diff --git a/spec/app/keymap-spec.coffee b/spec/app/keymap-spec.coffee
index 01ef31019..22c56c337 100644
--- a/spec/app/keymap-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/keymap-spec.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Keymap = require 'keymap'
 $ = require 'jquery'
+RootView = require 'root-view'
 
 describe "Keymap", ->
   fragment = null
@@ -23,8 +24,8 @@ describe "Keymap", ->
       keymap.bindKeys '.command-mode', 'x': 'deleteChar'
       keymap.bindKeys '.insert-mode', 'x': 'insertChar'
 
-      deleteCharHandler = jasmine.createSpy 'deleteCharHandler'
-      insertCharHandler = jasmine.createSpy 'insertCharHandler'
+      deleteCharHandler = jasmine.createSpy('deleteCharHandler')
+      insertCharHandler = jasmine.createSpy('insertCharHandler')
       fragment.on 'deleteChar', deleteCharHandler
       fragment.on 'insertChar', insertCharHandler
 
@@ -149,6 +150,19 @@ describe "Keymap", ->
             keymap.handleKeyEvent(keydownEvent('y', target: target))
             expect(bazHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
 
+      describe "when the event's target is the document body", ->
+        it "triggers the mapped event on the rootView", ->
+          rootView = new RootView
+          keymap.bindKeys 'body', 'x': 'foo'
+          fooHandler = jasmine.createSpy("fooHandler")
+          rootView.on 'foo', fooHandler
+
+          result = keymap.handleKeyEvent(keydownEvent('x', target: document.body))
+          expect(result).toBe(false)
+          expect(fooHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
+          expect(deleteCharHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+          expect(insertCharHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
     describe "when at least one binding partially matches the event's keystroke", ->
       [quitHandler, closeOtherWindowsHandler] = []
 
diff --git a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
index b046bef30..1e2dc9786 100644
--- a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
@@ -201,11 +201,11 @@ describe "RootView", ->
           expect(rootView.find('#two')).not.toMatchSelector(':focus')
 
       describe "when there are no visible focusable elements", ->
-        it "retains focus itself", ->
+        it "surrenders focus to the body", ->
           rootView.remove()
           rootView = new RootView(require.resolve 'fixtures')
           rootView.attachToDom()
-          expect(rootView).toMatchSelector(':focus')
+          expect(document.activeElement).toBe $('body')[0]
 
   describe "panes", ->
     [pane1, newPaneContent] = []
diff --git a/spec/spec-helper.coffee b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
index c46be84fe..d00160158 100644
--- a/spec/spec-helper.coffee
+++ b/spec/spec-helper.coffee
@@ -93,9 +93,8 @@ window.keyIdentifierForKey = (key) ->
     "U+00" + charCode.toString(16)
 
 window.keydownEvent = (key, properties={}) ->
-  event = $.Event "keydown", _.extend({originalEvent: { keyIdentifier: keyIdentifierForKey(key) }}, properties)
-  # event.keystroke = (new Keymap).keystrokeStringForEvent(event)
-  event
+  properties = $.extend({originalEvent: { keyIdentifier: keyIdentifierForKey(key) }}, properties)
+  $.Event("keydown", properties)
 
 window.mouseEvent = (type, properties) ->
   if properties.point
diff --git a/src/app/keymap.coffee b/src/app/keymap.coffee
index 97cf4303b..d7e2ae6e9 100644
--- a/src/app/keymap.coffee
+++ b/src/app/keymap.coffee
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ class Keymap
         b.specificity - a.specificity
 
   triggerCommandEvent: (keyEvent, commandName) ->
+    keyEvent.target = rootView[0] if keyEvent.target == document.body and window.rootView
     commandEvent = $.Event(commandName)
     commandEvent.keyEvent = keyEvent
     aborted = false
diff --git a/src/app/root-view.coffee b/src/app/root-view.coffee
index 4063ee863..2b86d95dc 100644
--- a/src/app/root-view.coffee
+++ b/src/app/root-view.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class RootView extends View
     disabledPackages: []
 
   @content: ->
-    @div id: 'root-view', tabindex: 0, =>
+    @div id: 'root-view', =>
       @div id: 'horizontal', outlet: 'horizontal', =>
         @div id: 'vertical', outlet: 'vertical', =>
           @div id: 'panes', outlet: 'panes'
diff --git a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
index 76f8bd476..9d90f26d3 100644
--- a/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/fuzzy-finder/spec/fuzzy-finder-spec.coffee
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
           expect(finder.miniEditor.isFocused).toBeFalsy()
 
       describe "when no editors are open", ->
-        it "detaches the finder and focuses the previously focused element", ->
+        it "detaches the finder and surrenders focus to the body", ->
           rootView.attachToDom()
           rootView.getActiveEditor().destroyActiveEditSession()
 
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ describe 'FuzzyFinder', ->
           finder.cancel()
 
           expect(finder.hasParent()).toBeFalsy()
-          expect($(document.activeElement).view()).toBe rootView
+          expect(document.activeElement).toBe $('body')[0]
           expect(finder.miniEditor.isFocused).toBeFalsy()
 
   describe "cached file paths", ->
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/keymaps/tree-view.cson b/src/packages/tree-view/keymaps/tree-view.cson
index 1e198d26d..0bdf1b863 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/keymaps/tree-view.cson
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/keymaps/tree-view.cson
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-'#root-view':
+'body':
   'meta-\\': 'tree-view:toggle'
   'meta-|': 'tree-view:reveal-active-file'