymbolPaletteItem({
+const SymbolPaletteItem = forwardRef(function ({ 
   focused,
   handleSelect,
   handleKeyDown,
   symbol,
-}) {
+}, ref) {
   const buttonRef = useRef(null)
 
-  // call focus() on this item when appropriate
+  // Forward internal ref to parent
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (ref) {
+      if (typeof ref === 'function') {
+        ref(buttonRef.current)
+      } else {
+        ref.current = buttonRef.current
+      }
+    }
+  }, [ref])
+
+  // Focus the item when it becomes focused
   useEffect(() => {
     if (
       focused &&
@@ -56,7 +67,7 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteItem({
       </button>
     </OLTooltip>
   )
-}
+})
 
 SymbolPaletteItem.propTypes = {
   symbol: PropTypes.shape({
@@ -70,3 +81,4 @@ SymbolPaletteItem.propTypes = {
   handleSelect: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   focused: PropTypes.bool,
 }
+export default SymbolPaletteItem
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-items.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-items.js
index 44835261f5..8d95439f5a 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-items.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-items.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
+import { useEditorContext } from '../../../shared/context/editor-context'
 import SymbolPaletteItem from './symbol-palette-item'
 
 export default function SymbolPaletteItems({
@@ -8,54 +9,80 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteItems({
   focusInput,
 }) {
   const [focusedIndex, setFocusedIndex] = useState(0)
+  const itemRefs = useRef([])
 
-  // reset the focused item when the list of items changes
   useEffect(() => {
+    itemRefs.current = items.map((_, i) => itemRefs.current[i] || null)
     setFocusedIndex(0)
   }, [items])
 
-  // navigate through items with left and right arrows
+  const getItemRects = () => {
+    return itemRefs.current.map(ref => ref?.getBoundingClientRect?.() ?? null)
+  }
+  const { toggleSymbolPalette } = useEditorContext()
+
   const handleKeyDown = useCallback(
     event => {
-      if (event.metaKey || event.altKey || event.ctrlKey || event.shiftKey) {
-        return
-      }
+      if (event.metaKey || event.altKey || event.ctrlKey || event.shiftKey) return
+
+      const rects = getItemRects()
+      const currentRect = rects[focusedIndex]
+      if (!currentRect) return
+
+      let newIndex = focusedIndex
 
       switch (event.key) {
-        // focus previous item
         case 'ArrowLeft':
-        case 'ArrowUp':
-          setFocusedIndex(index => (index > 0 ? index - 1 : items.length - 1))
+          newIndex = focusedIndex > 0 ? focusedIndex - 1 : items.length - 1
           break
-
-        // focus next item
         case 'ArrowRight':
-        case 'ArrowDown':
-          setFocusedIndex(index => (index < items.length - 1 ? index + 1 : 0))
+          newIndex = focusedIndex < items.length - 1 ? focusedIndex + 1 : 0
           break
+        case 'ArrowUp':
+        case 'ArrowDown': {
+          const direction = event.key === 'ArrowUp' ? -1 : 1
+          const candidates = rects
+            .map((rect, i) => ({ rect, i }))
+            .filter(({ rect }, i) =>
+              i !== focusedIndex &&
+              rect &&
+              Math.abs(rect.x - currentRect.x) < currentRect.width * 0.8 &&
+              (direction === -1 ? rect.y < currentRect.y : rect.y > currentRect.y)
+            )
 
-        // focus first item
+          if (candidates.length > 0) {
+            const closest = candidates.reduce((a, b) =>
+              Math.abs(b.rect.y - currentRect.y) < Math.abs(a.rect.y - currentRect.y) ? b : a
+            )
+            newIndex = closest.i
+          }
+          break
+        }
         case 'Home':
-          setFocusedIndex(0)
+          newIndex = 0
           break
-
-        // focus last item
         case 'End':
-          setFocusedIndex(items.length - 1)
+          newIndex = items.length - 1
           break
-
-        // allow the default action
         case 'Enter':
         case ' ':
+          handleSelect(items[focusedIndex])
+          toggleSymbolPalette()
+          break
+        case 'Escape':
+          toggleSymbolPalette()
+          window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('editor:focus'))
           break
 
-        // any other key returns focus to the input
         default:
           focusInput()
-          break
+          return
       }
+
+      event.preventDefault()
+      setFocusedIndex(newIndex)
     },
-    [focusInput, items.length]
+    [focusedIndex, items, focusInput, handleSelect]
   )
 
   return (
@@ -70,11 +97,15 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteItems({
           }}
           handleKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
           focused={index === focusedIndex}
+          ref={el => {
+            itemRefs.current[index] = el
+          }}
         />
       ))}
     </div>
   )
 }
+
 SymbolPaletteItems.propTypes = {
   items: PropTypes.arrayOf(
     PropTypes.shape({
@@ -84,3 +115,4 @@ SymbolPaletteItems.propTypes = {
   handleSelect: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   focusInput: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 }
+