--- a/browser/base/content/browser.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/browser.js
@@ -18,16 +18,20 @@ XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "Task",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm");
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "CharsetMenu",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/CharsetMenu.jsm");
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "ShortcutUtils",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/ShortcutUtils.jsm");
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "GMPInstallManager",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/GMPInstallManager.jsm");
+XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "ContentSearch",
+                                  "resource:///modules/ContentSearch.jsm");
+XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "AboutHome",
+                                  "resource:///modules/AboutHome.jsm");
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyServiceGetter(this, "gDNSService",
                                    "@mozilla.org/network/dns-service;1",
                                    "nsIDNSService");
 
 const nsIWebNavigation = Ci.nsIWebNavigation;
 
 var gLastBrowserCharset = null;
 var gPrevCharset = null;
@@ -3090,18 +3094,27 @@ const BrowserSearch = {
         win = window.openDialog(getBrowserURL(), "_blank",
                                 "chrome,all,dialog=no", "about:blank");
         Services.obs.addObserver(observer, "browser-delayed-startup-finished", false);
       }
       return;
     }
 #endif
     let openSearchPageIfFieldIsNotActive = function(aSearchBar) {
-      if (!aSearchBar || document.activeElement != aSearchBar.textbox.inputField)
+      let doc = gBrowser.selectedBrowser.contentDocument;
+      let url = doc.documentURI.toLowerCase();
+      let mm = gBrowser.selectedBrowser.messageManager;
+
+      if (url === "about:home") {
+        AboutHome.focusInput(mm);
+      } else if (url === "about:newtab") {
+        ContentSearch.focusInput(mm);
+      } else if (!aSearchBar || document.activeElement != aSearchBar.textbox.inputField) {
         openUILinkIn("about:home", "current");
+      }
     };
 
     let searchBar = this.searchBar;
     let placement = CustomizableUI.getPlacementOfWidget("search-container");
     let focusSearchBar = () => {
       searchBar = this.searchBar;
       searchBar.select();
       openSearchPageIfFieldIsNotActive(searchBar);

--- a/browser/base/content/content.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/content.js
@@ -101,16 +101,19 @@ let AboutHomeListener = {
     }
   },
 
   receiveMessage: function(aMessage) {
     switch (aMessage.name) {
       case "AboutHome:Update":
         this.onUpdate(aMessage.data);
         break;
+      case "AboutHome:FocusInput":
+        this.onFocusInput();
+        break;
     }
   },
 
   onUpdate: function(aData) {
     let doc = content.document;
     if (doc.documentURI.toLowerCase() != "about:home")
       return;
 
@@ -133,16 +136,17 @@ let AboutHomeListener = {
     if (doc.documentURI.toLowerCase() != "about:home" ||
         doc.documentElement.hasAttribute("hasBrowserHandlers")) {
       return;
     }
 
     doc.documentElement.setAttribute("hasBrowserHandlers", "true");
     let self = this;
     addMessageListener("AboutHome:Update", self);
+    addMessageListener("AboutHome:FocusInput", self);
     addEventListener("click", this.onClick, true);
     addEventListener("pagehide", function onPageHide(event) {
       if (event.target.defaultView.frameElement)
         return;
       removeMessageListener("AboutHome:Update", self);
       removeEventListener("click", self.onClick, true);
       removeEventListener("pagehide", onPageHide, true);
       if (event.target.documentElement)
@@ -207,16 +211,20 @@ let AboutHomeListener = {
         sendAsyncMessage("AboutHome:Sync");
         break;
 
       case "settings":
         sendAsyncMessage("AboutHome:Settings");
         break;
     }
   },
+
+  onFocusInput: function () {
+    content.document.getElementById("searchText").focus();
+  },
 };
 AboutHomeListener.init(this);
 
 
 // An event listener for custom "WebChannelMessageToChrome" events on pages
 addEventListener("WebChannelMessageToChrome", function (e) {
   // if target is window then we want the document principal, otherwise fallback to target itself.
   let principal = e.target.nodePrincipal ? e.target.nodePrincipal : e.target.document.nodePrincipal;

--- a/browser/base/content/newtab/search.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/newtab/search.js
@@ -71,16 +71,20 @@ let gSearch = {
 
   onCurrentEngine: function (engineName) {
     if (this._initialStateReceived) {
       this._nodes.panel.hidePopup();
       this._setCurrentEngine(engineName);
     }
   },
 
+  onFocusInput: function () {
+    this._nodes.text.focus();
+  },
+
   _nodeIDSuffixes: [
     "form",
     "logo",
     "manage",
     "panel",
     "text",
   ],
 

--- a/browser/base/content/test/general/browser_aboutHome.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/general/browser_aboutHome.js
@@ -414,16 +414,32 @@ let gTests = [
 
