diff --git a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
index f147e9015da4b..5314bfcce427a 100644
--- a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 ### Experimental
 
 -   Add basic history location support to `Navigator` ([#37416](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/37416)).
+-   Add focus restoration to `Navigator` ([#38149](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/38149)).
 
 ## 19.2.0 (2022-01-04)
 
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/README.md b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/README.md
index dcad45dd5c4be..39d32222979e0 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/README.md
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/README.md
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ The `navigator` instance has a few properties:
 
 The `push` function allows navigating to a given path. The second argument can augment the navigation operations with different options.
 
-There currently aren't any available options.
+The available options are:
+
+- `focusTargetSelector`: `string`. An optional property used to specify the CSS selector used to restore focus on the matching element when navigating back.
 
 ### `pop`: `() => void`
 
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/component.tsx b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/component.tsx
index fc1e9c31d01fb..a801f1245ab84 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/component.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-provider/component.tsx
@@ -42,28 +42,17 @@ function NavigatorProvider(
 	>( [
 		{
 			path: initialPath,
-			isBack: false,
-			isInitial: true,
 		},
 	] );
 
 	const push: NavigatorContextType[ 'push' ] = useCallback(
-		( path, options ) => {
-			// Force the `isBack` flag to `false` when navigating forward on both the
-			// previous and the new location.
-			// Also force the `isInitial` flag to `false` for the new location, to make
-			// sure it doesn't get overridden by mistake.
+		( path, options = {} ) => {
 			setLocationHistory( [
-				...locationHistory.slice( 0, -1 ),
-				{
-					...locationHistory[ locationHistory.length - 1 ],
-					isBack: false,
-				},
+				...locationHistory,
 				{
 					...options,
 					path,
 					isBack: false,
-					isInitial: false,
 				},
 			] );
 		},
@@ -72,7 +61,6 @@ function NavigatorProvider(
 
 	const pop: NavigatorContextType[ 'pop' ] = useCallback( () => {
 		if ( locationHistory.length > 1 ) {
-			// Force the `isBack` flag to `true` when navigating back.
 			setLocationHistory( [
 				...locationHistory.slice( 0, -2 ),
 				{
@@ -85,7 +73,10 @@ function NavigatorProvider(
 
 	const navigatorContextValue: NavigatorContextType = useMemo(
 		() => ( {
-			location: locationHistory[ locationHistory.length - 1 ],
+			location: {
+				...locationHistory[ locationHistory.length - 1 ],
+				isInitial: locationHistory.length === 1,
+			},
 			push,
 			pop,
 		} ),
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-screen/component.tsx b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-screen/component.tsx
index 033c1884ea9b2..7cf629a7b0f6d 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-screen/component.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/navigator-screen/component.tsx
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ import { css } from '@emotion/react';
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
-import { useContext, useEffect, useState, useMemo } from '@wordpress/element';
-import { useReducedMotion, useFocusOnMount } from '@wordpress/compose';
+import { focus } from '@wordpress/dom';
+import { useContext, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from '@wordpress/element';
+import {
+	useReducedMotion,
+	useMergeRefs,
+	usePrevious,
+} from '@wordpress/compose';
 import { isRTL } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 
 /**
@@ -47,7 +52,9 @@ function NavigatorScreen( props: Props, forwardedRef: Ref< any > ) {
 	const prefersReducedMotion = useReducedMotion();
 	const { location } = useContext( NavigatorContext );
 	const isMatch = location.path === path;
-	const ref = useFocusOnMount();
+	const wrapperRef = useRef< HTMLDivElement >( null );
+
+	const previousLocation = usePrevious( location );
 
 	const cx = useCx();
 	const classes = useMemo(
@@ -64,12 +71,41 @@ function NavigatorScreen( props: Props, forwardedRef: Ref< any > ) {
 		[ className ]
 	);
 
