diff --git a/doc/classes/PopupMenu.xml b/doc/classes/PopupMenu.xml
index d2c5a2f2989d..5deb6f02f95d 100644
--- a/doc/classes/PopupMenu.xml
+++ b/doc/classes/PopupMenu.xml
@@ -311,6 +311,13 @@
 				[b]Note:[/b] The indices of items after the removed item will be shifted by one.
 			</description>
 		</method>
+		<method name="set_current_index">
+			<return type="void" />
+			<argument index="0" name="index" type="int" />
+			<description>
+				Sets the currently focused item as the given [code]index[/code].
+			</description>
+		</method>
 		<method name="set_hide_on_window_lose_focus">
 			<return type="void" />
 			<argument index="0" name="enable" type="bool" />
diff --git a/scene/gui/menu_button.cpp b/scene/gui/menu_button.cpp
index fb8b114187bf..2c9766cae010 100644
--- a/scene/gui/menu_button.cpp
+++ b/scene/gui/menu_button.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 /*************************************************************************/
 
 #include "menu_button.h"
+#include "core/os/input.h"
 #include "core/os/keyboard.h"
 #include "scene/main/viewport.h"
 
@@ -61,6 +62,14 @@ void MenuButton::pressed() {
 	popup->set_size(Size2(size.width, 0));
 	popup->set_scale(get_global_transform().get_scale());
 	popup->set_parent_rect(Rect2(Point2(gp - popup->get_global_position()), get_size()));
+
+	// If not triggered by the mouse, start the popup with its first item selected.
+	if (popup->get_item_count() > 0 &&
+			((get_action_mode() == ActionMode::ACTION_MODE_BUTTON_PRESS && Input::get_singleton()->is_action_just_pressed("ui_accept")) ||
+					(get_action_mode() == ActionMode::ACTION_MODE_BUTTON_RELEASE && Input::get_singleton()->is_action_just_released("ui_accept")))) {
+		popup->set_current_index(0);
+	}
+
 	popup->popup();
 }
 
diff --git a/scene/gui/option_button.cpp b/scene/gui/option_button.cpp
index 17881edbb489..b847f772a4ea 100644
--- a/scene/gui/option_button.cpp
+++ b/scene/gui/option_button.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 /*************************************************************************/
 
 #include "option_button.h"
+#include "core/os/input.h"
 #include "core/print_string.h"
 
 Size2 OptionButton::get_minimum_size() const {
@@ -109,6 +110,14 @@ void OptionButton::pressed() {
 	popup->set_global_position(get_global_position() + Size2(0, size.height * get_global_transform().get_scale().y));
 	popup->set_size(Size2(size.width, 0));
 	popup->set_scale(get_global_transform().get_scale());
+
+	// If not triggered by the mouse, start the popup with its first item selected.
+	if (popup->get_item_count() > 0 &&
+			((get_action_mode() == ActionMode::ACTION_MODE_BUTTON_PRESS && Input::get_singleton()->is_action_just_pressed("ui_accept")) ||
+					(get_action_mode() == ActionMode::ACTION_MODE_BUTTON_RELEASE && Input::get_singleton()->is_action_just_released("ui_accept")))) {
+		popup->set_current_index(0);
+	}
+
 	popup->popup();
 }
 
diff --git a/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp b/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
index 81d1ddfb144f..ea96c5627f26 100644
--- a/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
+++ b/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ void PopupMenu::_activate_submenu(int over) {
 	Popup *pm = Object::cast_to<Popup>(n);
 	ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(!pm, "Item subnode is not a Popup: " + items[over].submenu + ".");
 	if (pm->is_visible_in_tree()) {
-		return; //already visible!
+		return; // Already visible.
 	}
 
 	Point2 p = get_global_position();
@@ -155,17 +155,21 @@ void PopupMenu::_activate_submenu(int over) {
 
 	Point2 pos = p + Point2(get_size().width, items[over]._ofs_cache - style->get_offset().y) * get_global_transform().get_scale();
 	Size2 size = pm->get_size();
-	// fix pos
+	// Fix pos.
 	if (pos.x + size.width > get_viewport_rect().size.width) {
 		pos.x = p.x - size.width;
 	}
 
 	pm->set_position(pos);
 	pm->set_scale(get_global_transform().get_scale());
-	pm->popup();
 
 	PopupMenu *pum = Object::cast_to<PopupMenu>(pm);
 	if (pum) {
+		// If not triggered by the mouse, start the popup with its first item selected.
+		if (pum->get_item_count() > 0 && Input::get_singleton()->is_action_just_pressed("ui_accept")) {
+			pum->set_current_index(0);
+		}
+
 		pr.position -= pum->get_global_position();
 		pum->clear_autohide_areas();
 		pum->add_autohide_area(Rect2(pr.position.x, pr.position.y, pr.size.x, items[over]._ofs_cache));
@@ -174,6 +178,8 @@ void PopupMenu::_activate_submenu(int over) {
 			pum->add_autohide_area(Rect2(pr.position.x, pr.position.y + from, pr.size.x, pr.size.y - from));
 		}
 	}
+
+	pm->popup();
 }
 
 void PopupMenu::_submenu_timeout() {
@@ -1033,6 +1039,12 @@ bool PopupMenu::is_item_shortcut_disabled(int p_idx) const {
 	return items[p_idx].shortcut_is_disabled;
 }
 
+void PopupMenu::set_current_index(int p_idx) {
+	ERR_FAIL_INDEX(p_idx, items.size());
+	mouse_over = p_idx;
+	update();
+}
+
 int PopupMenu::get_current_index() const {
 	return mouse_over;
 }
@@ -1403,6 +1415,7 @@ void PopupMenu::_bind_methods() {
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_item_tooltip", "idx"), &PopupMenu::get_item_tooltip);
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_item_shortcut", "idx"), &PopupMenu::get_item_shortcut);
 
+	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("set_current_index", "index"), &PopupMenu::set_current_index);
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_current_index"), &PopupMenu::get_current_index);
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_item_count"), &PopupMenu::get_item_count);
 
diff --git a/scene/gui/popup_menu.h b/scene/gui/popup_menu.h
index b07c0419d9f8..e2e367b93886 100644
--- a/scene/gui/popup_menu.h
+++ b/scene/gui/popup_menu.h
@@ -175,7 +175,9 @@ class PopupMenu : public Popup {
 	Ref<ShortCut> get_item_shortcut(int p_idx) const;
 	int get_item_state(int p_idx) const;
 
+	void set_current_index(int p_idx);
 	int get_current_index() const;
+
 	int get_item_count() const;
 
 	bool activate_item_by_event(const Ref<InputEvent> &p_event, bool p_for_global_only = false);