       // Empty the search input, causing the suggestions to be hidden.
       EventUtils.synthesizeKey("a", { accelKey: true });
       EventUtils.synthesizeKey("VK_DELETE", {});
       ok(table.hidden, "Search suggestion table hidden");
     });
   }
 },
+{
+  desc: "Cmd+k should focus the search bar element",
+  setup: function () {},
+  run: Task.async(function* () {
+    let doc = gBrowser.selectedTab.linkedBrowser.contentDocument;
+    let logo = doc.getElementById("brandLogo");
+    let searchInput = doc.getElementById("searchText");
+
+    EventUtils.synthesizeMouseAtCenter(logo, {});
+    isnot(searchInput, doc.activeElement, "Search input should not be the active element.");
+
+    EventUtils.synthesizeKey("k", { accelKey: true });
+    yield promiseWaitForCondition(() => doc.activeElement === searchInput);
+    is(searchInput, doc.activeElement, "Search input should be the active element.");
+  })
+},
 
 ];
 
 function test()
 {
   waitForExplicitFinish();
   requestLongerTimeout(2);
   ignoreAllUncaughtExceptions();

--- a/browser/base/content/test/general/head.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/general/head.js
@@ -77,16 +77,22 @@ function waitForCondition(condition, nex
     if (conditionPassed) {
       moveOn();
     }
     tries++;
   }, 100);
   var moveOn = function() { clearInterval(interval); nextTest(); };
 }
 
+function promiseWaitForCondition(aConditionFn) {
+  let deferred = Promise.defer();
+  waitForCondition(aConditionFn, deferred.resolve, "Condition didn't pass.");
+  return deferred.promise;
+}
+
 function getTestPlugin(aName) {
   var pluginName = aName || "Test Plug-in";
   var ph = Cc["@mozilla.org/plugin/host;1"].getService(Ci.nsIPluginHost);
   var tags = ph.getPluginTags();
 
   // Find the test plugin
   for (var i = 0; i < tags.length; i++) {
     if (tags[i].name == pluginName)

--- a/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_search.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_search.js
@@ -181,16 +181,26 @@ function runTests() {
   yield undefined;
   yield suggestionsPromise.then(TestRunner.next);
 
   // Empty the search input, causing the suggestions to be hidden.
   EventUtils.synthesizeKey("a", { accelKey: true });
   EventUtils.synthesizeKey("VK_DELETE", {});
   ok(table.hidden, "Search suggestion table hidden");
 
+  // Focus a different element than the search input.
+  let btn = getContentDocument().getElementById("newtab-customize-button");
+  yield promiseClick(btn).then(TestRunner.next);
+
+  isnot(input, getContentDocument().activeElement, "Search input should not be focused");
+  // Test that Ctrl/Cmd + K will focus the input field.
+  EventUtils.synthesizeKey("k", { accelKey: true });
+  yield promiseSearchEvents(["FocusInput"]).then(TestRunner.next);
+  is(input, getContentDocument().activeElement, "Search input should be focused");
+
   // Done.  Revert the current engine and remove the new engines.
   Services.search.currentEngine = oldCurrentEngine;
   yield promiseSearchEvents(["CurrentEngine"]).then(TestRunner.next);
 
   let events = [];
   for (let engine of gNewEngines) {
     Services.search.removeEngine(engine);
     events.push("CurrentState");

--- a/browser/modules/AboutHome.jsm
+++ b/browser/modules/AboutHome.jsm
@@ -246,9 +246,18 @@ let AboutHome = {
       } else {
         let mm = Cc["@mozilla.org/globalmessagemanager;1"].getService(Ci.nsIMessageListenerManager);
         mm.broadcastAsyncMessage("AboutHome:Update", data);
       }
     }).then(null, function onError(x) {
       Cu.reportError("Error in AboutHome.sendAboutHomeData: " + x);
     });
   },
+
+  /**
+   * Focuses the search input in the page with the given message manager.
+   * @param  messageManager
+   *         The MessageManager object of the selected browser.
+   */
+  focusInput: function (messageManager) {
+    messageManager.sendAsyncMessage("AboutHome:FocusInput");
+  }
 };

--- a/browser/modules/ContentSearch.jsm
+++ b/browser/modules/ContentSearch.jsm
@@ -89,16 +89,27 @@ this.ContentSearch = {
 
   init: function () {
     Cc["@mozilla.org/globalmessagemanager;1"].
       getService(Ci.nsIMessageListenerManager).
       addMessageListener(INBOUND_MESSAGE, this);
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "browser-search-engine-modified", false);
   },
 
+  /**
+   * Focuses the search input in the page with the given message manager.
+   * @param  messageManager
+   *         The MessageManager object of the selected browser.
+   */
+  focusInput: function (messageManager) {
+    messageManager.sendAsyncMessage(OUTBOUND_MESSAGE, {
+      type: "FocusInput"
+    });
+  },
+
   receiveMessage: function (msg) {
     // Add a temporary event handler that exists only while the message is in
     // the event queue.  If the message's source docshell changes browsers in
     // the meantime, then we need to update msg.target.  event.detail will be
     // the docshell's new parent <xul:browser> element.
     msg.handleEvent = event => {
       let browserData = this._suggestionMap.get(msg.target);
       if (browserData) {