diff --git a/src/NavItem.js b/src/NavItem.js
index 748c65f260..0ef949fb08 100644
--- a/src/NavItem.js
+++ b/src/NavItem.js
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ const NavItem = React.createClass({
         title,
         target,
         children,
+        tabIndex, //eslint-disable-line
         'aria-controls': ariaControls,
         ...props } = this.props;
     let classes = {
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ const NavItem = React.createClass({
       href,
       title,
       target,
+      tabIndex,
       id: linkId,
       onClick: this.handleClick
     };
diff --git a/src/Tabs.js b/src/Tabs.js
index edd6c56862..a6b2809127 100644
--- a/src/Tabs.js
+++ b/src/Tabs.js
@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 import classNames from 'classnames';
-import React, { cloneElement } from 'react';
+import React, { cloneElement, findDOMNode } from 'react';
 
 import Col from './Col';
 import Nav from './Nav';
 import NavItem from './NavItem';
 import styleMaps from './styleMaps';
-
+import keycode from 'keycode';
+import createChainedFunction from './utils/createChainedFunction';
 import ValidComponentChildren from './utils/ValidComponentChildren';
 
 let paneId = (props, child) => child.props.id ? child.props.id : props.id && (props.id + '___pane___' + child.props.eventKey);
 let tabId = (props, child) => child.props.id ? child.props.id + '___tab' : props.id && (props.id + '___tab___' + child.props.eventKey);
 
+let findChild = ValidComponentChildren.find;
+
 function getDefaultActiveKeyFromChildren(children) {
   let defaultActiveKey;
 
@@ -23,6 +26,30 @@ function getDefaultActiveKeyFromChildren(children) {
   return defaultActiveKey;
 }
 
+function move(children, currentKey, keys, moveNext) {
+  let lastIdx = keys.length - 1;
+  let stopAt = keys[moveNext ? Math.max(lastIdx, 0) : 0];
+  let nextKey = currentKey;
+
+  function getNext() {
+    let idx = keys.indexOf(nextKey);
+    nextKey = moveNext
+      ? keys[Math.min(lastIdx, idx + 1)]
+      : keys[Math.max(0, idx - 1)];
+
+    return findChild(children,
+      _child => _child.props.eventKey === nextKey);
+  }
+
+  let next = getNext();
+
+  while (next.props.eventKey !== stopAt && next.props.disabled) {
+    next = getNext();
+  }
+
+  return next.props.disabled ? currentKey : next.props.eventKey;
+}
+
 const Tabs = React.createClass({
   propTypes: {
     activeKey: React.PropTypes.any,
@@ -103,6 +130,22 @@ const Tabs = React.createClass({
     }
   },
 
+  componentDidUpdate() {
+    let tabs = this._tabs;
+    let tabIdx = this._eventKeys().indexOf(this.getActiveKey());
+
+    if (this._needsRefocus) {
+      this._needsRefocus = false;
+      if (tabs && tabIdx !== -1) {
+        let tabNode = findDOMNode(tabs[tabIdx]);
+
+        if (tabNode) {
+          tabNode.firstChild.focus();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
+
   handlePaneAnimateOutEnd() {
     this.setState({
       previousActiveKey: null
@@ -223,20 +266,23 @@ const Tabs = React.createClass({
     );
   },
 
-  renderTab(child) {
+  renderTab(child, index) {
     if (child.props.title == null) {
       return null;
     }
 
-    let {eventKey, title, disabled} = child.props;
+    let { eventKey, title, disabled, onKeyDown, tabIndex = 0 } = child.props;
+    let isActive = this.getActiveKey() === eventKey;
 
     return (
       <NavItem
         linkId={tabId(this.props, child)}
-        ref={'tab' + eventKey}
+        ref={ref => (this._tabs || (this._tabs = []))[index] = ref}
         aria-controls={paneId(this.props, child)}
+        onKeyDown={createChainedFunction(this.handleKeyDown, onKeyDown)}
         eventKey={eventKey}
-        disabled={disabled}>
+        tabIndex={isActive ? tabIndex : -1}
+        disabled={disabled }>
         {title}
       </NavItem>
     );
@@ -286,6 +332,46 @@ const Tabs = React.createClass({
         previousActiveKey
       });
     }
+  },
+
+  handleKeyDown(event) {
+    let keys = this._eventKeys();
+    let currentKey = this.getActiveKey() || keys[0];
+    let next;
+
+    switch (event.keyCode) {
+
+    case keycode.codes.left:
+    case keycode.codes.up:
+      next = move(this.props.children, currentKey, keys, false);
+
+      if (next && next !== currentKey) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        this.handleSelect(next);
+        this._needsRefocus = true;
+      }
+      break;
+    case keycode.codes.right:
+    case keycode.codes.down:
+      next = move(this.props.children, currentKey, keys, true);
+
+      if (next && next !== currentKey) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        this.handleSelect(next);
+        this._needsRefocus = true;
+      }
+      break;
+    default:
+    }
+  },
+
+  _eventKeys() {
+    let keys = [];
+
+    ValidComponentChildren.forEach(this.props.children,
+      ({props: { eventKey }}) => keys.push(eventKey));
+
+    return keys;
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/src/utils/ValidComponentChildren.js b/src/utils/ValidComponentChildren.js
index 1ec9384ffb..03a8896017 100644
--- a/src/utils/ValidComponentChildren.js
+++ b/src/utils/ValidComponentChildren.js
@@ -82,9 +82,22 @@ function hasValidComponent(children) {
   return hasValid;
 }
 
