diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
index 79f8be3f9cfe97..ca8496373a3cbf 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 					<ZoomOutModeInserterButton
 						isVisible={ isSelected || isHovered }
 						onClick={ () => {
+							// Hotfix for a bug where focus is not transferred to the sidebar if the
+							// block library is already open.
+							const blockLibrary = document.querySelector(
+								'[aria-label="Block Library"]'
+							);
+
+							// Bug: this only sets the tab to `patterns` when opening the inserter,
+							// it does not update the open inserter to the patterns tab.
 							setInserterIsOpened( {
 								rootClientId: sectionRootClientId,
 								insertionIndex: index,
@@ -101,6 +109,12 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 							showInsertionPoint( sectionRootClientId, index, {
 								operation: 'insert',
 							} );
+
+							// If the block library was available before we opened it with `setInserterIsOpened`, we need to
+							// send focus to the block library.
+							if ( blockLibrary ) {
+								blockLibrary.focus();
+							}
 						} }
 					/>
 				) }