diff --git a/cypress/integration/dialog.test.ts b/cypress/integration/dialog.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d1934f69d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cypress/integration/dialog.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/* eslint-disable jest/expect-expect */
+describe("dialog", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    cy.visit("/dialog")
+    cy.injectAxe()
+    cy.findByTestId("trigger-1").realClick()
+  })
+
+  it("should have no accessibility violation", () => {
+    cy.checkA11y(".dialog__content")
+  })
+
+  it("should focus on close button when dialog is open", () => {
+    cy.findByTestId("close-1").should("have.focus")
+  })
+
+  it("should trap focus within dialog", () => {
+    cy.findByTestId("close-1").should("have.focus")
+    cy.findByTestId("close-1").tab().tab().tab().tab()
+    cy.findByTestId("close-1").should("have.focus")
+  })
+
+  it("should close modal on escape", () => {
+    cy.focused().realType("{esc}")
+    cy.findByTestId("trigger-1").should("have.focus")
+  })
+
+  // potentially flaky test
+  it("should close modal on overlay click", () => {
+    cy.findByTestId("overlay-1").click(400, 400, { force: true })
+    cy.findByTestId("trigger-1").should("have.focus")
+  })
+
+  describe("Nested dialogs", () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      cy.findByTestId("trigger-2").click()
+    })
+    it("should focus close button", () => {
+      cy.findByTestId("close-2").should("have.focus")
+    })
+
+    it("should trap focus", () => {
+      cy.findByTestId("close-2").tab().tab()
+      cy.findByTestId("close-2").should("have.focus")
+    })
+
+    it("should focus on nested buttton on escape", () => {
+      cy.findByTestId("close-2").realType("{esc}")
+      cy.findByTestId("trigger-2").should("have.focus")
+    })
+
+    it("should close modal on overlay click", () => {
+      cy.findByTestId("overlay-2").click(400, 400, { force: true })
+      cy.findByTestId("trigger-2").should("have.focus")
+    })
+
+    it("should close parent modal from child", () => {
+      cy.findByTestId("special-close").realClick()
+      cy.findByTestId("overlay-2").should("not.exist")
+      cy.findByTestId("overlay-1").should("not.exist")
+      // This works in browsers but not in cypress for some reason
+      //   cy.findByTestId("trigger-1").should("have.focus")
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/cypress/support/commands.ts b/cypress/support/commands.ts
index 2b1b35fe46..3ac4a23f30 100644
--- a/cypress/support/commands.ts
+++ b/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import "cypress-axe"
 
 const COMMAND_DELAY = 500
 
-for (const cmd of ["click", "trigger", "type"]) {
+for (const cmd of ["click", "trigger", "type", "tab"]) {
   Cypress.Commands.overwrite(cmd, (fn, ...args) => {
     return fn(...args).then((val) => {
       return Cypress.Promise.resolve(val).delay(COMMAND_DELAY)
diff --git a/cypress/support/index.ts b/cypress/support/index.ts
index c22d573fd3..afb9cf883d 100644
--- a/cypress/support/index.ts
+++ b/cypress/support/index.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 // Import commands.js using ES2015 syntax:
 import "@testing-library/cypress/add-commands"
 import "cypress-real-events/support"
+import "cypress-plugin-tab"
 import "./commands"
 
 // Import commands.js using ES2015 syntax:
diff --git a/examples/next-ts/pages/dialog.tsx b/examples/next-ts/pages/dialog.tsx
index 4c9c58fe16..8e6fc7c6e4 100644
--- a/examples/next-ts/pages/dialog.tsx
+++ b/examples/next-ts/pages/dialog.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export default function Page() {
   // Dialog 1
   const [state, send] = useMachine(
     dialog.machine.withContext({
-      initialFocusEl: () => inputRef.current,
+      // initialFocusEl: () => inputRef.current,
     }),
   )
   const ref = useSetup<HTMLButtonElement>({ send, id: "123" })
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ export default function Page() {
     <>
       <div ref={ref2}>
         <div className="root">
-          <button ref={ref} className="dialog__button" {...d1.triggerProps}>
+          <button ref={ref} className="dialog__button" {...d1.triggerProps} data-testid="trigger-1">
             Open Dialog
           </button>
           <div style={{ minHeight: "1200px" }} />
           {d1.isOpen && (
             <Portal>
-              <div className="dialog__overlay" {...d1.overlayProps} />
+              <div className="dialog__overlay" {...d1.overlayProps} data-testid="overlay-1" />
             </Portal>
           )}
           {d1.isOpen && (
@@ -41,19 +41,19 @@ export default function Page() {
                   Edit profile
                 </h2>
                 <p {...d1.descriptionProps}>Make changes to your profile here. Click save when you are done.</p>
-                <button className="dialog__close-button" {...d1.closeButtonProps}>
+                <button className="dialog__close-button" {...d1.closeButtonProps} data-testid="close-1">
                   X
                 </button>
-                <input type="text" ref={inputRef} placeholder="Enter name..." />
-                <button>Save Changes</button>
+                <input type="text" ref={inputRef} placeholder="Enter name..." data-testid="input-1" />
+                <button data-testid="save-button-1">Save Changes</button>
 
-                <button className="dialog__button" {...d2.triggerProps}>
+                <button className="dialog__button" {...d2.triggerProps} data-testid="trigger-2">
                   Open Nested
                 </button>
 
