diff --git a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
index 2768dc5b6..0dd1f0c95 100644
--- a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
+++ b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/java/org/zkoss/ganttz/TaskDetail.java
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
     }
 
     /**
-     * When a text box associated to a datebox receives focus, the corresponding
-     * datebox is shown
+     * When a text box associated to a datebox is requested to show the datebox,
+     * the corresponding datebox is shown
      * @param component
      *            the component that has received focus
      */
-    public void hasReceivedFocus(Component component) {
+    public void userWantsDateBox(Component component) {
         if (component == startDateTextBox) {
             showDateBox(startDateBox, startDateTextBox);
         }
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
         associatedTextBox.setVisible(false);
         dateBox.setVisible(true);
         dateBox.setFocus(true);
+        dateBox.setOpen(true);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -170,5 +171,4 @@ public class TaskDetail extends HtmlMacroComponent implements AfterCompose {
         this.endDateTextBox = endDateTextBox;
     }
 
-
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
index 22e98fcd7..f7ea36f65 100644
--- a/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
+++ b/navalplanner-gantt-zk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/taskdetail.zul
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 ]]>
 </zscript>
 <hbox>
-    <textbox id="nameBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();"/>
-    <textbox id="startDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" onFocus="top.hasReceivedFocus(self);" />
+    <textbox id="nameBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" />
+    <textbox id="startDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();" onOK="top.userWantsDateBox(self);" />
     <datebox id="startDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" visible="${false}" onBlur="top.dateBoxHasLostFocus(self);"/>
-    <textbox id="endDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();"  onFocus="top.hasReceivedFocus(self);"/>
-    <datebox id="endDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" visible ="${false}" onBlur="top.dateBoxHasLostFocus(self);"/>
+    <textbox id="endDateTextBox" value="" onChange="top.updateBean();"  onOK="top.userWantsDateBox(self);"/>
+    <datebox id="endDateBox" compact="true" onChange="top.updateBean();" visible ="${false}" onBlur="top.dateBoxHasLostFocus(self);" ctrlKeys="#down" onCtrlKey="top.userWantsDateBox(self)"/>
 </hbox>
 
 <zscript><![CDATA[
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@
    top.endDateTextBox = endDateTextBox;
 ]]>
 </zscript>
-</zk>
\ No newline at end of file
+</zk>