diff --git a/source/gui/__init__.py b/source/gui/__init__.py
index 67d11420154..04728519a44 100644
--- a/source/gui/__init__.py
+++ b/source/gui/__init__.py
@@ -223,6 +223,8 @@ def popupSettingsDialog(self, dialog: Type[SettingsDialog], *args, **kwargs):
 			dialog(self, *args, **kwargs).Show()
 		except SettingsDialog.MultiInstanceErrorWithDialog as errorWithDialog:
 			errorWithDialog.dialog.SetFocus()
+			if isinstance(errorWithDialog.dialog, MultiCategorySettingsDialog) and len(args) > 0:
+				errorWithDialog.dialog.selectNewCategory(args[0])
 		except MultiCategorySettingsDialog.CategoryUnavailableError:
 			# Translators: Message shown when trying to open an unavailable category of a multi category settings dialog
 			# (example: when trying to open touch interaction settings on an unsupported system).
diff --git a/source/gui/settingsDialogs.py b/source/gui/settingsDialogs.py
index fda570fa248..95bd6a28753 100644
--- a/source/gui/settingsDialogs.py
+++ b/source/gui/settingsDialogs.py
@@ -493,23 +493,16 @@ class MultiCategorySettingsDialog(SettingsDialog):
 
 	class CategoryUnavailableError(RuntimeError): pass
 
-	def __init__(self, parent, initialCategory=None):
+	def __init__(
+			self,
+			parent: Optional[wx.Window],
+			initialCategory: Optional[SettingsPanel] = None,
+	):
 		"""
 		@param parent: The parent for this dialog; C{None} for no parent.
-		@type parent: wx.Window
 		@param initialCategory: The initial category to select when opening this dialog
-		@type parent: SettingsPanel
 		"""
-		if initialCategory and not issubclass(initialCategory,SettingsPanel):
-			if gui._isDebug():
-				log.debug("Unable to open category: {}".format(initialCategory), stack_info=True)
-			raise TypeError("initialCategory should be an instance of SettingsPanel")
-		if initialCategory and initialCategory not in self.categoryClasses:
-			if gui._isDebug():
-				log.debug("Unable to open category: {}".format(initialCategory), stack_info=True)
-			raise MultiCategorySettingsDialog.CategoryUnavailableError(
-				"The provided initial category is not a part of this dialog"
-			)
+		self.checkCategory(initialCategory)
 		self.initialCategory = initialCategory
 		self.currentCategory = None
 		self.setPostInitFocus = None
@@ -620,6 +613,25 @@ def makeSettings(self, settingsSizer):
 		self.Bind(wx.EVT_CHAR_HOOK, self.onCharHook)
 		self.Bind(EVT_RW_LAYOUT_NEEDED, self._onPanelLayoutChanged)
 
+	def checkCategory(self, cat: Optional[SettingsPanel]) -> None:
+		"""
+		@param cat: The class of the panel on which the dialog should be opened or C{None} if no specific panel
+			is targetted.
+		
+		"""
+		if cat is None:
+			return
+		if not issubclass(cat, SettingsPanel):
+			if gui._isDebug():
+				log.debug("Unable to open category: {}".format(cat), stack_info=True)
+			raise TypeError("cat should be an instance of SettingsPanel")
+		if cat not in self.categoryClasses:
+			if gui._isDebug():
+				log.debug("Unable to open category: {}".format(cat), stack_info=True)
+			raise MultiCategorySettingsDialog.CategoryUnavailableError(
+				"The provided initial category is not a part of this dialog"
+			)
+	
 	def _getCategoryPanel(self, catId):
 		panel = self.catIdToInstanceMap.get(catId, None)
 		if not panel:
@@ -692,6 +704,19 @@ def _onPanelLayoutChanged(self,evt):
 		# erase the old contents and must be redrawn
 		self.container.Refresh()
 
+	def selectNewCategory(self, cat):
+		self.checkCategory(cat)
+		currentCat = self.currentCategory
+		newIndex = self.categoryClasses.index(cat)
+		if not currentCat or newIndex != self.categoryClasses.index(currentCat.__class__):
+			listHadFocus = self.catListCtrl.HasFocus()
+			if not listHadFocus:
+				self.catListCtrl.SetFocus()
+			self.catListCtrl.Select(newIndex)
+			# we must focus the new selection in the category list to trigger the change of category.
+			self.catListCtrl.Focus(newIndex)
+			self.currentCategory.SetFocus()
+	
 	def _doCategoryChange(self, newCatId):
 		oldCat = self.currentCategory
 		# Freeze and Thaw are called to stop visual artifact's while the GUI
diff --git a/user_docs/en/changes.md b/user_docs/en/changes.md
index 2a26b7c2ae9..5102bbd6346 100644
--- a/user_docs/en/changes.md
+++ b/user_docs/en/changes.md
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ Unicode CLDR has been updated.
 * NVDA will correctly announce selection changes when editing a cell's text in Microsoft Excel. (#15843)
 * In applications using Java Access Bridge, NVDA will now correctly read the last blank line of a text instead of repeating the previous line. (#9376, @dmitrii-drobotov)
 * In LibreOffice Writer (version 24.8 and newer), when toggling text formatting (bold, italic, underline, subscript/superscript, alignment) using the corresponding keyboard shortcut, NVDA announces the new formatting attribute (e.g. "Bold on", "Bold off"). (#4248, @michaelweghorn)
+* Opening the settings dialog a second time with a keyboard shortcut now opens the expected settings panel. (#12995)
 
 ### Changes for Developers