                 {d2.isOpen && (
                   <Portal>
-                    <div className="dialog__overlay" {...d2.overlayProps} />
+                    <div className="dialog__overlay" {...d2.overlayProps} data-testid="overlay-2" />
                   </Portal>
                 )}
                 {d2.isOpen && (
@@ -62,10 +62,12 @@ export default function Page() {
                       <h2 className="dialog__title" {...d2.titleProps}>
                         Nested
                       </h2>
-                      <button className="dialog__close-button" {...d2.closeButtonProps}>
+                      <button className="dialog__close-button" {...d2.closeButtonProps} data-testid="close-2">
                         X
                       </button>
-                      <button onClick={() => d1.close()}>Close Dialog 1</button>
+                      <button onClick={() => d1.close()} data-testid="special-close">
+                        Close Dialog 1
+                      </button>
                     </div>
                   </Portal>
                 )}
@@ -120,6 +122,11 @@ export default function Page() {
           right: 10px;
           border-radius: 100%;
         }
+
+        .dialog__close-button:focus {
+          outline: 2px blue solid;
+          outline-offset: 2px;
+        }
       `}</style>
     </>
   )
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7a7482700c..6b3781ebbb 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
     "commitlint": "^12.1.4",
     "cypress": "^8.5.0",
     "cypress-axe": "^0.13.0",
+    "cypress-plugin-tab": "^1.0.5",
     "cypress-real-events": "^1.5.1",
     "eslint": "^7.26.0",
     "eslint-config-prettier": "^8.3.0",
diff --git a/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.connect.ts b/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.connect.ts
index 34419bcda3..97e02ca4c4 100644
--- a/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.connect.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.connect.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export function dialogConnect(
       id: dom.getTriggerId(ctx),
       "aria-haspopup": "dialog",
       type: "button",
-      "aria-expanded": ariaAttr(isOpen),
+      "aria-expanded": isOpen,
       "aria-controls": dom.getContentId(ctx),
       onClick() {
         send(isOpen ? "CLOSE" : "OPEN")
diff --git a/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.machine.ts b/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.machine.ts
index 275db444d2..ee1239a2fc 100644
--- a/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.machine.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/src/dialog/dialog.machine.ts
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ export const dialogMachine = createMachine<DialogMachineContext, DialogMachineSt
             initialFocus: ctx.initialFocusEl,
             setReturnFocus: ctx.finalFocusEl,
           })
-          trap.activate()
+          try {
+            trap.activate()
+          } catch {}
         })
         return () => trap?.deactivate()
       },
@@ -152,7 +154,9 @@ export const dialogMachine = createMachine<DialogMachineContext, DialogMachineSt
         let unhide: VoidFunction
         nextTick(() => {
           const el = dom.getContentEl(ctx)
-          unhide = hideOthers(el)
+          try {
+            unhide = hideOthers(el)
+          } catch {}
         })
         return () => unhide?.()
       },
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 0efe0fe411..3b7f87f152 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -2678,6 +2678,14 @@ ajv@^8.0.1:
     require-from-string "^2.0.2"
     uri-js "^4.2.2"
 
+ally.js@^1.4.1:
+  version "1.4.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ally.js/-/ally.js-1.4.1.tgz#9fb7e6ba58efac4ee9131cb29aa9ee3b540bcf1e"
+  integrity sha1-n7fmuljvrE7pExyymqnuO1QLzx4=
+  dependencies:
+    css.escape "^1.5.0"
+    platform "1.3.3"
+
 anser@1.4.9:
   version "1.4.9"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/anser/-/anser-1.4.9.tgz#1f85423a5dcf8da4631a341665ff675b96845760"
@@ -4027,7 +4035,7 @@ crypto-browserify@3.12.0, crypto-browserify@^3.11.0:
     randombytes "^2.0.0"
     randomfill "^1.0.3"
 
-css.escape@1.5.1, css.escape@^1.5.1:
+css.escape@1.5.1, css.escape@^1.5.0, css.escape@^1.5.1:
   version "1.5.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/css.escape/-/css.escape-1.5.1.tgz#42e27d4fa04ae32f931a4b4d4191fa9cddee97cb"
   integrity sha1-QuJ9T6BK4y+TGktNQZH6nN3ul8s=
@@ -4117,6 +4125,13 @@ cypress-axe@^0.13.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cypress-axe/-/cypress-axe-0.13.0.tgz#3234e1a79a27701f2451fcf2f333eb74204c7966"
   integrity sha512-fCIy7RiDCm7t30U3C99gGwQrUO307EYE1QqXNaf9ToK4DVqW8y5on+0a/kUHMrHdlls2rENF6TN9ZPpPpwLrnw==
 
+cypress-plugin-tab@^1.0.5:
+  version "1.0.5"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cypress-plugin-tab/-/cypress-plugin-tab-1.0.5.tgz#a40714148104004bb05ed62b1bf46bb544f8eb4a"
+  integrity sha512-QtTJcifOVwwbeMP3hsOzQOKf3EqKsLyjtg9ZAGlYDntrCRXrsQhe4ZQGIthRMRLKpnP6/tTk6G0gJ2sZUfRliQ==
+  dependencies:
+    ally.js "^1.4.1"
+
 cypress-real-events@^1.5.1:
   version "1.5.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cypress-real-events/-/cypress-real-events-1.5.1.tgz#5eeb86d2a7aad9aa6d5271e288a23e46373915cd"
@@ -8680,6 +8695,11 @@ pkg-up@^2.0.0:
   dependencies:
     find-up "^2.1.0"
 
+platform@1.3.3:
+  version "1.3.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/platform/-/platform-1.3.3.tgz#646c77011899870b6a0903e75e997e8e51da7461"
+  integrity sha1-ZGx3ARiZhwtqCQPnXpl+jlHadGE=
+
 platform@1.3.6:
   version "1.3.6"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/platform/-/platform-1.3.6.tgz#48b4ce983164b209c2d45a107adb31f473a6e7a7"