diff --git a/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/MainView.java b/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/MainView.java
index cd078e029ce..44ede02e3eb 100644
--- a/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/MainView.java
+++ b/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/MainView.java
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ public class MainView {
 
   private final DataSourcesView dataSourcesView;
   private final OptionsView optionsView;
+  private final StartOtpButtonView startOtpButtonView;
   private final Runnable otpStarter;
   private final Model model;
 
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ public MainView(Runnable otpStarter, Model model) throws HeadlessException {
     );
     this.dataSourcesView = new DataSourcesView(model);
     this.optionsView = new OptionsView(model);
-    StartOtpButtonView startOtpButtonView = new StartOtpButtonView();
+    this.startOtpButtonView = new StartOtpButtonView();
 
     innerPanel.add(sourceDirectoryView.panel(), CONFIG_SOURCE_DIR_PANEL_CONSTRAINTS);
     innerPanel.add(dataSourcesView.panel(), CONFIG_DIRS_PANEL_CONSTRAINTS);
@@ -176,6 +177,8 @@ public void start() {
     mainFrame.pack();
     mainFrame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
     mainFrame.setVisible(true);
+
+    startOtpButtonView.grabFocus();
   }
 
   private void startOtp() {
diff --git a/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/StartOtpButtonView.java b/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/StartOtpButtonView.java
index c5668ee3aa5..5c0c1e7a621 100644
--- a/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/StartOtpButtonView.java
+++ b/src/ext/java/org/opentripplanner/ext/interactivelauncher/views/StartOtpButtonView.java
@@ -29,4 +29,8 @@ public void addActionListener(ActionListener l) {
   Box panel() {
     return panel;
   }
+
+  void grabFocus() {
+    startOtpBtn.grabFocus();
+  }
 }