diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5c6e8d7d89c..83483236913 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 - Converted `EuiGlobalToastList` into ARIA live region by adding `role="region"` attribute to add NVDA/JAWS support ([#2055](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/2055))
 - Added `magnifyWithMinus` and `magnifyWithPlus` glyphs to `EuiIcon` ([2056](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/2056))
 - Added a fully black (no matter the theme) color SASS variable `$euiColorInk` ([2060](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/2060))
+- Added `autoFocus` prop to `EuiTabbedContent` ([2062](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/2062))
 
 **Bug fixes**
 
diff --git a/src-docs/src/views/tabs/tabbed_content.js b/src-docs/src/views/tabs/tabbed_content.js
index b54f309d519..acb7746c754 100644
--- a/src-docs/src/views/tabs/tabbed_content.js
+++ b/src-docs/src/views/tabs/tabbed_content.js
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class EuiTabsExample extends Component {
       <EuiTabbedContent
         tabs={this.tabs}
         initialSelectedTab={this.tabs[1]}
+        autoFocus="selected"
         onTabClick={tab => {
           console.log('clicked tab', tab);
         }}
diff --git a/src/components/date_picker/super_date_picker/date_popover/date_popover_content.js b/src/components/date_picker/super_date_picker/date_popover/date_popover_content.js
index a6ed6026fad..79629bd5323 100644
--- a/src/components/date_picker/super_date_picker/date_popover/date_popover_content.js
+++ b/src/components/date_picker/super_date_picker/date_popover/date_popover_content.js
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ export function EuiDatePopoverContent({
     <EuiTabbedContent
       className="euiDatePopoverContent"
       tabs={renderTabs()}
+      autoFocus="selected"
       initialSelectedTab={{ id: getDateMode(value) }}
       onTabClick={onTabClick}
       size="s"
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/index.d.ts b/src/components/tabs/index.d.ts
index 07a201dda07..59fa7bb3dc2 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/index.d.ts
+++ b/src/components/tabs/index.d.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ declare module '@elastic/eui' {
     content: ReactNode;
   }
 
+  type TABBED_CONTENT_AUTOFOCUS = 'initial' | 'selected';
+
   interface EuiTabbedContentProps {
     tabs: EuiTabbedContentTab[];
     onTabClick?: (tab: EuiTabbedContentTab) => void;
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ declare module '@elastic/eui' {
     size?: TAB_SIZES;
     display?: TAB_DISPLAYS;
     expand?: boolean;
+    autoFocus?: TABBED_CONTENT_AUTOFOCUS;
   }
 
   export const EuiTab: FunctionComponent<
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.js.snap b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.js.snap
index e0d0cd2da8a..c2c0ef74cbe 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.js.snap
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.js.snap
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ exports[`EuiTabbedContent behavior when selected tab state isn't controlled by t
 
 exports[`EuiTabbedContent behavior when uncontrolled, the selected tab should update if it receives new content 1`] = `
 <EuiTabbedContent
+  autoFocus="initial"
   tabs={
     Array [
       Object {
@@ -70,7 +71,9 @@ exports[`EuiTabbedContent behavior when uncontrolled, the selected tab should up
     ]
   }
 >
-  <div>
+  <div
+    onFocus={[Function]}
+  >
     <EuiTabs
       display="default"
       expand={false}
@@ -199,6 +202,102 @@ exports[`EuiTabbedContent is rendered with required props and tabs 1`] = `
 </div>
 `;
 
+exports[`EuiTabbedContent props autoFocus initial is rendered 1`] = `
+<div>
+  <div
+    class="euiTabs"
+    role="tablist"
+  >
+    <button
+      aria-controls="42"
+      aria-selected="true"
+      class="euiTab euiTab-isSelected"
+      id="es"
+      role="tab"
+      type="button"
+    >
+      <span
+        class="euiTab__content"
+      >
+        Elasticsearch
+      </span>
+    </button>
+    <button
+      aria-controls="42"
+      aria-selected="false"
+      class="euiTab"
+      data-test-subj="kibanaTab"
+      id="kibana"
+      role="tab"
+      type="button"
+    >
+      <span
+        class="euiTab__content"
+      >
+        Kibana
+      </span>
+    </button>
+  </div>
+  <div
+    aria-labelledby="es"
+    id="42"
+    role="tabpanel"
+  >
+    <p>
+      Elasticsearch content
+    </p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+`;
+
+exports[`EuiTabbedContent props autoFocus selected is rendered 1`] = `
+<div>
+  <div
+    class="euiTabs"
+    role="tablist"
+  >
+    <button
+      aria-controls="42"
+      aria-selected="true"
+      class="euiTab euiTab-isSelected"
+      id="es"
+      role="tab"
+      type="button"
+    >
+      <span
+        class="euiTab__content"
+      >
+        Elasticsearch
+      </span>
+    </button>
+    <button
+      aria-controls="42"
+      aria-selected="false"
+      class="euiTab"
+      data-test-subj="kibanaTab"
+      id="kibana"
+      role="tab"
+      type="button"
+    >
+      <span
+        class="euiTab__content"
+      >
+        Kibana
+      </span>
+    </button>
+  </div>
+  <div
+    aria-labelledby="es"
+    id="42"
+    role="tabpanel"
+  >
+    <p>
+      Elasticsearch content
+    </p>
+  </div>
+</div>
+`;
+
 exports[`EuiTabbedContent props display can be condensed 1`] = `
 <div>
   <div
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.js b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.js
index bcfd4568426..715e355227f 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.js
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { Component } from 'react';
+import React, { Component, createRef } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 
 import { htmlIdGenerator } from '../../../services';
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { EuiTab } from '../tab';
 
 const makeId = htmlIdGenerator();
 
