diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/androidTest/java/com/facebook/react/tests/TextInputTestCase.java b/ReactAndroid/src/androidTest/java/com/facebook/react/tests/TextInputTestCase.java
index f068a88c30c657..3d955e4b4e5fba 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/androidTest/java/com/facebook/react/tests/TextInputTestCase.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/androidTest/java/com/facebook/react/tests/TextInputTestCase.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import android.util.TypedValue;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
+import android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityNodeInfo;
 import android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo;
 import android.widget.EditText;
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.JavaScriptModule;
@@ -107,6 +108,97 @@ public void testOnSubmitEditing() throws Throwable {
     fireEditorActionAndCheckRecording(reactEditText, EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_NONE);
   }
 
+  public void testRequestFocusDoesNothing() throws Throwable {
+    String testId = "textInput1";
+
+    final ReactEditText reactEditText = getViewByTestId(testId);
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.clearFocus();
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertFalse(reactEditText.isFocused());
+
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.requestFocus();
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+
+    // Calling requestFocus() directly should no-op
+    assertFalse(reactEditText.isFocused());
+  }
+
+  public void testRequestFocusFromJS() throws Throwable {
+    String testId = "textInput1";
+
+    final ReactEditText reactEditText = getViewByTestId(testId);
+
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.clearFocus();
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertFalse(reactEditText.isFocused());
+
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.requestFocusFromJS();
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertTrue(reactEditText.isFocused());
+  }
+
+  public void testAccessibilityFocus() throws Throwable {
+    String testId = "textInput1";
+
+    final ReactEditText reactEditText = getViewByTestId(testId);
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.clearFocus();
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertFalse(reactEditText.isFocused());
+
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.performAccessibilityAction(
+                AccessibilityNodeInfo.ACTION_ACCESSIBILITY_FOCUS, null);
+            reactEditText.performAccessibilityAction(AccessibilityNodeInfo.ACTION_CLICK, null);
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertTrue(reactEditText.isFocused());
+
+    runTestOnUiThread(
+        new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            reactEditText.performAccessibilityAction(
+                AccessibilityNodeInfo.ACTION_CLEAR_FOCUS, null);
+          }
+        });
+    waitForBridgeAndUIIdle();
+    assertFalse(reactEditText.isFocused());
+  }
+
   private void fireEditorActionAndCheckRecording(
       final ReactEditText reactEditText, final int actionId) throws Throwable {
     fireEditorActionAndCheckRecording(reactEditText, actionId, true);
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
index da50126bed64fc..d388f389674efa 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@ public class ReactEditText extends AppCompatEditText {
   // *TextChanged events should be triggered. This is less expensive than removing the text
   // listeners and adding them back again after the text change is completed.
   protected boolean mIsSettingTextFromJS;
-  // This component is controlled, so we want it to get focused only when JS ask it to do so.
-  // Whenever android requests focus, except for accessibility click, it will be ignored.
-  private boolean mShouldAllowFocus;
   private int mDefaultGravityHorizontal;
   private int mDefaultGravityVertical;
 
@@ -127,7 +124,6 @@ public ReactEditText(Context context) {
     mNativeEventCount = 0;
     mMostRecentEventCount = 0;
     mIsSettingTextFromJS = false;
-    mShouldAllowFocus = false;
     mBlurOnSubmit = null;
     mDisableFullscreen = false;
     mListeners = null;
@@ -152,10 +148,7 @@ public ReactEditText(Context context) {
           @Override
           public boolean performAccessibilityAction(View host, int action, Bundle args) {
             if (action == AccessibilityNodeInfo.ACTION_CLICK) {
-              mShouldAllowFocus = true;
-              requestFocus();
-              mShouldAllowFocus = false;
-              return true;
+              return requestFocusInternal();
             }
             return super.performAccessibilityAction(host, action, args);
           }
@@ -248,18 +241,18 @@ public void clearFocus() {
 
   @Override
   public boolean requestFocus(int direction, Rect previouslyFocusedRect) {
-    // Always return true if we are already focused. This is used by android in certain places,
-    // such as text selection.
-    if (isFocused()) {
-      return true;
-    }
-
-    if (!mShouldAllowFocus) {
-      return false;
-    }
+    // This is a no-op so that when the OS calls requestFocus(), nothing will happen. ReactEditText
+    // is a controlled component, which means its focus is controlled by JS, with two exceptions:
+    // autofocus when it's attached to the window, and responding to accessibility events. In both
+    // of these cases, we call requestFocusInternal() directly.
+    return isFocused();
+  }
 
+  private boolean requestFocusInternal() {
     setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
-    boolean focused = super.requestFocus(direction, previouslyFocusedRect);
+    // We must explicitly call this method on the super class; if we call requestFocus() without
+    // any arguments, it will call into the overridden requestFocus(int, Rect) above, which no-ops.
+    boolean focused = super.requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
     if (getShowSoftInputOnFocus()) {
       showSoftKeyboard();
     }
@@ -461,9 +454,7 @@ public void maybeUpdateTypeface() {
 
   // VisibleForTesting from {@link TextInputEventsTestCase}.
   public void requestFocusFromJS() {
-    mShouldAllowFocus = true;
-    requestFocus();
-    mShouldAllowFocus = false;
+    requestFocusInternal();
   }
 
   /* package */ void clearFocusFromJS() {
@@ -754,9 +745,7 @@ public void onAttachedToWindow() {
     }
 
     if (mAutoFocus && !mDidAttachToWindow) {
-      mShouldAllowFocus = true;
-      requestFocus();
-      mShouldAllowFocus = false;
+      requestFocusInternal();
     }
 
     mDidAttachToWindow = true;