diff --git a/ILSpy/Docking/DockWorkspace.cs b/ILSpy/Docking/DockWorkspace.cs
index 3731dfe84..1c9160f84 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Docking/DockWorkspace.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Docking/DockWorkspace.cs
@@ -1137,8 +1137,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 			if (factory.Documents != null)
 			{
 				factory.AddDockable(factory.Documents, tab);
-				factory.SetActiveDockable(tab);
-				factory.SetFocusedDockable(factory.Documents, tab);
+				factory.ActivateAndFocus(factory.Documents, tab);
 			}
 			return tab;
 		}
@@ -1169,8 +1168,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 				return;
 			if (docs.VisibleDockables?.Contains(tab) != true)
 				factory.AddDockable(docs, tab);
-			factory.SetActiveDockable(tab);
-			factory.SetFocusedDockable(docs, tab);
+			factory.ActivateAndFocus(docs, tab);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -1221,8 +1219,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 			{
 				if (docs.VisibleDockables?.Contains(main) != true)
 					return false;
-				factory.SetActiveDockable(main);
-				factory.SetFocusedDockable(docs, main);
+				factory.ActivateAndFocus(docs, main);
 			}
 			return true;
 		}
diff --git a/ILSpy/Docking/ILSpyDockFactory.cs b/ILSpy/Docking/ILSpyDockFactory.cs
index 379eaf0ec..141a09e51 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Docking/ILSpyDockFactory.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Docking/ILSpyDockFactory.cs
@@ -460,6 +460,18 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 				_ => ("BottomTools", Alignment.Bottom, 0.2),
 			};
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Makes <paramref name="dockable"/> both the active and the focused dockable within
+		/// <paramref name="owner"/>. The two always go together -- surfacing a dockable without
+		/// focusing it (or vice versa) is a half-done activation -- so they're paired here and
+		/// callers do the (varying) "add it to the dock first" step themselves.
+		/// </summary>
+		public void ActivateAndFocus(IDock owner, IDockable dockable)
+		{
+			SetActiveDockable(dockable);
+			SetFocusedDockable(owner, dockable);
+		}
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Brings a tool pane into view: activates it if it is already shown, otherwise
 		/// materialises it -- (re)creating its home <see cref="ToolDock"/> at the pane's
@@ -477,8 +489,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 			// Already live in the layout -> just activate it where it sits.
 			if (pane.Owner is IDock current && current.VisibleDockables?.Contains(pane) == true)
 			{
-				SetActiveDockable(pane);
-				SetFocusedDockable(current, pane);
+				ActivateAndFocus(current, pane);
 				return pane;
 			}
 
@@ -486,8 +497,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.Docking
 			if (dock is null)
 				return pane;
 			AddDockable(dock, pane);
-			SetActiveDockable(pane);
-			SetFocusedDockable(dock, pane);
+			ActivateAndFocus(dock, pane);
 			return pane;
 		}