diff --git a/templates/base.html b/templates/base.html
index a68ec054..d96bf019 100644
--- a/templates/base.html
+++ b/templates/base.html
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           </h3>
         </div>
       </div>
-      {% bootstrap_messages %}
+      <div id="messages">{% bootstrap_messages %}</div>
       {% block content %}{% endblock %}
     </div>
 
@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@
     <script src="{% static 'js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js' %}"></script>
     <!-- JavaScript Cookie -->
     <script src="{% static 'js/js.cookie.js' %}"></script>
+    <script>
+      // after a refused submission, start at the error: the first visible
+      // invalid field, else the error message
+      (function () {
+        const field = [...document.querySelectorAll(".is-invalid")].find(e => e.offsetParent !== null);
+        const target = field || document.querySelector("#messages .alert-danger");
+        if (target) {
+          if (!field) target.tabIndex = -1;
+          target.focus();
+        }
+      })();
+    </script>
     {% block script %}{% endblock %}
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/webvirtcloud/tests/test_error_focus.py b/webvirtcloud/tests/test_error_focus.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f58d8bd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webvirtcloud/tests/test_error_focus.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"""After a refused submission the page starts at the error: base.html's
+script focuses the first visible invalid field, else the error message.
+The script runs in Node against a stand-in document."""
+
+import json
+import re
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from django.conf import settings
+
+SCRIPT = re.search(
+    r"<script>\s*(// after a refused submission.*?)</script>",
+    Path(settings.BASE_DIR, "templates/base.html").read_text(),
+    re.S,
+).group(1)
+
+HARNESS = """
+const els = %s;
+let focused = null;
+for (const e of els) e.focus = () => { focused = e; };
+const document = {
+  querySelectorAll: sel => els.filter(e => e.sel === sel),
+  querySelector: sel => els.find(e => e.sel === sel) || null,
+};
+%s
+console.log(JSON.stringify({focused: focused && focused.name, tabIndex: focused && focused.tabIndex !== undefined ? focused.tabIndex : null}));
+"""
+
+
+class ErrorFocusTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    @unittest.skipUnless(shutil.which("node"), "node is not installed")
+    def test_focus_goes_to_the_error(self):
+        invalid = {"sel": ".is-invalid", "offsetParent": {}, "name": "field"}
+        hidden = {"sel": ".is-invalid", "offsetParent": None, "name": "hidden"}
+        alert = {"sel": "#messages .alert-danger", "offsetParent": {}, "name": "message"}
+        for els, expected in (
+            ([hidden, invalid, alert], {"focused": "field", "tabIndex": None}),
+            ([hidden, alert], {"focused": "message", "tabIndex": -1}),
+            ([], {"focused": None, "tabIndex": None}),
+        ):
+            with self.subTest(expected=expected["focused"]):
+                result = subprocess.run(
+                    ["node", "-e", HARNESS % (json.dumps(els), SCRIPT)], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30
+                )
+                self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stderr)
+                self.assertEqual(json.loads(result.stdout), expected)