diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/doc_table/doc_table_infinite.tsx b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/doc_table/doc_table_infinite.tsx
index 0f06b4f677758..6d96cd31151e7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/doc_table/doc_table_infinite.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/doc_table/doc_table_infinite.tsx
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export const DocTableInfinite = (props: DocTableProps) => {
 
   const onBackToTop = useCallback(() => {
     const isMobileView = document.getElementsByClassName('dscSidebar__mobile').length > 0;
-    const focusElem = document.querySelector('.dscTable') as HTMLElement;
+    const focusElem = document.querySelector('.dscSkipButton') as HTMLElement;
     focusElem.focus();
 
     // Only the desktop one needs to target a specific container
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/layout/discover_documents.tsx b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/layout/discover_documents.tsx
index 793d850bf63d7..2b18647bbbc8d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/layout/discover_documents.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/apps/main/components/layout/discover_documents.tsx
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function DiscoverDocumentsComponent({
   }
 
   return (
-    <EuiFlexItem className="dscTable" tabIndex={-1} aria-labelledby="documentsAriaLabel">
+    <EuiFlexItem className="dscTable" aria-labelledby="documentsAriaLabel">
       <EuiScreenReaderOnly>
         <h2 id="documentsAriaLabel">
           <FormattedMessage id="discover.documentsAriaLabel" defaultMessage="Documents" />
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_table.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_table.ts
index f6f60d4fd6393..794204b923b72 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_table.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_table.ts
@@ -120,14 +120,19 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         await PageObjects.discover.backToTop();
       });
 
-      it('should go the end of the table when using the accessible Skip button', async function () {
+      it('should go the end and back to top of the classic table when using the accessible buttons', async function () {
         // click the Skip to the end of the table
         await PageObjects.discover.skipToEndOfDocTable();
         // now check the footer text content
         const footer = await PageObjects.discover.getDocTableFooter();
-        log.debug(await footer.getVisibleText());
         expect(await footer.getVisibleText()).to.have.string(rowsHardLimit);
         await PageObjects.discover.backToTop();
+        // check that the skip to end of the table button now has focus
+        const skipButton = await testSubjects.find('discoverSkipTableButton');
+        const activeElement = await find.activeElement();
+        const activeElementText = await activeElement.getVisibleText();
+        const skipButtonText = await skipButton.getVisibleText();
+        expect(skipButtonText === activeElementText).to.be(true);
       });
 
       describe('expand a document row', function () {