diff --git a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/PanelKeyCatcher.qml b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/PanelKeyCatcher.qml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..786d12f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/PanelKeyCatcher.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import QtQuick
+
+// Drop-in key dispatcher for keyboard-driven panels. Wraps panel content
+// and emits semantic signals so each panel keeps its own state machine
+// (focusSection, selectedIndex, activation rules) while the boilerplate
+// key handling lives here.
+//
+// Usage:
+//   Common.KeyboardPanel {
+//     ...
+//     PanelKeyCatcher {
+//       anchors.fill: parent
+//       onMoveRequested: function(dx, dy) { root.moveCursor(dx, dy) }
+//       onActivateRequested: root.activateCursor()
+//       onCloseRequested: root.closePopout()
+//       onDeleteRequested: root.deleteSelected()
+//       onTextKey: function(t) { if (t === "r") root.refresh() }
+//
+//       Column { ... panel content ... }
+//     }
+//   }
+//
+// Keys.priority: Keys.AfterItem means a focused descendant (e.g. a
+// TextField inside an inline password prompt) gets the event first. Only
+// events the focused subtree ignores reach this handler — that's what
+// lets j/k/Esc keep working in the panel while an input field consumes
+// typing.
+//
+// blocked: when true, ALL keys are forwarded to descendants without
+// triggering signals. Useful when an inline editor is open and the
+// caller wants the cursor model frozen.
+Item {
+  id: root
+
+  property bool blocked: false
+
+  signal moveRequested(int dx, int dy)
+  signal activateRequested()
+  signal closeRequested()
+  signal deleteRequested()
+  signal textKey(string text)
+
+  focus: true
+  Keys.priority: Keys.AfterItem
+  Keys.onPressed: function(event) {
+    if (blocked) return
+
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Escape) {
+      closeRequested(); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Down || event.text === "j") {
+      moveRequested(0, 1); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Up || event.text === "k") {
+      moveRequested(0, -1); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Right || event.text === "l") {
+      moveRequested(1, 0); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Left || event.text === "h") {
+      moveRequested(-1, 0); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.key === Qt.Key_Return || event.key === Qt.Key_Enter || event.key === Qt.Key_Space) {
+      activateRequested(); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.text === "x" || event.text === "X") {
+      deleteRequested(); event.accepted = true; return
+    }
+    if (event.text && event.text.length === 1) {
+      textKey(event.text)
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/qmldir b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/qmldir
index a221b5cc..cd21c397 100644
--- a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/qmldir
+++ b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/Ui/qmldir
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ ChoiceButton 1.0 ChoiceButton.qml
 CursorSurface 1.0 CursorSurface.qml
 KeyboardPanel 1.0 KeyboardPanel.qml
 PanelActionButton 1.0 PanelActionButton.qml
+PanelKeyCatcher 1.0 PanelKeyCatcher.qml
 PanelSectionHeader 1.0 PanelSectionHeader.qml
 PanelSeparator 1.0 PanelSeparator.qml
 PanelSlider 1.0 PanelSlider.qml
diff --git a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/audioPanel.qml b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/audioPanel.qml
index c09a31d0..3b9c974e 100644
--- a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/audioPanel.qml
+++ b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/audioPanel.qml
@@ -375,37 +375,19 @@ Item {
     contentWidth: 370
     contentHeight: Math.min(560, panelColumn.implicitHeight + 28)
 
-    Item {
+    PanelKeyCatcher {
       id: keyCatcher
       anchors.fill: parent
-      focus: true
-      Keys.priority: Keys.AfterItem
-      Keys.onPressed: function(event) {
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Escape) {
-          root.closePopout()
-          event.accepted = true
-          return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Down || event.text === "j") {
-          root.moveCursor(1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Up || event.text === "k") {
-          root.moveCursor(-1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Right || event.text === "l") {
-          root.adjustVolume(0.05); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Left || event.text === "h") {
-          root.adjustVolume(-0.05); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Return || event.key === Qt.Key_Enter || event.key === Qt.Key_Space) {
-          root.activateCursor(); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        // 'm' mutes whatever the cursor is on: focused section's slider for
-        // output/input, the focused stream for streams. Without the stream
-        // branch, m would mute the global output while the cursor sat on a
-        // per-app row — surprising and inconsistent with Enter behaviour.
-        if (event.text === "m" || event.text === "M") {
+      onMoveRequested: function(dx, dy) {
+        if (dy !== 0) root.moveCursor(dy)
+        else if (dx !== 0) root.adjustVolume(dx * 0.05)
+      }
+      onActivateRequested: root.activateCursor()
+      onCloseRequested: root.closePopout()
+      onTextKey: function(t) {
+        // 'm' mutes whatever the cursor is on: focused section's slider
+        // for output/input, the focused stream for streams.
+        if (t === "m" || t === "M") {
           if (root.focusSection === "streams" && root.selectedIndex >= 0
               && root.selectedIndex < root.audioStreams.length) {
             var s = root.audioStreams[root.selectedIndex]
@@ -415,7 +397,6 @@ Item {
           } else {
             root.toggleOutputMute()
           }
-          event.accepted = true
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/bluetoothPanel.qml b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/bluetoothPanel.qml
index 75c2564c..0ff251ae 100644
--- a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/bluetoothPanel.qml
+++ b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/bluetoothPanel.qml
@@ -331,34 +331,16 @@ Item {
     contentWidth: 320
     contentHeight: column.implicitHeight + 28
 
