--- a/mobile/android/base/home/HomePager.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/home/HomePager.java
@@ -91,16 +91,23 @@ public class HomePager extends ViewPager
 
     public HomePager(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
         super(context, attrs);
         mContext = context;
 
         // This is to keep all 4 pages in memory after they are
         // selected in the pager.
         setOffscreenPageLimit(3);
+
+        //  We can call HomePager.requestFocus to steal focus from the URL bar and drop the soft
+        //  keyboard. However, if there are no focusable views (e.g. an empty reading list), the
+        //  URL bar will be refocused. Therefore, we make the HomePager container focusable to
+        //  ensure there is always a focusable view. This would ordinarily be done via an XML
+        //  attribute, but it is not working properly.
+        setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void addView(View child, int index, ViewGroup.LayoutParams params) {
         if (child instanceof Decor) {
             ((ViewPager.LayoutParams) params).isDecor = true;
             mDecor = (Decor) child;
             setOnPageChangeListener(new ViewPager.OnPageChangeListener() {
@@ -319,18 +326,15 @@ public class HomePager extends ViewPager
                 homePage.setCanLoadHint(canLoadHint);
             }
         }
     }
 
     @Override
     public boolean onInterceptTouchEvent(MotionEvent event) {
         if (event.getActionMasked() == MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN) {
-            // XXX: Drop the soft keyboard by stealing focus. Note that the HomePager (via XML
-            // attr) is focusable after its descendants allowing requestFocus to succeed and drop
-            // the soft keyboard even if there are no other focusable views on the screen (e.g.
-            // the Reading List is empty).
+            // Drop the soft keyboard by stealing focus from the URL bar.
             requestFocus();
         }
 
         return super.onInterceptTouchEvent(event);
     }
 }