diff --git a/src/__tests__/click.js b/src/__tests__/click.js
index 3c19daa2..8a0e784e 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/click.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/click.js
@@ -442,3 +442,20 @@ test('calls FocusEvents with relatedTarget', () => {
     element0,
   )
 })
+
+test('move focus to closest focusable element', () => {
+  const {element} = setup(`
+    <div tabIndex="0">
+      <div>this is not focusable</div>
+      <button>this is focusable</button>
+    </div>
+  `)
+
+  document.body.focus()
+  userEvent.click(element.children[1])
+  expect(element.children[1]).toHaveFocus()
+
+  document.body.focus()
+  userEvent.click(element.children[0])
+  expect(element).toHaveFocus()
+})
diff --git a/src/click.js b/src/click.js
index 5c40fda7..e8fe535f 100644
--- a/src/click.js
+++ b/src/click.js
@@ -61,14 +61,12 @@ function clickElement(element, init, {clickCount}) {
       element,
       getMouseEventOptions('mousedown', init, clickCount),
     )
-    if (
-      continueDefaultHandling &&
-      element !== element.ownerDocument.activeElement
-    ) {
-      if (previousElement && !isFocusable(element)) {
+    if (continueDefaultHandling) {
+      const closestFocusable = findClosest(element, isFocusable)
+      if (previousElement && !closestFocusable) {
         blur(previousElement, init)
-      } else {
-        focus(element, init)
+      } else if (closestFocusable) {
+        focus(closestFocusable, init)
       }
     }
   }
@@ -84,6 +82,16 @@ function clickElement(element, init, {clickCount}) {
   }
 }
 
+function findClosest(el, callback) {
+  do {
+    if (callback(el)) {
+      return el
+    }
+    el = el.parentElement
+  } while (el && el !== document.body)
+  return undefined
+}
+
 function click(element, init, {skipHover = false, clickCount = 0} = {}) {
   if (!skipHover) hover(element, init)
   switch (element.tagName) {