+export const AUTOFOCUS = ['initial', 'selected'];
+
 export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
   static propTypes = {
     className: PropTypes.string,
@@ -29,6 +31,12 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
      * Use this prop if you want to control selection state within the owner component
      */
     selectedTab: PropTypes.object,
+    /**
+     * When tabbing into the tabs, set the focus on `initial` for the first tab,
+     * or `selected` for the currently selected tab. Best use case is for inside of
+     * overlay content like popovers or flyouts.
+     */
+    autoFocus: PropTypes.oneOf(AUTOFOCUS),
     size: PropTypes.oneOf(SIZES),
     /**
      * Each tab needs id and content properties, so we can associate it with its panel for accessibility.
@@ -49,16 +57,57 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
     const { initialSelectedTab, selectedTab, tabs } = props;
 
     this.rootId = makeId();
+    this.divRef = createRef();
 
     // Only track selection state if it's not controlled externally.
+    let selectedTabId;
     if (!selectedTab) {
-      this.state = {
-        selectedTabId:
-          (initialSelectedTab && initialSelectedTab.id) || tabs[0].id,
-      };
+      selectedTabId =
+        (initialSelectedTab && initialSelectedTab.id) || tabs[0].id;
     }
+
+    this.state = {
+      selectedTabId,
+      inFocus: false,
+    };
   }
 
+  componentDidMount() {
+    // IE11 doesn't support the `relatedTarget` event property for blur events
+    // but does add it for focusout. React doesn't support `onFocusOut` so here we are.
+    if (this.divRef.current) {
+      this.divRef.current.addEventListener('focusout', this.removeFocus);
+    }
+  }
+
+  componentWillUnmount() {
+    if (this.divRef.current) {
+      this.divRef.current.removeEventListener('focusout', this.removeFocus);
+    }
+  }
+
+  initializeFocus = () => {
+    if (!this.state.inFocus && this.props.autoFocus === 'selected') {
+      // Must wait for setState to finish before calling `.focus()`
+      // as the focus call triggers a blur on the first tab
+      this.setState({ inFocus: true }, () => {
+        const targetTab = this.divRef.current.querySelector(
+          `#${this.state.selectedTabId}`
+        );
+        targetTab.focus();
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+  removeFocus = blurEvent => {
+    // only set inFocus to false if the wrapping div doesn't contain the now-focusing element
+    if (blurEvent.currentTarget.contains(blurEvent.relatedTarget) === false) {
+      this.setState({
+        inFocus: false,
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
   onTabClick = selectedTab => {
     const { onTabClick, selectedTab: externalSelectedTab } = this.props;
 
@@ -82,6 +131,7 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
       selectedTab: externalSelectedTab,
       size,
       tabs,
+      autoFocus,
       ...rest
     } = this.props;
 
@@ -93,7 +143,11 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
     const { content: selectedTabContent, id: selectedTabId } = selectedTab;
 
     return (
-      <div className={className} {...rest}>
+      <div
+        ref={this.divRef}
+        className={className}
+        {...rest}
+        onFocus={this.initializeFocus}>
         <EuiTabs expand={expand} display={display} size={size}>
           {tabs.map(tab => {
             const {
@@ -125,3 +179,7 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component {
     );
   }
 }
+
+EuiTabbedContent.defaultProps = {
+  autoFocus: 'initial',
+};
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.js b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.js
index 73437815aaa..d07302919af 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.js
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { render, mount } from 'enzyme';
 import sinon from 'sinon';
 import { requiredProps, findTestSubject } from '../../../test';
 
-import { EuiTabbedContent } from './tabbed_content';
+import { EuiTabbedContent, AUTOFOCUS } from './tabbed_content';
 
 // Mock the htmlIdGenerator to generate predictable ids for snapshot tests
 jest.mock('../../../services/accessibility/html_id_generator', () => ({
@@ -81,6 +81,18 @@ describe('EuiTabbedContent', () => {
         expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
       });
     });
+
+    describe('autoFocus', () => {
+      AUTOFOCUS.forEach(focusType => {
+        test(`${focusType} is rendered`, () => {
+          const component = render(
+            <EuiTabbedContent autoFocus={focusType} tabs={tabs} />
+          );
+
+          expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
+        });
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('behavior', () => {