diff --git a/.changeset/date-picker-restore-focus.md b/.changeset/date-picker-restore-focus.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8ca60b6a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/date-picker-restore-focus.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+"@zag-js/date-picker": minor
+---
+
+Add `restoreFocus` prop to control whether focus returns to the trigger when
+the picker is dismissed by interacting outside. When unset, the existing
+behavior is preserved: focus is restored only if the outside interaction
+target is not focusable. Closing via the keyboard always restores focus.
+
+Also fix the restore decision being read one cycle stale: the first
+outside-click dismissal after mount never restored focus, while later
+dismissals applied the previous cycle's decision. The restore behavior is
+now consistent on every open/dismiss cycle.
diff --git a/e2e/date-picker.e2e.ts b/e2e/date-picker.e2e.ts
index 18439d48c3..ec02e89080 100644
--- a/e2e/date-picker.e2e.ts
+++ b/e2e/date-picker.e2e.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,31 @@ test.describe("datepicker [single]", () => {
     await I.seeTodayCellIsFocused()
   })
 
+  test("outside click dismissal restores focus to the trigger on every cycle", async () => {
+    // cycle 1
+    await I.clickTrigger()
+    await I.seeContent()
+    await I.clickOutsideToBlur()
+    await I.dontSeeContent()
+    await I.seeTriggerIsFocused()
+
+    // cycle 2 must behave identically to cycle 1
+    await I.clickTrigger()
+    await I.seeContent()
+    await I.clickOutsideToBlur()
+    await I.dontSeeContent()
+    await I.seeTriggerIsFocused()
+  })
+
+  test("restoreFocus=false keeps focus where the user clicked on outside dismissal", async () => {
+    await I.goto("/date-picker/restore-focus")
+    await I.clickTrigger()
+    await I.seeContent()
+    await I.clickOutsideToBlur()
+    await I.dontSeeContent()
+    await I.dontSeeTriggerIsFocused()
+  })
+
   test("closes the calendar on esc", async () => {
     await I.clickTrigger()
     await I.seeContent()
diff --git a/e2e/models/datepicker.model.ts b/e2e/models/datepicker.model.ts
index 538cbb4bea..f4c57f5450 100644
--- a/e2e/models/datepicker.model.ts
+++ b/e2e/models/datepicker.model.ts
@@ -231,6 +231,14 @@ export class DatePickerModel extends Model {
     return expect(this.todayCell).toBeFocused()
   }
 
