diff --git a/.changeset/date-picker-open-on-value.md b/.changeset/date-picker-open-on-value.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5773f32f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/date-picker-open-on-value.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@tailor-platform/app-shell": patch
+---
+
+`DatePicker` and `DateRangePicker` now open their calendar on the current field value. Previously a date typed into the segments (or set from outside while closed) was ignored, so the popover opened on today's month — or on whatever month was last viewed — and arrow-key + Enter selected relative to that. The calendar now focuses the selected/typed date on every open (the range start, else a typed end), falling back to today when empty.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.test.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.test.tsx
index e3e8df6fc..7f82f8c1e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.test.tsx
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ function getCalendarCells() {
   return screen.getAllByRole("button", { hidden: true }).filter((c) => c.closest('[role="grid"]'));
 }
 
+/** Accessible name of the focused element — the roving-focus day cell once the popover opens. */
+const focusedLabel = () => document.activeElement?.getAttribute("aria-label") ?? "";
+
 function getEnabledCalendarCells() {
   return getCalendarCells().filter(
     (c) => !c.hasAttribute("data-disabled") && !c.hasAttribute("data-outside-month"),
@@ -1116,6 +1119,66 @@ describe("DatePicker keyboard", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  // Regression: the calendar's roving focus was seeded once at mount and never
+  // followed the field, so a typed date opened the popover on today's month.
+  it("opens the calendar on a date typed into an empty field (Alt+↓)", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    const onChange = vi.fn();
+    render(<DatePicker aria-label="Date" onChange={onChange} />);
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("spinbutton", { name: "month" }));
+    await user.keyboard("12202025");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]?.toString()).toBe("2025-12-20"));
+
+    await user.keyboard("{Alt>}{ArrowDown}{/Alt}");
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(document.activeElement?.getAttribute("aria-label")).toMatch(/December 20, 2025/);
+    });
+
+    await user.keyboard("{ArrowRight}{Enter}");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]?.toString()).toBe("2025-12-21"));
+  });
+
+  it("re-lands the calendar on the current value each time it opens", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    function Controlled() {
+      const [value, setValue] = useState<CalendarDate | null>(new CalendarDate(2025, 6, 15));
+      return (
+        <>
+          <DatePicker aria-label="Date" value={value} onChange={setValue} />
+          <button type="button" onClick={() => setValue(new CalendarDate(2024, 2, 10))}>
+            set
+          </button>
+          <button type="button" onClick={() => setValue(null)}>
+            clear
+          </button>
+        </>
+      );
+    }
+    render(<Controlled />);
+    const trigger = () => screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Open calendar" });
+
+    // Page away, dismiss, change the value externally — reopening follows the value.
+    await user.click(trigger());
+    await waitFor(() => expect(focusedLabel()).toMatch(/June 15, 2025/));
+    await user.keyboard("{PageDown}{PageDown}{Escape}");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "set" }));
+    await user.click(trigger());
+    await waitFor(() => expect(focusedLabel()).toMatch(/February 10, 2024/));
+
+    // Cleared → falls back to today, not the last-viewed month.
+    await user.keyboard("{Escape}");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "clear" }));
+    await user.click(trigger());
+    const now = today(getLocalTimeZone()).toDate(getLocalTimeZone());
+    const todayLabel = now.toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
+      year: "numeric",
+      month: "long",
+      day: "numeric",
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(focusedLabel()).toContain(todayLabel));
+  });
+
   it("does not blur when focus moves from the field into the popup", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     const onBlur = vi.fn();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.tsx
index 351958931..660e53144 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-field.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   type ReactElement,
   type Ref,
 } from "react";
-import type { DateValue } from "@internationalized/date";
+import { toCalendarDate, today, type DateValue } from "@internationalized/date";
 import { useFieldRootContext } from "@base-ui/react/internals/field-root-context";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { useResolvedLocale, useTimeZone } from "@/contexts/appshell-context";
@@ -287,6 +287,15 @@ const DatePicker = forwardRef(function DatePicker<T extends DateValue = DateValu
     timeZone: resolvedTz,
   });
 
