diff --git a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.html b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.html
index 24dc812..53eaada 100644
--- a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.html
+++ b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.html
@@ -1,22 +1,23 @@
 <ng-template #inputTemplate>
   <div #searchInput class="dropdown-input" [class.hidden]="!isOpen()" [class.focus-mode]="inputFocusMode()"
-    contenteditable="true" role="textbox" aria-multiline="false" [aria-placeholder]="translation.common.selectOption" [aria-activedescendant]="ariaActiveDescendant()"
-    [attr.placeholder]="translation.common.selectOption" tabindex="-1" spellcheck="false"
-    (input)="onSearch($event)" (click)="handleInputClick($event)" (mousedown)="handleInputMouseDown()" (beforeinput)="preprocessInputContent($event)"></div>
+    contenteditable="true" role="textbox" aria-multiline="false" [aria-placeholder]="placeholder().trim().length > 0 ? placeholder() : translation.common.selectOption" [aria-activedescendant]="ariaActiveDescendant()"
+    [attr.placeholder]="placeholder().trim().length > 0 ? placeholder() : translation.common.selectOption" tabindex="-1" spellcheck="false"
+    (input)="onSearch($event)" (click)="handleInputClick($event)" (mousedown)="handleInputMouseDown()" (beforeinput)="preprocessInputContent($event)"
+    (focus)="onInputFocusIn()" (focusout)="onInputFocusOut()"></div>
 </ng-template>
 
 <div class="dropdown-box">
   @if (icon()) {
-    <span class="material-symbols-outlined icon-24 prefix-icon">{{ icon() }}</span>
+    <span class="material-symbols-outlined icon-24 prefix-icon" aria-hidden="true">{{ icon() }}</span>
   }
 
   @if (recreateKey() % 2 == 0) {<ng-container [ngTemplateOutlet]="inputTemplate" />}
   @else {<ng-container [ngTemplateOutlet]="inputTemplate" />}
 
   @if (!isOpen()) {
-    <span class="placeholder">{{ selectedLabel() }}</span>
+    <span class="placeholder" [class.value-empty]="selectedOption() === undefined">{{ selectedLabel() }}</span>
   }
-  <span class="material-symbols-outlined icon-24 chevron" [class.open]="isOpen()">keyboard_arrow_down</span>
+  <span class="material-symbols-outlined icon-24 chevron" aria-hidden="true" [class.open]="isOpen()">keyboard_arrow_down</span>
 </div>
 
 @if (isOpen()) {
diff --git a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.scss b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.scss
index f408140..2a50a2a 100644
--- a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.scss
+++ b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.scss
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ $default_animation_duration: 0.2s;
 
   max-width: 100%;
 
-  &:focus-within {
+  &:has(.dropdown-input.focus-mode:focus-visible) {
     outline: 2px solid list.nth(library.$brand_palette, 5);
     outline-offset: 2px;
   }
@@ -61,33 +61,31 @@ $default_animation_duration: 0.2s;
 
   .placeholder {
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
-  }
-
-  .dropdown-input:focus-visible {
-    outline: none;
-  }
-
-  .dropdown-input:empty:before {
-    content: attr(placeholder);
-    opacity: 50%;
-  }
-
-  .dropdown-input:not(.focus-mode) {
-    caret-color: transparent;
-    user-select: none;
-  }
-
-  .dropdown-input.hidden {
-    position: absolute;
-
-    width: 0;
-    height: 0;
-    opacity: 0;
-    visibility: hidden;
+    &.value-empty { opacity: 50%; }
   }
 
   .dropdown-input {
     cursor: text;
+
+    &:focus-visible { outline: none; }
+    &:empty:before {
+      content: attr(placeholder);
+      opacity: 50%;
+    }
+
+    &:not(.focus-mode) {
+      caret-color: transparent;
+      user-select: none;
+    }
+
+    &.hidden {
+      position: absolute;
+
+      width: 0;
+      height: 0;
+      opacity: 0;
+      visibility: hidden;
+    }
   }
 
