diff --git a/server/documents/modules/modal.html.eco b/server/documents/modules/modal.html.eco
index ece802be4..d069e4009 100755
--- a/server/documents/modules/modal.html.eco
+++ b/server/documents/modules/modal.html.eco
@@ -365,31 +365,38 @@ type        : 'UI Module'
         <tr>
           <td>detachable</td>
           <td>true</td>
-          <td>If set to false will prevent the modal from being moved to inside the dimmer</td>
+          <td>Setting to to false will prevent the modal from being removed from the DOM and appended to the dimmer</td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>allowMultiple</td>
           <td>false</td>
-          <td>If set to true will not close other visible modals when opening a new one</td>
+          <td>Setting to true will prevent closing other visible modals when opening a new one</td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>offset</td>
           <td>0</td>
-          <td>A vertical offset to allow for content outside of modal, for example a close button, to be centered.</td>
+          <td>A vertical offset to allow for content outside of the modal (close button, etc)</td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>context</td>
           <td>
           body
           </td>
-          <td>Selector or jquery object specifying the area to dim</td>
+          <td>A CSS selector or jQuery object specifying the area to dim</td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>closable</td>
           <td>
           true
           </td>
-          <td>Settings to false will not allow you to close the modal by clicking on the dimmer</td>
+          <td>Setting to false will not allow you to close the modal by clicking on the dimmer</td>
+        </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>autofocus</td>
+          <td>
+          true
+          </td>
+          <td>Setting to false will prevent autofocusing on the first input within the modal</td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>useCSS</td>
@@ -417,7 +424,7 @@ type        : 'UI Module'
           <td>
             easeOutExpo
           </td>
-          <td>Animation easing is only used if javascript animations are used.</td>
+          <td>Animation easing is only used if javascript animations are used</td>
         </tr>
       </tbody>
     </table>
diff --git a/src/modules/modal.js b/src/modules/modal.js
index 2680f0f8a..df1aa99a0 100755
--- a/src/modules/modal.js
+++ b/src/modules/modal.js
@@ -252,50 +252,52 @@ $.fn.modal = function(parameters) {
         },
 
         showModal: function(callback) {
+          if(module.is.active()) {
+            module.debug('Modal is already visible');
+            return;
+          }
+
           callback = $.isFunction(callback)
             ? callback
             : function(){}
           ;
-          if( !module.is.active() ) {
 
-            if(module.cache === undefined) {
-              module.cacheSizes();
-            }
-            module.set.position();
-            module.set.screenHeight();
-            module.set.type();
+          module.save.focus();
+          module.add.keyboardShortcuts();
+
+          if(module.cache === undefined) {
+            module.cacheSizes();
+          }
+          module.set.position();
+          module.set.screenHeight();
+          module.set.type();
 
-            if(module.othersVisible()  && !settings.allowMultiple) {
-              module.debug('Other modals visible, queueing show animation');
-              module.hideOthers(module.showModal);
+          if(module.othersVisible()  && !settings.allowMultiple) {
+            module.debug('Other modals visible, queueing show animation');
+            module.hideOthers(module.showModal);
+          }
+          else {
+            $.proxy(settings.onShow, element)();
+
+            var transitionCallback = function() {
+              module.set.active();
+              $.proxy(settings.onVisible, element)();
+              callback();
+            };
+
+            if(settings.transition && $.fn.transition !== undefined && $module.transition('is supported')) {
+              module.debug('Showing modal with css animations');
+              $module
+                .transition(settings.transition + ' in', settings.duration, transitionCallback)
+              ;
             }
             else {
-              $.proxy(settings.onShow, element)();
-              if(settings.transition && $.fn.transition !== undefined && $module.transition('is supported')) {
-                module.debug('Showing modal with css animations');
-                $module
-                  .transition(settings.transition + ' in', settings.duration, function() {
-                    $.proxy(settings.onVisible, element)();
-                    module.set.active();
-                    callback();
-                  })
-                ;
-              }
-              else {
-                module.debug('Showing modal with javascript');
-                $module
-                  .fadeIn(settings.duration, settings.easing, function() {
-                    $.proxy(settings.onVisible, element)();
-                    module.set.active();
-                    callback();
-                  })
-                ;
-              }
+              module.debug('Showing modal with javascript');
+              $module
+                .fadeIn(settings.duration, settings.easing, transitionCallback)
+              ;
             }
           }
-          else {
-            module.debug('Modal is already visible');
-          }
         },
 
         showDimmer: function() {
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ $.fn.modal = function(parameters) {
             $dimmable.dimmer('show');
           }
           else {
-            module.debug('Dimmer already visible');
+            module.debug('Dimmer is already visible');
           }
         },
 
@@ -322,7 +324,7 @@ $.fn.modal = function(parameters) {
 
         hideDimmer: function() {
           if( !module.is.active() ) {
-            module.debug('Dimmer is not visible cannot hide');
+            module.debug('Dimmer is already hidden');
             return;
           }
           module.debug('Hiding dimmer');
@@ -343,35 +345,37 @@ $.fn.modal = function(parameters) {
         },
 
         hideModal: function(callback) {
+          if(!module.is.active()) {
+            module.debug('Modal is already hidden');
+            return;
+          }
+
           callback = $.isFunction(callback)
             ? callback
             : function(){}
           ;
-          if( !module.is.active() ) {
-            module.debug('Cannot hide modal it is not active');
-            return;
-          }
-          module.debug('Hiding modal');
+
+          module.restore.focus();
           module.remove.keyboardShortcuts();
+
           $.proxy(settings.onHide, element)();
+
+          var transitionCallback = function() {
+            module.remove.active();
+            $.proxy(settings.onHidden, element)();
+            callback();
+          };
+
           if(settings.transition && $.fn.transition !== undefined && $module.transition('is supported')) {
+            module.debug('Hiding modal with css animations');
             $module
-              .transition(settings.transition + ' out', settings.duration, function() {
-                $.proxy(settings.onHidden, element)();
-                module.remove.active();
-                module.restore.focus();
-                callback();
-              })
+              .transition(settings.transition + ' out', settings.duration, transitionCallback)
             ;
           }
           else {
+            module.debug('Hiding modal with javascript');
             $module
-              .fadeOut(settings.duration, settings.easing, function() {
-                $.proxy(settings.onHidden, element)();
-                module.remove.active();
-                module.restore.focus();
-                callback();
-              })
+              .fadeOut(settings.duration, settings.easing, transitionCallback)
             ;
           }
         },
@@ -489,17 +493,22 @@ $.fn.modal = function(parameters) {
             }
           },
           active: function() {
-            module.add.keyboardShortcuts();
-            module.save.focus();
-            $module
-              .addClass(className.active)
-            ;
+            $module.addClass(className.active);
+
             if(settings.closable) {
               $dimmer
                 .off('click' + eventNamespace)
                 .on('click' + eventNamespace, module.event.click)
               ;
             }
+
+            if(settings.autofocus) {
+                var $inputs    = $module.find(':input:visible');
+                var $autofocus = $inputs.filter('[autofocus]');
+                var $input     = $autofocus.length ? $autofocus : $inputs;
+
+                $input.first().focus();
+            }
           },
           scrolling: function() {
             $dimmable.addClass(className.scrolling);
@@ -724,6 +733,7 @@ $.fn.modal.settings = {
   allowMultiple : true,
   detachable    : true,
   closable      : true,
+  autofocus     : true,
   context       : 'body',
 
   duration      : 500,
@@ -765,4 +775,4 @@ $.extend( $.easing, {
   }
 });
 
-})( jQuery, window , document );
\ No newline at end of file
+})( jQuery, window , document );