diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 108d3c2aa085..cfbf8b08ce1d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ## [`master`](https://github.com/elastic/eui/tree/master)
 
+- Added `initialFocusedItemIndex` support to `EuiContextMenuPanelDescriptor` ([#4223](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/4223))
+
 **Bug fixes**
 
 - Fixed a condition in `EuiInMemoryTable` to avoid mistaken assignment of `sortName` ([#4138](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/4138))
diff --git a/src-docs/src/views/context_menu/context_menu.js b/src-docs/src/views/context_menu/context_menu.js
index 9747121cc88c..90973c95a23b 100644
--- a/src-docs/src/views/context_menu/context_menu.js
+++ b/src-docs/src/views/context_menu/context_menu.js
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ export default () => {
     },
     {
       id: 1,
+      initialFocusedItemIndex: 1,
       title: 'Nest panels',
       items: [
         {
diff --git a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu.tsx b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu.tsx
index cb19ad796c2e..9018eb65bc31 100644
--- a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu.tsx
+++ b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu.tsx
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export interface EuiContextMenuPanelDescriptor {
   items?: EuiContextMenuPanelItemDescriptor[];
   content?: ReactNode;
   width?: number;
+  initialFocusedItemIndex?: number;
 }
 
 export type EuiContextMenuProps = CommonProps &
@@ -227,9 +228,10 @@ export class EuiContextMenu extends Component<EuiContextMenuProps, State> {
 
     if (nextPanelId) {
       if (this.state.isUsingKeyboardToNavigate) {
-        this.setState({
-          focusedItemIndex: 0,
-        });
+        this.setState(({ idToPanelMap }) => ({
+          focusedItemIndex:
+            idToPanelMap[nextPanelId].initialFocusedItemIndex ?? 0,
+        }));
       }
 
       this.showPanel(nextPanelId, 'next');
@@ -388,7 +390,7 @@ export class EuiContextMenu extends Component<EuiContextMenuProps, State> {
         initialFocusedItemIndex={
           this.state.isUsingKeyboardToNavigate
             ? this.state.focusedItemIndex
-            : undefined
+            : panel.initialFocusedItemIndex
         }
         onUseKeyboardToNavigate={this.onUseKeyboardToNavigate}
         showNextPanel={this.showNextPanel}
diff --git a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.test.tsx b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.test.tsx
index 780727b61b73..b4d10250b877 100644
--- a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.test.tsx
@@ -173,6 +173,16 @@ describe('EuiContextMenuPanel', () => {
           document.activeElement
         );
       });
+
+      it('sets focus on the panel when set to `-1`', async () => {
+        const component = mount(
+          <EuiContextMenuPanel items={items} initialFocusedItemIndex={-1} />
+        );
+
+        await tick(20);
+
+        expect(component.getDOMNode()).toBe(document.activeElement);
+      });
     });
 
     describe('onUseKeyboardToNavigate', () => {
diff --git a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.tsx b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.tsx
index fbb193dcc71a..5ff4d5e8d2ee 100644
--- a/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/context_menu/context_menu_panel.tsx
@@ -228,6 +228,14 @@ export class EuiContextMenuPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
         return;
       }
 
+      // `focusedItemIndex={-1}` specifies that the panel itself should be focused.
+      // This should only be used when the panel does not have `item`s
+      // and preventing autofocus is desired, which is an uncommon case.
+      if (this.panel && this.state.focusedItemIndex === -1) {
+        this.panel.focus();
+        return;
+      }
+
       // If there aren't any items then this is probably a form or something.
       if (!this.state.menuItems.length) {
         // If we've already focused on something inside the panel, everything's fine.