+  const handleOpenChange = (nextOpen: boolean) => {
+    setOpen(nextOpen);
+    // The calendar's focus outlives the popover, so re-land it on the current
+    // (possibly typed) value each time it opens — today when empty (APG).
+    if (nextOpen) {
+      calState.setFocusedDate(val != null ? toCalendarDate(val as never) : today(resolvedTz));
+    }
+  };
+
   const localValidationMessage = useMemo(() => {
     const key = invalidMessageKey(fieldState.invalidReason);
     return key ? t(key) : undefined;
@@ -360,7 +369,7 @@ const DatePicker = forwardRef(function DatePicker<T extends DateValue = DateValu
       />
       <DatePopover
         open={open}
-        onOpenChange={setOpen}
+        onOpenChange={handleOpenChange}
         ariaLabel={popoverAriaLabel}
         ariaLabelledby={bindings.labelledBy}
         popupRef={popupRef}
@@ -376,7 +385,7 @@ const DatePicker = forwardRef(function DatePicker<T extends DateValue = DateValu
             applyShortcut={fieldState.applyShortcut}
             commitOnBlur={fieldState.commitOnBlur}
             expandShortYear={fieldState.expandShortYear}
-            onOpenCalendar={() => setOpen(true)}
+            onOpenCalendar={() => handleOpenChange(true)}
             isDisabled={bindings.isDisabled}
             isReadOnly={bindings.isReadOnly}
             isInvalid={bindings.isInvalid}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.test.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.test.tsx
index fd6e6a3a2..b46310882 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.test.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ async function typeDate(user: ReturnType<typeof userEvent.setup>, field: Field,
   await user.keyboard(year);
 }
 
+/** Accessible name of the focused element — the roving-focus day cell once the popover opens. */
+const focusedLabel = () => document.activeElement?.getAttribute("aria-label") ?? "";
+
 const normalizeIds = (html: string) => html.replace(/id="base-ui-[^"]+"/g, 'id="base-ui-ID"');
 
 // ─── Snapshot ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -448,6 +451,21 @@ describe("DateRangePicker popover", () => {
     expect(await screen.findByRole("dialog")).toBeDefined();
   });
 
+  it("opens on a typed end date when only the end is set, not a stale month", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    render(<DateRangePicker aria-label="Billing period" />);
+
+    // Page away from today and dismiss — the next open must not reuse that month.
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Open calendar" }));
+    await screen.findByRole("dialog");
+    await user.keyboard("{Shift>}{PageUp}{/Shift}{Escape}");
+
+    await typeDate(user, "end date", "2025-12-20");
+    seg("end date", "year").focus();
+    await user.keyboard("{Alt>}{ArrowDown}{/Alt}");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(focusedLabel()).toMatch(/December 20, 2025/));
+  });
+
   it("drops a dangling anchor when the popover is dismissed mid-selection", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     const onChange = vi.fn();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.tsx
index 548c1f569..3daf965a1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/date-field/date-range-picker.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   type ReactElement,
   type Ref,
 } from "react";
-import { toCalendarDate, type DateValue } from "@internationalized/date";
+import { toCalendarDate, today, type DateValue } from "@internationalized/date";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { useFieldRootContext } from "@base-ui/react/internals/field-root-context";
 import { useResolvedLocale, useTimeZone } from "@/contexts/appshell-context";
@@ -266,8 +266,13 @@ const DateRangePicker = forwardRef(function DateRangePicker<T extends DateValue
   const handleOpenChange = (nextOpen: boolean) => {
     setOpen(nextOpen);
     if (nextOpen) {
-      // Land the roving focus on the range start (react-aria's autofocus target).
-      if (startVal != null) calendarState.setFocusedDate(toCalendarDate(startVal as never));
+      // Land the roving focus on the range start (react-aria's autofocus target),
+      // else whichever end is typed, else today — never a stale month from a
+      // previous open.
+      const target = startVal ?? endVal;
+      calendarState.setFocusedDate(
+        target != null ? toCalendarDate(target as never) : today(resolvedTz),
+      );
     } else {
       // Dismissed mid-selection — drop the dangling anchor.
       calendarState.cancelSelection();