diff --git a/Note.js b/Note.js
index a887b7b..80ab83b 100644
--- a/Note.js
+++ b/Note.js
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ function Note(vnode_init){
   return {
     view: function(vnode){
       const {note_state} = vnode.attrs;
-      const {is_editing, note} = note_state;
+      const {is_editing, is_focused, note} = note_state;
       if(is_editing){
         return m('.note', [
-          m('textarea', {key: 'textarea', onchange: text_change_handler.bind(null, note_state, dispatch) }, note_state.temp_text),
+          m('textarea', {key: 'textarea', onchange: text_change_handler.bind(null, note_state, dispatch), oncreate: is_focused?({dom})=>{ dom.focus(); delete note_state.is_focused; }:null }, note_state.temp_text),
           m('.buttons', {key: 'editing-buttons'}, [
             m('button', {key: 'cancel-button', onclick: cancel_handler.bind(null, note_state, dispatch) }, 'Cancel'),
             m('button', {key: 'save-button', onclick: save_handler.bind(null, note_state, dispatch) }, 'Save')
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 79f8250..6694dae 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const reducer = handleActions({
     'new-bin': (s, bin) => {  s.bin=bin;  },
     'update-search-term': (s, search_term) => {  s.search_term=search_term;  },
     'update-search-results': (s, _notes) => {  s.notes =_notes.map(n=>({is_editing: false, temp_text: '', bin_id: s.bin.id, note:n}));  },
-    'add-note': (s, {id, date}) => {  s.notes.unshift({is_editing: true, temp_text: '', bin_id: s.bin.id, note: {id: id, text: '', modified: date}});  },
+    'add-note': (s, {id, date}) => {  s.notes.unshift({is_editing: true, temp_text: '', bin_id: s.bin.id, is_focused:true, note: {id: id, text: '', modified: date}});  },
     'notes-loaded': (s, _notes) => {  s.notes = _notes.map(n=>({is_editing: false, temp_text: n.text, bin_id: s.bin_id, note:n}));  },
     'update-note-text': (s, {id, text}) => {  const note_s=s.notes.find(n=>n.note.id===id); note_s.note.text=text;  }, // updates underlying note text (i.e. the "model", not the app note_state) "in the background" (e.g. from a server-pushed update), regardless of whether it's being edited; "save" is a separate action, below
     'update-note-editing': (s, {id, is_editing}) => {  const note_s=s.notes.find(n=>n.note.id===id); note_s.is_editing=is_editing; note_s.temp_text=note_s.note.text;  },