   .placeholder, .dropdown-input {
diff --git a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.ts b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.ts
index 9319c6d..a1ca66a 100644
--- a/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/dropdown/dropdown.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 import {
   Component,
+  computed,
+  effect,
+  ElementRef,
+  HostListener,
+  inject,
   input,
   model,
-  output,
-  signal,
-  HostListener,
-  ElementRef,
-  computed,
   OnInit,
-  inject,
-  effect,
-  viewChild,
-  viewChildren,
-  untracked,
+  output,
   PLATFORM_ID,
+  signal,
+  untracked,
+  viewChild,
+  viewChildren
 } from '@angular/core';
 import { CommonModule, isPlatformBrowser } from '@angular/common';
 import { TranslationService } from '../../services/translation.service';
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export interface DropdownOption {
     '[class.open]': 'isOpen()',
     tabindex: '0',
     '(click)': 'toggle()',
-    '(focus)': 'onFocus()',
+    '(focusin)': 'onFocusIn($event)',
     '(mousedown)': 'onMouseDown($event)',
     '(keydown)': 'onKeyDown($event)',
     '(keydown.enter)': 'onEnter($event)',
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
   optionItems = viewChildren<ElementRef<HTMLElement>>('optionItem');
 
   options = input<Array<DropdownOption | string>>([]);
-  placeholder = input<string>('Select an option');
+  placeholder = input<string>('');
   ariaLabel = input<string | undefined>(undefined);
   icon = input<string>();
   defaultIndex = input<number>();
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
       if (isDropdownOpen && index >= 0) {
         requestAnimationFrame(() => {
           this.scrollToIndex(index);
-        })
+        });
       }
     });
 
@@ -166,23 +166,38 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
       this.focusedIndex.set(this.normalizedOptions().findIndex((o) => o.value === this.value()));
 
       setTimeout(() => {
-        const searchInputElement = this.searchInput()!.nativeElement;
+        let wasFocusVisible = this.element.nativeElement.matches(':focus-visible');
+        this.focusSearchInput();
 
-        searchInputElement.focus();
-        this.setCursorToEnd(searchInputElement);
+        if (wasFocusVisible) this.inputFocusMode.set(true);
       }, 0);
     }
   }
 
-  onFocus() {
-    if (this.isOpen()) {
-      const searchInputElement = this.searchInput()!.nativeElement;
+  onInputFocusIn() {
+    if (this.isOpen()) this.element.nativeElement.tabIndex = -1;
+  }
 
-      searchInputElement.focus();
-      this.setCursorToEnd(searchInputElement);
+  onInputFocusOut() {
+    if (this.isOpen()) this.element.nativeElement.tabIndex = undefined;
+  }
+
+  onFocusIn(event: FocusEvent) {
+    if (this.element.nativeElement.contains(event.relatedTarget)) return;
+
+    if (this.isOpen()) {
+      this.focusSearchInput();
+      this.inputFocusMode.set(true);
     }
   }
 
+  private focusSearchInput() {
+    const searchInputElement = this.searchInput()!.nativeElement;
+
+    searchInputElement.focus();
+    this.setCursorToEnd(searchInputElement);
+  }
+
   private checkIfInputFocus(event: Event) {
     let triggerInputFocus = this.searchInput()!.nativeElement.contains(
       event.target! as HTMLElement,
@@ -198,6 +213,7 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
     if (isFocusInside) this.element.nativeElement.focus({ preventScroll: true });
     if (isDropdownOpen) this.recreateKey.update((v) => (v + 1) % 65536);
 
+    this.element.nativeElement.tabIndex = undefined;
     this.focusedIndex.set(-1);
   }
 
@@ -234,6 +250,8 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
 
   onArrowDown(event: Event) {
     event.preventDefault();
+    if (!this.inputFocusMode()) this.inputFocusMode.set(true);
+
     if (!this.isOpen()) {
       this.toggle();
       return;
@@ -250,6 +268,8 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
 
   onArrowUp(event: Event) {
     event.preventDefault();
+    if (!this.inputFocusMode()) this.inputFocusMode.set(true);
+
     if (!this.isOpen()) {
       this.toggle();
       return;
@@ -332,8 +352,12 @@ export class Dropdown implements OnInit {
     }
   }
 
+  selectedOption = computed(() => {
+    return this.normalizedOptions().find((o) => o.value === this.value());
+  })
+
   selectedLabel = computed(() => {
-    const selected = this.normalizedOptions().find((o) => o.value === this.value());
+    const selected = this.selectedOption();
     return selected ? selected.label : this.placeholder();
   });