-    Item {
+    PanelKeyCatcher {
       id: keyCatcher
       anchors.fill: parent
-      focus: true
-      Keys.priority: Keys.AfterItem
-      Keys.onPressed: function(event) {
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Escape) {
-          root.closePopout(); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Down || event.text === "j") {
-          root.moveCursor(1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Up || event.text === "k") {
-          root.moveCursor(-1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Right || event.text === "l") {
-          root.moveCursorH(1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Left || event.text === "h") {
-          root.moveCursorH(-1); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.key === Qt.Key_Return || event.key === Qt.Key_Enter || event.key === Qt.Key_Space) {
-          root.activateCursor(); event.accepted = true; return
-        }
-        if (event.text === "x" || event.text === "X") {
-          root.deleteSelected(); event.accepted = true
-        }
+      onMoveRequested: function(dx, dy) {
+        if (dy !== 0) root.moveCursor(dy)
+        else if (dx !== 0) root.moveCursorH(dx)
       }
+      onActivateRequested: root.activateCursor()
+      onCloseRequested: root.closePopout()
+      onDeleteRequested: root.deleteSelected()
 
       Column {
         id: column
diff --git a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/networkPanel.qml b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/networkPanel.qml
index f90acf5f..a1f4976e 100644
--- a/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/networkPanel.qml
+++ b/default/quickshell/omarchy-shell/plugins/bar/widgets/networkPanel.qml
@@ -552,62 +552,42 @@ iwctl station "$station" get-networks rssi-dbms 2>/dev/null \\
     // Catches all unhandled keys for keyboard navigation. AfterItem priority
     // lets the passphrase TextField (a child via focus chain) get its keys
     // first; only events the focused subtree ignores bubble back here.
-    Item {
+    PanelKeyCatcher {
       id: keyCatcher
       anchors.fill: parent
-      focus: true
-      Keys.priority: Keys.AfterItem
-        Keys.onPressed: function(event) {
-          if (root.passwordSsid !== "") return
-          if (event.key === Qt.Key_Escape) {
-            root.closePopout()
-            event.accepted = true
-            return
-          }
-          if (event.text === "r" || event.text === "R") {
-            root.refresh()
-            event.accepted = true
-            return
-          }
+      // Freeze the cursor model while the inline password prompt is open;
+      // the TextField inside owns input until Esc/Enter/Cancel.
+      blocked: root.passwordSsid !== ""
+
+      onMoveRequested: function(dx, dy) {
+        if (dy !== 0) {
           if (root.focusSection === "dns") {
-            if (event.key === Qt.Key_Left || event.text === "h") {
-              root.selectDnsByDelta(-1)
-              event.accepted = true
-            } else if (event.key === Qt.Key_Right || event.text === "l") {
-              root.selectDnsByDelta(1)
-              event.accepted = true
-            } else if (event.key === Qt.Key_Down || event.text === "j") {
-              // Drop into the wifi list if there's anything to land on;
-              // otherwise hold position so j isn't a no-op surprise.
-              if (root.wifiNetworks.length > 0) {
-                root.focusSection = "wifi"
-                if (root.selectedIndex < 0) root.selectedIndex = 0
-              }
-              event.accepted = true
-            } else if (event.key === Qt.Key_Return || event.key === Qt.Key_Enter || event.key === Qt.Key_Space) {
-              root.activateDns()
-              event.accepted = true
+            // j from DNS drops into the wifi list if there's anywhere to
+            // land; otherwise hold position so j isn't a no-op surprise.
+            if (dy > 0 && root.wifiNetworks.length > 0) {
+              root.focusSection = "wifi"
+              if (root.selectedIndex < 0) root.selectedIndex = 0
             }
-            return
-          }
-          // focusSection === "wifi"
-          if (event.key === Qt.Key_Down || event.text === "j") {
-            root.selectByDelta(1)
-            event.accepted = true
-          } else if (event.key === Qt.Key_Up || event.text === "k") {
+          } else {  // wifi
             // k from the top row escapes back up into the DNS row rather
             // than wrapping around to the bottom of the list.
-            if (root.selectedIndex <= 0) root.focusSection = "dns"
-            else root.selectByDelta(-1)
-            event.accepted = true
-          } else if (event.key === Qt.Key_Return || event.key === Qt.Key_Enter || event.key === Qt.Key_Space) {
-            root.activateSelected()
-            event.accepted = true
-          } else if (event.text === "x" || event.text === "X") {
-            root.forgetSelected()
-            event.accepted = true
+            if (dy < 0 && root.selectedIndex <= 0) root.focusSection = "dns"
+            else root.selectByDelta(dy)
           }
         }
+        if (dx !== 0 && root.focusSection === "dns") root.selectDnsByDelta(dx)
+      }
+      onActivateRequested: {
+        if (root.focusSection === "dns") root.activateDns()
+        else root.activateSelected()
+      }
+      onCloseRequested: root.closePopout()
+      onDeleteRequested: {
+        if (root.focusSection === "wifi") root.forgetSelected()
+      }
+      onTextKey: function(t) {
+        if (t === "r" || t === "R") root.refresh()
+      }
 
     Column {
       id: column