diff --git a/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md
index 444db48bdd0b63..ba0eb1c38bbf78 100644
--- a/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 ### Bug Fixes
 
 -   `mediaFinalize` now returns the post-finalize attachment (transformed from the REST response), so the upload-media queue can refresh the in-flight attachment URL. Required for the front-end `srcset` to render on client-side-media uploads that exceeded the big-image threshold.
+-   Template actions panel: Fix the keyboard activation of the "Change template" preview so it only opens the swap modal on <kbd>Enter</kbd> / <kbd>Space</kbd> ([#78641](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/78641)).
 
 ## 14.46.0 (2026-05-14)
 
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/template-actions-panel/block-theme-content.js b/packages/editor/src/components/template-actions-panel/block-theme-content.js
index 40d711a36ec98d..8d3806528e737e 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/template-actions-panel/block-theme-content.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/template-actions-panel/block-theme-content.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
 import { useState } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { __, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { decodeEntities } from '@wordpress/html-entities';
+import { ENTER, SPACE } from '@wordpress/keycodes';
 import { store as noticesStore } from '@wordpress/notices';
 import { store as preferencesStore } from '@wordpress/preferences';
 // eslint-disable-next-line @wordpress/use-recommended-components -- `Tooltip` is not yet on the recommended `@wordpress/ui` allow-list; landing as a migration step ahead of the wider rollout.
@@ -127,7 +128,15 @@ export default function TemplateActionsPanelContent() {
 								tabIndex={ 0 }
 								aria-label={ tooltipText }
 								onClick={ () => setIsSwapModalOpen( true ) }
-								onKeyPress={ () => setIsSwapModalOpen( true ) }
+								onKeyDown={ ( event ) => {
+									if (
+										event.keyCode === ENTER ||
+										event.keyCode === SPACE
+									) {
+										event.preventDefault();
+										setIsSwapModalOpen( true );
+									}
+								} }
 							>
 								{ previewContent }
 							</div>