-	// This flag is used to only apply the focus on mount when the actual path changes.
-	// It avoids the focus to happen on the first render.
-	const [ hasPathChanged, setHasPathChanged ] = useState( false );
+	// Focus restoration
+	const isInitialLocation = location.isInitial && ! location.isBack;
 	useEffect( () => {
-		setHasPathChanged( true );
-	}, [ path ] );
+		// Only attempt to restore focus:
+		// - if the current location is not the initial one (to avoid moving focus on page load)
+		// - when the screen becomes visible
+		// - if the wrapper ref has been assigned
+		if ( isInitialLocation || ! isMatch || ! wrapperRef.current ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		let elementToFocus: HTMLElement | null = null;
+
+		// When navigating back, if a selector is provided, use it to look for the
+		// target element (assumed to be a node inside the current NavigatorScreen)
+		if ( location.isBack && previousLocation?.focusTargetSelector ) {
+			elementToFocus = wrapperRef.current.querySelector(
+				previousLocation.focusTargetSelector
+			);
+		}
+
+		// If the previous query didn't run or find any element to focus, fallback
+		// to the first tabbable element in the screen (or the screen itself).
+		if ( ! elementToFocus ) {
+			const firstTabbable = ( focus.tabbable.find(
+				wrapperRef.current
+			) as HTMLElement[] )[ 0 ];
+
+			elementToFocus = firstTabbable ?? wrapperRef.current;
+		}
+
+		elementToFocus.focus();
+	}, [ isInitialLocation, isMatch ] );
+
+	const mergedWrapperRef = useMergeRefs( [ forwardedRef, wrapperRef ] );
 
 	if ( ! isMatch ) {
 		return null;
@@ -77,7 +113,11 @@ function NavigatorScreen( props: Props, forwardedRef: Ref< any > ) {
 
 	if ( prefersReducedMotion ) {
 		return (
-			<View ref={ forwardedRef } className={ classes } { ...otherProps }>
+			<View
+				ref={ mergedWrapperRef }
+				className={ classes }
+				{ ...otherProps }
+			>
 				{ children }
 			</View>
 		);
@@ -120,7 +160,7 @@ function NavigatorScreen( props: Props, forwardedRef: Ref< any > ) {
 
 	return (
 		<motion.div
-			ref={ hasPathChanged ? ref : undefined }
+			ref={ mergedWrapperRef }
 			className={ classes }
 			{ ...otherProps }
 			{ ...animatedProps }
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/stories/index.js b/packages/components/src/navigator/stories/index.js
index 4b80f92132f50..6f7be1bccb96b 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/stories/index.js
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/stories/index.js
@@ -20,11 +20,23 @@ export default {
 
 function NavigatorButton( { path, ...props } ) {
 	const { push } = useNavigator();
+	const dataAttrName = 'data-navigator-focusable-id';
+	const dataAttrValue = path;
+
+	const dataAttrCssSelector = `[${ dataAttrName }="${ dataAttrValue }"]`;
+
+	const buttonProps = {
+		...props,
+		[ dataAttrName ]: dataAttrValue,
+	};
+
 	return (
 		<Button
 			variant="secondary"
-			onClick={ () => push( path ) }
-			{ ...props }
+			onClick={ () =>
+				push( path, { focusTargetSelector: dataAttrCssSelector } )
+			}
+			{ ...buttonProps }
 		/>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/test/index.js b/packages/components/src/navigator/test/index.js
index 9611638e5335c..5f06fdf6eece1 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/test/index.js
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/test/index.js
@@ -44,6 +44,30 @@ function NavigatorButton( { path, onClick, ...props } ) {
 	);
 }
 
+function NavigatorButtonWithFocusRestoration( { path, onClick, ...props } ) {
+	const { push } = useNavigator();
+	const dataAttrName = 'data-navigator-focusable-id';
+	const dataAttrValue = path;
+
+	const dataAttrCssSelector = `[${ dataAttrName }="${ dataAttrValue }"]`;
+
+	const buttonProps = {
+		...props,
+		[ dataAttrName ]: dataAttrValue,
+	};
+
+	return (
+		<button
+			onClick={ () => {
+				push( path, { focusTargetSelector: dataAttrCssSelector } );
+				// Used to spy on the values passed to `navigator.push`
+				onClick?.( { type: 'push', path } );
+			} }
+			{ ...buttonProps }
+		/>
+	);
+}
+
 function NavigatorBackButton( { onClick, ...props } ) {
 	const { pop } = useNavigator();
 	return (
@@ -65,28 +89,28 @@ const MyNavigation = ( {
 	<NavigatorProvider initialPath={ initialPath }>
 		<NavigatorScreen path={ PATHS.HOME }>
 			<p>This is the home screen.</p>
-			<NavigatorButton
-				path={ PATHS.CHILD }
-				onClick={ onNavigatorButtonClick }
-			>
-				Navigate to child screen.
-			</NavigatorButton>
 			<NavigatorButton
 				path={ PATHS.NOT_FOUND }
 				onClick={ onNavigatorButtonClick }
 			>
 				Navigate to non-existing screen.
 			</NavigatorButton>
+			<NavigatorButtonWithFocusRestoration
+				path={ PATHS.CHILD }
+				onClick={ onNavigatorButtonClick }
+			>
+				Navigate to child screen.
+			</NavigatorButtonWithFocusRestoration>
 		</NavigatorScreen>
 