+function find(children, finder) {
+  let child;
+
+  forEachValidComponents(children, (c, idx)=> {
+    if (!child && finder(c, idx, children)) {
+      child = c;
+    }
+  });
+
+  return child;
+}
+
 export default {
   map: mapValidComponents,
   forEach: forEachValidComponents,
   numberOf: numberOfValidComponents,
+  find,
   hasValidComponent
 };
diff --git a/test/NavItemSpec.js b/test/NavItemSpec.js
index 6e665be08c..66a4d353a6 100644
--- a/test/NavItemSpec.js
+++ b/test/NavItemSpec.js
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ describe('NavItem', function () {
     assert.ok(!React.findDOMNode(instance).hasAttribute('title'));
   });
 
+  it('Should pass tabIndex to the anchor', () => {
+    let instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+      <NavItem href='/hi' tabIndex='3' title='boom!'>
+        Item content
+      </NavItem>
+    );
+
+    let node = React.findDOMNode(instance);
+
+    expect(node.hasAttribute('tabindex')).to.equal(false);
+    expect(node.firstChild.getAttribute('tabindex')).to.equal('3');
+
+  });
+
   it('Should call `onSelect` when item is selected', function (done) {
     function handleSelect(key) {
       assert.equal(key, '2');
diff --git a/test/TabsSpec.js b/test/TabsSpec.js
index 4cade1a2ca..1103b05898 100644
--- a/test/TabsSpec.js
+++ b/test/TabsSpec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import ReactTestUtils from 'react/lib/ReactTestUtils';
+import keycode from 'keycode';
 
 import Col from '../src/Col';
 import Nav from '../src/Nav';
@@ -432,6 +433,63 @@ describe('Tabs', function () {
     checkTabRemovingWithAnimation(false);
   });
 
+  describe('keyboard navigation', function() {
+    let instance;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      instance = render(
+        <Tabs defaultActiveKey={1} id='tabs'>
+          <Tab id='pane-1' title="Tab 1" eventKey={1}>Tab 1 content</Tab>
+          <Tab id='pane-2' title="Tab 2" eventKey={2} disabled>Tab 2 content</Tab>
+          <Tab id='pane-2' title="Tab 3" eventKey={3}>Tab 3 content</Tab>
+        </Tabs>
+      , document.body);
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+      instance = React.unmountComponentAtNode(document.body);
+    });
+
+    it('only the active tab should be focusable', () => {
+      let tabs = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedComponentsWithType(instance, NavItem);
+
+      expect(React.findDOMNode(tabs[0]).firstChild.getAttribute('tabindex')).to.equal('0');
+
+      expect(React.findDOMNode(tabs[1]).firstChild.getAttribute('tabindex')).to.equal('-1');
+      expect(React.findDOMNode(tabs[2]).firstChild.getAttribute('tabindex')).to.equal('-1');
+    });
+
+    it('should focus the next tab on arrow key', () => {
+      let tabs = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedComponentsWithType(instance, NavItem);
+
+      let firstAnchor = React.findDOMNode(tabs[0]).firstChild;
+      let lastAnchor = React.findDOMNode(tabs[2]).firstChild; // skip disabled
+
+      firstAnchor.focus();
+
+      ReactTestUtils.Simulate.keyDown(firstAnchor, { keyCode: keycode('right') });
+
+      expect(instance.getActiveKey() === 2);
+      expect(document.activeElement).to.equal(lastAnchor);
+    });
+
+    it('should focus the previous tab on arrow key', () => {
+      instance.setState({ activeKey: 3 });
+
+      let tabs = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedComponentsWithType(instance, NavItem);
+
+      let firstAnchor = React.findDOMNode(tabs[0]).firstChild;
+      let lastAnchor = React.findDOMNode(tabs[2]).firstChild;
+
+      lastAnchor.focus();
+
+      ReactTestUtils.Simulate.keyDown(lastAnchor, { keyCode: keycode('left') });
+
+      expect(instance.getActiveKey() === 2);
+      expect(document.activeElement).to.equal(firstAnchor);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Web Accessibility', function() {
     let instance;
     beforeEach(function() {