diff --git a/src/widgets/kernel/qwidget.cpp b/src/widgets/kernel/qwidget.cpp
index ebbb2dffb88..cf32ff6c93e 100644
--- a/src/widgets/kernel/qwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/kernel/qwidget.cpp
@@ -6513,11 +6513,15 @@ void QWidget::setFocus(Qt::FocusReason reason)
 
         QApplicationPrivate::setFocusWidget(f, reason);
 #if QT_CONFIG(accessibility)
-        // menus update the focus manually and this would create bogus events
-        if (!(f->inherits("QMenuBar") || f->inherits("QMenu") || f->inherits("QMenuItem")))
-        {
-            QAccessibleEvent event(f, QAccessible::Focus);
-            QAccessible::updateAccessibility(&event);
+        // If the widget gets focus because its window becomes active, then the accessibility
+        // subsystem is already informed about the window opening, and also knows which child
+        // within the window has focus. Don't interrupt it by emitting another focus event.
+        if (reason != Qt::ActiveWindowFocusReason) {
+            // menus update the focus manually and this would create bogus events
+            if (!(f->inherits("QMenuBar") || f->inherits("QMenu") || f->inherits("QMenuItem"))) {
+                QAccessibleEvent event(f, QAccessible::Focus);
+                QAccessible::updateAccessibility(&event);
+            }
         }
 #endif
 #if QT_CONFIG(graphicsview)
diff --git a/tests/auto/other/qaccessibility/tst_qaccessibility.cpp b/tests/auto/other/qaccessibility/tst_qaccessibility.cpp
index de0942ba085..fa9f2a58664 100644
--- a/tests/auto/other/qaccessibility/tst_qaccessibility.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/other/qaccessibility/tst_qaccessibility.cpp
@@ -4288,10 +4288,20 @@ void tst_QAccessibility::messageBoxTest()
     if (!boxPrivate->canBeNativeDialog()) {
         // platforms that use a native message box will not emit accessibility events
         box.show();
+        QVERIFY(QTest::qWaitForWindowActive(&box));
 
         QAccessibleEvent showEvent(&box, QAccessible::DialogStart);
         QVERIFY(QTestAccessibility::containsEvent(&showEvent));
 
+        // on some platforms, like macOS, not all widgets get key board focus; we
+        // only care about a push button getting focus
+        if (QTest::qWaitFor([&box]{ return qobject_cast<QPushButton *>(box.focusWidget()); }, 1000)) {
+            // a widget that gets focus through window activation should not emit an accessibility
+            // notification
+            QAccessibleEvent focusEvent(box.focusWidget(), QAccessible::Focus);
+            QVERIFY(!QTestAccessibility::containsEvent(&focusEvent));
+        }
+
         box.hide();
 
         QAccessibleEvent hideEvent(&box, QAccessible::DialogEnd);