diff --git a/common/changes/office-ui-fabric-react/kisiebel-date-picker-focus-bug_2018-07-16-17-54.json b/common/changes/office-ui-fabric-react/kisiebel-date-picker-focus-bug_2018-07-16-17-54.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..805b53c0df20b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/office-ui-fabric-react/kisiebel-date-picker-focus-bug_2018-07-16-17-54.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "office-ui-fabric-react",
+      "comment": "DatePicker: Fixes a bug where the DatePicker would only open every other time it gained focus.",
+      "type": "patch"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "office-ui-fabric-react",
+  "email": "kisiebel@microsoft.com"
+}
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/DatePicker/DatePicker.base.tsx b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/DatePicker/DatePicker.base.tsx
index 167958ca1d849a..ef1efa2103b98c 100644
--- a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/DatePicker/DatePicker.base.tsx
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/DatePicker/DatePicker.base.tsx
@@ -90,13 +90,10 @@ export class DatePickerBase extends BaseComponent<IDatePickerProps, IDatePickerS
   private _calendar = createRef<ICalendar>();
   private _datePickerDiv = createRef<HTMLDivElement>();
   private _textField = createRef<ITextField>();
-  private _preventFocusOpeningPicker: boolean;
 
   constructor(props: IDatePickerProps) {
     super(props);
     this.state = this._getDefaultState();
-
-    this._preventFocusOpeningPicker = false;
   }
 
   public componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps: IDatePickerProps): void {
@@ -287,11 +284,7 @@ export class DatePickerBase extends BaseComponent<IDatePickerProps, IDatePickerS
     }
 
     if (!this.props.allowTextInput) {
-      if (!this._preventFocusOpeningPicker) {
-        this._showDatePickerPopup();
-      } else {
-        this._preventFocusOpeningPicker = false;
-      }
+      this._showDatePickerPopup();
     }
   };
 
@@ -358,7 +351,6 @@ export class DatePickerBase extends BaseComponent<IDatePickerProps, IDatePickerS
 
   private _showDatePickerPopup(): void {
     if (!this.state.isDatePickerShown) {
-      this._preventFocusOpeningPicker = true;
       this.setState({
         isDatePickerShown: true,
         errorMessage: ''
@@ -380,7 +372,6 @@ export class DatePickerBase extends BaseComponent<IDatePickerProps, IDatePickerS
    * Callback for closing the calendar callout
    */
   private _calendarDismissed = (): void => {
-    this._preventFocusOpeningPicker = true;
     this._dismissDatePickerPopup();
     // don't need to focus the text box, if necessary the focusTrapZone will do it
   };