 		<NavigatorScreen path={ PATHS.CHILD }>
 			<p>This is the child screen.</p>
-			<NavigatorButton
+			<NavigatorButtonWithFocusRestoration
 				path={ PATHS.NESTED }
 				onClick={ onNavigatorButtonClick }
 			>
 				Navigate to nested screen.
-			</NavigatorButton>
+			</NavigatorButtonWithFocusRestoration>
 			<NavigatorBackButton onClick={ onNavigatorButtonClick }>
 				Go back
 			</NavigatorBackButton>
@@ -298,4 +322,32 @@ describe( 'Navigator', () => {
 			type: 'push',
 		} );
 	} );
+
+	it( 'should restore focus correctly', () => {
+		render( <MyNavigation /> );
+
+		expect( getHomeScreen() ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+		// Navigate to child screen
+		fireEvent.click( getToChildScreenButton() );
+
+		expect( getChildScreen() ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+		// Navigate to nested screen
+		fireEvent.click( getToNestedScreenButton() );
+
+		expect( getNestedScreen() ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+		// Navigate back to child screen, check that focus was correctly restored
+		fireEvent.click( getBackButton() );
+
+		expect( getChildScreen() ).toBeInTheDocument();
+		expect( getToNestedScreenButton() ).toHaveFocus();
+
+		// Navigate back to home screen, check that focus was correctly restored
+		fireEvent.click( getBackButton() );
+
+		expect( getHomeScreen() ).toBeInTheDocument();
+		expect( getToChildScreenButton() ).toHaveFocus();
+	} );
 } );
diff --git a/packages/components/src/navigator/types.ts b/packages/components/src/navigator/types.ts
index 8a6a5f5649203..24e513d257180 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/navigator/types.ts
+++ b/packages/components/src/navigator/types.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
  */
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react';
 
-type NavigateOptions = {};
+type NavigateOptions = {
+	focusTargetSelector?: string;
+};
 
 export type NavigatorLocation = NavigateOptions & {
 	isInitial?: boolean;
@@ -13,7 +15,7 @@ export type NavigatorLocation = NavigateOptions & {
 
 export type NavigatorContext = {
 	location: NavigatorLocation;
-	push: ( path: string, options: NavigateOptions ) => void;
+	push: ( path: string, options?: NavigateOptions ) => void;
 	pop: () => void;
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/edit-post/src/components/preferences-modal/index.js b/packages/edit-post/src/components/preferences-modal/index.js
index 09c36c7bd2875..22d74c7e0158a 100644
--- a/packages/edit-post/src/components/preferences-modal/index.js
+++ b/packages/edit-post/src/components/preferences-modal/index.js
@@ -57,7 +57,25 @@ const PREFERENCES_MENU = 'preferences-menu';
 
 function NavigationButton( { as: Tag = Button, path, ...props } ) {
 	const { push } = useNavigator();
-	return <Tag onClick={ () => push( path ) } { ...props } />;
+
+	const dataAttrName = 'data-navigator-focusable-id';
+	const dataAttrValue = path;
+
+	const dataAttrCssSelector = `[${ dataAttrName }="${ dataAttrValue }"]`;
+
+	const tagProps = {
+		...props,
+		[ dataAttrName ]: dataAttrValue,
+	};
+
+	return (
+		<Tag
+			onClick={ () =>
+				push( path, { focusTargetSelector: dataAttrCssSelector } )
+			}
+			{ ...tagProps }
+		/>
+	);
 }
 
 function NavigationBackButton( { as: Tag = Button, ...props } ) {
diff --git a/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/navigation-button.js b/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/navigation-button.js
index 72545c80e4832..4d383386840c2 100644
--- a/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/navigation-button.js
+++ b/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/navigation-button.js
@@ -24,10 +24,27 @@ function GenericNavigationButton( { icon, children, ...props } ) {
 		</Item>
 	);
 }
+
 function NavigationButton( { path, ...props } ) {
 	const { push } = useNavigator();
+
+	const dataAttrName = 'data-navigator-focusable-id';
+	const dataAttrValue = path;
+
+	const dataAttrCssSelector = `[${ dataAttrName }="${ dataAttrValue }"]`;
+
+	const buttonProps = {
+		...props,
+		[ dataAttrName ]: dataAttrValue,
+	};
+
 	return (
-		<GenericNavigationButton onClick={ () => push( path ) } { ...props } />
+		<GenericNavigationButton
+			onClick={ () =>
+				push( path, { focusTargetSelector: dataAttrCssSelector } )
+			}
+			{ ...buttonProps }
+		/>
 	);
 }