+  seeTriggerIsFocused() {
+    return expect(this.trigger).toBeFocused()
+  }
+
+  dontSeeTriggerIsFocused() {
+    return expect(this.trigger).not.toBeFocused()
+  }
+
   seePrevDayCellIsFocused(opts?: DayCellOptions) {
     return expect(this.getPrevDayCell(opts)).toBeFocused()
   }
diff --git a/examples/next-ts/pages/date-picker/restore-focus.tsx b/examples/next-ts/pages/date-picker/restore-focus.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..09902c3180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/next-ts/pages/date-picker/restore-focus.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import * as datePicker from "@zag-js/date-picker"
+import { normalizeProps, useMachine } from "@zag-js/react"
+import { datePickerControls } from "@zag-js/shared"
+import { useId } from "react"
+import { StateVisualizer } from "../../components/state-visualizer"
+import { Toolbar } from "../../components/toolbar"
+import { useControls } from "../../hooks/use-controls"
+
+export default function Page() {
+  const controls = useControls(datePickerControls)
+  const service = useMachine(datePicker.machine, {
+    id: useId(),
+    locale: "en",
+    selectionMode: "single",
+    ...controls.context,
+    restoreFocus: false,
+  })
+
+  const api = datePicker.connect(service, normalizeProps)
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <main className="date-picker">
+        <div>
+          <button>Outside Element</button>
+        </div>
+        <p>{`Visible range: ${api.visibleRangeText.formatted}`}</p>
+
+        <output className="date-output">
+          <div>Selected: {api.valueAsString ?? "-"}</div>
+          <div>Focused: {api.focusedValueAsString}</div>
+        </output>
+
+        <div {...api.getControlProps()}>
+          <input {...api.getInputProps()} />
+          <button {...api.getClearTriggerProps()}>❌</button>
+          <button {...api.getTriggerProps()}>🗓</button>
+        </div>
+
+        <div {...api.getPositionerProps()}>
+          <div {...api.getContentProps()}>
+            <div style={{ marginBottom: "20px" }}>
+              <select {...api.getMonthSelectProps()}>
+                {api.getMonths().map((month, i) => (
+                  <option key={i} value={month.value} disabled={month.disabled}>
+                    {month.label}
+                  </option>
+                ))}
+              </select>
+
+              <select {...api.getYearSelectProps()}>
+                {api.getYears().map((year, i) => (
+                  <option key={i} value={year.value} disabled={year.disabled}>
+                    {year.label}
+                  </option>
+                ))}
+              </select>
+            </div>
+
+            <div hidden={api.view !== "day"}>
+              <div {...api.getViewControlProps({ view: "year" })}>
+                <button {...api.getPrevTriggerProps()}>Prev</button>
+                <button {...api.getViewTriggerProps()}>{api.visibleRangeText.start}</button>
+                <button {...api.getNextTriggerProps()}>Next</button>
+              </div>
+
+              <table {...api.getTableProps({ view: "day" })}>
+                <thead {...api.getTableHeaderProps({ view: "day" })}>
+                  <tr {...api.getTableRowProps({ view: "day" })}>
+                    {api.weekDays.map((day, i) => (
+                      <th scope="col" key={i} aria-label={day.long}>
+                        {day.narrow}
+                      </th>
+                    ))}
+                  </tr>
+                </thead>
+                <tbody {...api.getTableBodyProps({ view: "day" })}>
+                  {api.weeks.map((week, i) => (
+                    <tr key={i} {...api.getTableRowProps({ view: "day" })}>
+                      {week.map((value, i) => (
+                        <td key={i} {...api.getDayTableCellProps({ value })}>
+                          <div {...api.getDayTableCellTriggerProps({ value })}>{value.day}</div>
+                        </td>
+                      ))}
+                    </tr>
+                  ))}
+                </tbody>
+              </table>
+            </div>
+
+            <div style={{ display: "flex", gap: "40px" }}>
+              <div hidden={api.view !== "month"} style={{ width: "100%" }}>
+                <div {...api.getViewControlProps({ view: "month" })}>
+                  <button {...api.getPrevTriggerProps({ view: "month" })}>Prev</button>
+                  <button {...api.getViewTriggerProps({ view: "month" })}>{api.visibleRange.start.year}</button>
+                  <button {...api.getNextTriggerProps({ view: "month" })}>Next</button>
+                </div>
+
+                <table {...api.getTableProps({ view: "month", columns: 4 })}>
+                  <tbody {...api.getTableBodyProps({ view: "month" })}>
+                    {api.getMonthsGrid({ columns: 4, format: "short" }).map((months, row) => (
+                      <tr key={row} {...api.getTableRowProps()}>
+                        {months.map((month, index) => (
+                          <td key={index} {...api.getMonthTableCellProps({ ...month, columns: 4 })}>
+                            <div {...api.getMonthTableCellTriggerProps({ ...month, columns: 4 })}>{month.label}</div>
+                          </td>
+                        ))}
+                      </tr>
+                    ))}
+                  </tbody>
+                </table>
+              </div>
+
+              <div hidden={api.view !== "year"} style={{ width: "100%" }}>
+                <div {...api.getViewControlProps({ view: "year" })}>
+                  <button {...api.getPrevTriggerProps({ view: "year" })}>Prev</button>
+                  <span>
+                    {api.getDecade().start} - {api.getDecade().end}
+                  </span>
+                  <button {...api.getNextTriggerProps({ view: "year" })}>Next</button>
+                </div>
+
+                <table {...api.getTableProps({ view: "year", columns: 4 })}>
+                  <tbody {...api.getTableBodyProps()}>
+                    {api.getYearsGrid({ columns: 4 }).map((years, row) => (
+                      <tr key={row} {...api.getTableRowProps({ view: "year" })}>
+                        {years.map((year, index) => (
+                          <td key={index} {...api.getYearTableCellProps({ ...year, columns: 4 })}>
+                            <div {...api.getYearTableCellTriggerProps({ ...year, columns: 4 })}>{year.label}</div>
+                          </td>
+                        ))}
+                      </tr>
+                    ))}
+                  </tbody>
+                </table>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </main>
+
+      <Toolbar viz controls={controls.ui}>
+        <StateVisualizer state={service} omit={["weeks"]} />
+      </Toolbar>
+    </>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.machine.ts b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.machine.ts
index 862a605ae4..8eb0022f8a 100644
--- a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.machine.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.machine.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
   refs() {
     return {
       announcer: undefined,
+      restoreFocus: false,
     }
   },
 
