diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/agent.coffee b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/agent.coffee
index 391218d..1081546 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/agent.coffee
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/agent.coffee
@@ -235,6 +235,16 @@ class PoltergeistAgent.Node
   isDisabled: ->
     @element.disabled || @element.tagName == 'OPTION' && @element.parentNode.disabled
 
+  containsSelection: ->
+    selectedNode = document.getSelection().focusNode
+
+    return false if !selectedNode
+
+    if selectedNode.nodeType == 3
+      selectedNode = selectedNode.parentNode
+
+    @element.contains(selectedNode)
+
   frameOffset: ->
     win    = window
     offset = { top: 0, left: 0 }
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/browser.coffee b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/browser.coffee
index 984e0c3..7ecb1cc 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/browser.coffee
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/browser.coffee
@@ -262,9 +262,13 @@ class Poltergeist.Browser
     this.sendResponse(true)
 
   send_keys: (page_id, id, keys) ->
+    target = this.node(page_id, id)
+
     # Programmatically generated focus doesn't work for `sendKeys`.
     # That's why we need something more realistic like user behavior.
-    this.node(page_id, id).mouseEvent('click')
+    if !target.containsSelection()
+      target.mouseEvent('click')
+
     for sequence in keys
       key = if sequence.key? then @page.native.event.key[sequence.key] else sequence
       @page.sendEvent('keypress', key)
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/agent.js b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/agent.js
index 7a21478..e007526 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/agent.js
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/agent.js
@@ -365,6 +365,18 @@ PoltergeistAgent.Node = (function() {
     return this.element.disabled || this.element.tagName === 'OPTION' && this.element.parentNode.disabled;
   };
 
+  Node.prototype.containsSelection = function() {
+    var selectedNode;
+    selectedNode = document.getSelection().focusNode;
+    if (!selectedNode) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (selectedNode.nodeType === 3) {
+      selectedNode = selectedNode.parentNode;
+    }
+    return this.element.contains(selectedNode);
+  };
+
   Node.prototype.frameOffset = function() {
     var offset, rect, style, win;
     win = window;
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/browser.js b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/browser.js
index 141cd9a..d31ce15 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/browser.js
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/browser.js
@@ -351,8 +351,11 @@ Poltergeist.Browser = (function() {
   };
 
   Browser.prototype.send_keys = function(page_id, id, keys) {
-    var key, sequence, _i, _len;
-    this.node(page_id, id).mouseEvent('click');
+    var key, sequence, target, _i, _len;
+    target = this.node(page_id, id);
+    if (!target.containsSelection()) {
+      target.mouseEvent('click');
+    }
     for (_i = 0, _len = keys.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
       sequence = keys[_i];
       key = sequence.key != null ? this.page["native"].event.key[sequence.key] : sequence;
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/node.js b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/node.js
index 37611b0..7665dbf 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/node.js
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/compiled/node.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var __slice = [].slice;
 Poltergeist.Node = (function() {
   var name, _fn, _i, _len, _ref;
 
-  Node.DELEGATES = ['allText', 'visibleText', 'getAttribute', 'value', 'set', 'setAttribute', 'isObsolete', 'removeAttribute', 'isMultiple', 'select', 'tagName', 'find', 'getAttributes', 'isVisible', 'position', 'trigger', 'parentId', 'parentIds', 'mouseEventTest', 'scrollIntoView', 'isDOMEqual', 'isDisabled', 'deleteText'];
+  Node.DELEGATES = ['allText', 'visibleText', 'getAttribute', 'value', 'set', 'setAttribute', 'isObsolete', 'removeAttribute', 'isMultiple', 'select', 'tagName', 'find', 'getAttributes', 'isVisible', 'position', 'trigger', 'parentId', 'parentIds', 'mouseEventTest', 'scrollIntoView', 'isDOMEqual', 'isDisabled', 'deleteText', 'containsSelection'];
 
   function Node(page, id) {
     this.page = page;
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/node.coffee b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/node.coffee
index c354708..7aa722c 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/node.coffee
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client/node.coffee
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class Poltergeist.Node
   @DELEGATES = ['allText', 'visibleText', 'getAttribute', 'value', 'set', 'setAttribute', 'isObsolete',
                 'removeAttribute', 'isMultiple', 'select', 'tagName', 'find', 'getAttributes',
                 'isVisible', 'position', 'trigger', 'parentId', 'parentIds', 'mouseEventTest',
-                'scrollIntoView', 'isDOMEqual', 'isDisabled', 'deleteText']
+                'scrollIntoView', 'isDOMEqual', 'isDisabled', 'deleteText', 'containsSelection']
 
   constructor: (@page, @id) ->
 
diff --git a/spec/integration/driver_spec.rb b/spec/integration/driver_spec.rb
index 4f60bd5..830bd66 100644
--- a/spec/integration/driver_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/driver_spec.rb
@@ -779,6 +779,16 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
         expect(input.text).to eq('Input')
       end
 
+      it 'persists focus across calls' do
+        input = @session.find(:css, '#empty_div')
+
+        input.native.send_keys('helo')
+        input.native.send_keys(:Left)
+        input.native.send_keys('l')
+
+        expect(input.text).to eq('hello')
+      end
+
       it 'sends keys to filled contenteditable div' do
         input = @session.find(:css, '#filled_div')