diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-cartesian.test.tsx b/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-cartesian.test.tsx
index 92eb4292..1baea946 100644
--- a/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-cartesian.test.tsx
+++ b/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-cartesian.test.tsx
@@ -334,6 +334,8 @@ describe("CoreChart: navigation, cartesian charts", () => {
     expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("button:1[true,false]");
     expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("1Line series 111Line series 221");
 
+    // First ESC dismisses tooltip, second ESC navigates to chart
+    keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
     keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
 
     expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("application:Test chart");
@@ -560,19 +562,21 @@ describe("CoreChart: navigation, cartesian charts", () => {
   );
 
   test("moves focus from point to group", () => {
-    const { wrapper } = renderChart(commonProps(false, seriesLong1));
+    const { wrapper } = renderChart(commonProps(false, seriesShort2));
 
     focusApplication();
     keyDown(KeyCode.enter);
     keyDown(KeyCode.down);
 
-    expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("button:1 -1, Line series 1[true,false]");
-    expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("1Line series 1-1");
+    expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("button:1 11, Line series 1[true,false]");
+    expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("1Line series 111Line series 221");
 
+    // First ESC dismisses tooltip, second ESC navigates to group
+    keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
     keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
 
     expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("button:1[true,false]");
-    expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("1Line series 1-1");
+    expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("1Line series 111Line series 221");
   });
 
   test("pins popover at point", () => {
diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-pie.test.tsx b/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-pie.test.tsx
index 853971ba..76251b7f 100644
--- a/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-pie.test.tsx
+++ b/src/core/__tests__/chart-core-navigation-pie.test.tsx
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ describe("CoreChart: navigation, pie charts", () => {
     expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("button:P1, 10. Pie series[true,false]");
     expect(wrapper.findTooltip()!.getElement().textContent).toBe("P1Pie series10");
 
+    // First ESC dismisses tooltip, second ESC navigates to chart
+    keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
     keyDown(KeyCode.escape);
 
     expect(describeFocusedElement()).toBe("application:Test chart");
diff --git a/src/core/chart-api/chart-extra-navigation.ts b/src/core/chart-api/chart-extra-navigation.ts
index 647db75c..e02725e5 100644
--- a/src/core/chart-api/chart-extra-navigation.ts
+++ b/src/core/chart-api/chart-extra-navigation.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ export interface ChartExtraNavigationHandlers {
   onBlur(): void;
   onActivatePoint(point: Highcharts.Point, group: readonly Highcharts.Point[]): void;
   onActivateGroup(group: readonly Highcharts.Point[]): void;
+  // Returns true if a tooltip was dismissed, false otherwise.
+  // Used by ESC handlers to decide whether to also navigate.
+  onDismissHoverTooltip(): boolean;
 }
 
 export type FocusedState = FocusedStateChart | FocusedStateGroup | FocusedStatePoint;
@@ -193,6 +196,7 @@ export class ChartExtraNavigation {
   private onKeyDownChart = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
     handleKey(event, {
       onActivate: () => this.moveToFirstGroup(),
+      onEscape: () => this.handlers.onDismissHoverTooltip(),
       onInlineStart: () => this.moveToLastGroup(),
       onInlineEnd: () => this.moveToFirstGroup(),
       onBlockStart: () => this.moveToLastGroup(),
@@ -206,7 +210,11 @@ export class ChartExtraNavigation {
     const i = !!this.context.chart().inverted;
     handleKey(event, {
       onActivate: () => this.activateGroup(group),
-      onEscape: () => this.moveToChart(),
+      onEscape: () => {
+        if (!this.handlers.onDismissHoverTooltip()) {
+          this.moveToChart();
+        }
+      },
       onInlineStart: () => (i ? this.moveToFirstInGroup(group) : this.moveToPrevGroup(group)),
       onInlineEnd: () => (i ? this.moveToLastInGroup(group) : this.moveToNextGroup(group)),
       onBlockStart: () => (i ? this.moveToPrevGroup(group) : this.moveToLastInGroup(group)),
@@ -222,7 +230,11 @@ export class ChartExtraNavigation {
     const i = !!this.context.chart().inverted;
     handleKey(event, {
       onActivate: () => this.activatePoint(point, group),
-      onEscape: () => this.moveToParentGroup(point),
+      onEscape: () => {
+        if (!this.handlers.onDismissHoverTooltip()) {
+          this.moveToParentGroup(point);
+        }
+      },
       onInlineEnd: () => (i ? this.moveToPrevInGroup(point) : this.moveToNextInSeries(point)),
       onInlineStart: () => (i ? this.moveToNextInGroup(point) : this.moveToPrevInSeries(point)),
       onBlockEnd: () => (i ? this.moveToNextInSeries(point) : this.moveToNextInGroup(point)),
diff --git a/src/core/chart-api/index.tsx b/src/core/chart-api/index.tsx
index cad956f2..294afa2e 100644
--- a/src/core/chart-api/index.tsx
+++ b/src/core/chart-api/index.tsx
@@ -264,6 +264,17 @@ export class ChartAPI {
         this.clearChartHighlight({ isApiCall: false });
         this.chartExtraNavigation.announceChart(getChartAccessibleDescription(this.context.chart()));
       },
+      onDismissHoverTooltip: () => {
+        // Dismiss any visible non-pinned tooltip when ESC is pressed.
+        // Returns true if a tooltip was dismissed, false otherwise.
+        // Used by ESC handlers at group/point level to decide whether to also navigate.
+        const tooltipState = this.chartExtraTooltip.get();
+        if (tooltipState.visible && !tooltipState.pinned) {
+          this.clearChartHighlight({ isApiCall: false });
+          return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+      },
       onFocusGroup: (group: Highcharts.Point[]) => {
         this.highlightActions(group, { isApiCall: false, overrideTooltipLock: true });
         this.chartExtraNavigation.announceElement(getGroupAccessibleDescription(group), false);