@@ -211,9 +212,6 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
       currentPlacement: bindable<Placement | undefined>(() => ({
         defaultValue: undefined,
       })),
-      restoreFocus: bindable<boolean | undefined>(() => ({
-        defaultValue: false,
-      })),
     }
   },
 
@@ -419,7 +417,7 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
 
     open: {
       tags: ["open"],
-      entry: ["resumeRangeSelection"],
+      entry: ["resumeRangeSelection", "clearRestoreFocus"],
       effects: ["trackDismissableElement", "trackPositioning"],
       exit: ["clearHoveredDate"],
       on: {
@@ -737,7 +735,7 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
         // Block if we've reached the maximum
         return existingValues.length < maxSelectedDates
       },
-      shouldRestoreFocus: ({ context }) => !!context.get("restoreFocus"),
+      shouldRestoreFocus: ({ refs }) => !!refs.get("restoreFocus"),
       isSelectingEndDate: ({ context }) => context.get("activeIndex") === 1,
       closeOnSelect: ({ prop }) => !!prop("closeOnSelect"),
       isOpenControlled: ({ prop }) => prop("open") != undefined || !!prop("inline"),
@@ -771,7 +769,7 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
         return () => refs.get("announcer")?.destroy?.()
       },
 
-      trackDismissableElement({ scope, send, context, prop }) {
+      trackDismissableElement({ scope, send, prop, refs }) {
         if (prop("inline")) return
 
         const getContentEl = () => dom.getContentEl(scope)
@@ -781,7 +779,7 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
           layerStyleTargets: [() => dom.getPositionerEl(scope)],
           exclude: [...dom.getInputEls(scope), dom.getTriggerEl(scope), dom.getClearTriggerEl(scope)],
           onInteractOutside(event) {
-            context.set("restoreFocus", !event.detail.focusable)
+            refs.set("restoreFocus", prop("restoreFocus") ?? !event.detail.focusable)
           },
           onDismiss() {
             send({ type: "INTERACT_OUTSIDE" })
@@ -806,8 +804,11 @@ export const machine = createMachine<DatePickerSchema>({
       setView({ context, event }) {
         context.set("view", event.view)
       },
-      setRestoreFocus({ context }) {
-        context.set("restoreFocus", true)
+      setRestoreFocus({ refs }) {
+        refs.set("restoreFocus", true)
+      },
+      clearRestoreFocus({ refs }) {
+        refs.set("restoreFocus", false)
       },
       announceValueText({ context, prop, refs }) {
         const value = context.get("value")
diff --git a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.props.ts b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.props.ts
index 1e9aaebd96..790d43f391 100644
--- a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.props.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.props.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const props = createProps<DatePickerProps>()([
   "defaultOpen",
   "positioning",
   "readOnly",
+  "restoreFocus",
   "required",
   "selectionMode",
   "showWeekNumbers",
diff --git a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.types.ts b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.types.ts
index 7eaf06d428..0a4e6c47fd 100644
--- a/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.types.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/date-picker/src/date-picker.types.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@ export interface DatePickerProps extends DirectionProperty, CommonProperties {
    * @default true
    */
   closeOnSelect?: boolean | undefined
+  /**
+   * Whether to restore focus to the trigger when the picker is dismissed
+   * by interacting outside. When not set, focus is restored only if the
+   * outside interaction target is not focusable.
+   * Closing via the keyboard always restores focus.
+   */
+  restoreFocus?: boolean | undefined
   /**
    * Whether to open the calendar when the input is clicked.
    * @default false
@@ -343,10 +350,6 @@ interface PrivateContext {
    * The computed placement (maybe different from initial placement)
    */
   currentPlacement?: Placement | undefined
-  /**
-   * Whether the calendar should restore focus to the input when it closes.
-   */
-  restoreFocus?: boolean | undefined
   /**
    * The selected date(s).
    */
@@ -401,6 +404,10 @@ type Refs = {
    * The live region to announce changes
    */
   announcer?: LiveRegion | undefined
+  /**
+   * Whether to restore focus when the picker closes.
+   */
+  restoreFocus: boolean
 }
 
 export interface DatePickerSchema {