diff --git a/packages/ckeditor5-ui/src/menubar/utils.ts b/packages/ckeditor5-ui/src/menubar/utils.ts
index 276f43e30c8..53cc1c0ba72 100644
--- a/packages/ckeditor5-ui/src/menubar/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/ckeditor5-ui/src/menubar/utils.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,12 @@ export const MenuBarBehaviors = {
 
 		menuBarView.on<ObservableChangeEvent<boolean>>( 'change:isOpen', ( _, evt, isOpen ) => {
 			if ( !isOpen ) {
-				menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled = false;
+				// Keep the focus border if the menu bar was closed by a keyboard interaction (Esc key).
+				// The user remains in the keyboard navigation mode and can traverse the main categories.
+				// See https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor5/issues/16719.
+				if ( !isKeyPressed ) {
+					menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled = false;
+				}
 
 				// Reset the flag when the menu bar is closed, menu items tend to intercept `keyup` event
 				// and sometimes, after pressing `enter` on focused item, `isKeyPressed` stuck in `true` state.
diff --git a/packages/ckeditor5-ui/tests/menubar/utils.js b/packages/ckeditor5-ui/tests/menubar/utils.js
index 7362cc7177f..87cc363411f 100644
--- a/packages/ckeditor5-ui/tests/menubar/utils.js
+++ b/packages/ckeditor5-ui/tests/menubar/utils.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * For licensing, see LICENSE.md or https://ckeditor.com/legal/ckeditor-oss-license
  */
 
-/* global document, Event, KeyboardEvent */
+/* global document, Event, KeyboardEvent, MouseEvent */
 
 import testUtils from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-core/tests/_utils/utils.js';
 import {
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ describe( 'MenuBarView utils', () => {
 			it( 'should set proper isFocusBorderEnabled when a clicked and focused item on opened menu', () => {
 				const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
 
-				sinon.stub( menuBarView.element, 'matches' ).withArgs( ':focus-within' ).returns( true	);
+				sinon.stub( menuBarView.element, 'matches' ).withArgs( ':focus-within' ).returns( true );
 
 				const menuA = getMenuByLabel( menuBarView, 'A' );
 
@@ -991,6 +991,43 @@ describe( 'MenuBarView utils', () => {
 
 				expect( menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled ).to.be.false;
 			} );
+
+			it( 'should not clean #isFocusBorderEnabled if the menu bar was closed by an Esc key press', async () => {
+				const menuA = getMenuByLabel( menuBarView, 'A' );
+
+				menuA.buttonView.focus();
+
+				menuA.element.dispatchEvent( new KeyboardEvent( 'keydown', { keyCode: keyCodes.arrowdown } ) );
+				await wait( 10 );
+				menuA.element.dispatchEvent( new KeyboardEvent( 'keyup', { keyCode: keyCodes.arrowdown } ) );
+
+				await wait( 100 );
+				expect( menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled ).to.be.true;
+				expect( menuBarView.isOpen ).to.be.true;
+
+				menuA.element.dispatchEvent( new KeyboardEvent( 'keydown', { keyCode: keyCodes.esc } ) );
+				await wait( 10 );
+				menuA.element.dispatchEvent( new KeyboardEvent( 'keyup', { keyCode: keyCodes.esc } ) );
+
+				expect( menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled ).to.be.true;
+				expect( menuBarView.isOpen ).to.be.false;
+			} );
+
+			it( 'should clean #isFocusBorderEnabled if the menu bar was closed without use of a keyboard', async () => {
+				const menuA = getMenuByLabel( menuBarView, 'A' );
+
+				menuA.buttonView.element.dispatchEvent( new MouseEvent( 'click' ) );
+
+				await wait( 10 );
+				expect( menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled ).to.be.false;
+				expect( menuBarView.isOpen ).to.be.true;
+
+				menuA.buttonView.element.dispatchEvent( new MouseEvent( 'click' ) );
+				await wait( 10 );
+
+				expect( menuBarView.isFocusBorderEnabled ).to.be.false;
+				expect( menuBarView.isOpen ).to.be.false;
+			} );
 		} );
 	} );