diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/__tests__/calendar-input.test.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/__tests__/calendar-input.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75be8ec2fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/__tests__/calendar-input.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { fireEvent, render, waitFor, within } from '@testing-library/react'
+import React from 'react'
+import { CalendarInput } from '../calendar-input.js'
+
+describe('Calendar Input', () => {
+    it('allow selection of a date through the calendar widget', async () => {
+        const onDateSelectMock = jest.fn()
+        const screen = render(
+            <CalendarInput calendar="gregory" onDateSelect={onDateSelectMock} />
+        )
+
+        const dateInput = within(
+            screen.getByTestId('dhis2-uicore-input')
+        ).getByRole('textbox')
+        fireEvent.focus(dateInput)
+        const calendar = await screen.findByTestId('calendar')
+        expect(calendar).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+        const todayString = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, -14)
+        const today = within(calendar).getByTestId(todayString)
+
+        fireEvent.click(today)
+
+        await waitFor(() => {
+            expect(calendar).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+        })
+        expect(onDateSelectMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            expect.objectContaining({
+                calendarDateString: todayString,
+            })
+        )
+    })
+
+    it('allow selection of a date through the input', async () => {
+        const onDateSelectMock = jest.fn()
+        const screen = render(
+            <CalendarInput calendar="gregory" onDateSelect={onDateSelectMock} />
+        )
+
+        const dateInputString = '2024/10/12'
+        const dateInput = within(
+            screen.getByTestId('dhis2-uicore-input')
+        ).getByRole('textbox')
+
+        fireEvent.change(dateInput, { target: { value: dateInputString } })
+        fireEvent.blur(dateInput)
+
+        expect(onDateSelectMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            expect.objectContaining({
+                calendarDateString: dateInputString,
+            })
+        )
+    })
+})
diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/calendar-input.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/calendar-input.js
index c670653b9c..b308e85234 100644
--- a/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/calendar-input.js
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar-input/calendar-input.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
     useResolvedDirection,
 } from '@dhis2/multi-calendar-dates'
 import cx from 'classnames'
-import React, { useRef, useState, useMemo } from 'react'
+import React, { useRef, useState, useMemo, useEffect } from 'react'
 import { CalendarContainer } from '../calendar/calendar-container.js'
 import { CalendarProps } from '../calendar/calendar.js'
 import i18n from '../locales/index.js'
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ export const CalendarInput = ({
 } = {}) => {
     const ref = useRef()
     const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+    const [partialDate, setPartialDate] = useState(date)
+
+    const excludeRef = useRef(null)
+
+    useEffect(() => setPartialDate(date), [date])
 
     const useDatePickerOptions = useMemo(
         () => ({
@@ -66,7 +71,17 @@ export const CalendarInput = ({
     })
 
     const handleChange = (e) => {
-        parentOnDateSelect?.({ calendarDateString: e.value })
+        setPartialDate(e.value)
+    }
+
+    const handleBlur = (_, e) => {
+        parentOnDateSelect?.({ calendarDateString: partialDate })
+        if (
+            excludeRef.current &&
+            !excludeRef.current.contains(e.relatedTarget)
+        ) {
+            setOpen(false)
+        }
     }
 
     const onFocus = () => {
@@ -101,8 +116,9 @@ export const CalendarInput = ({
                     {...rest}
                     type="text"
                     onFocus={onFocus}
-                    value={date}
+                    value={partialDate}
                     onChange={handleChange}
+                    onBlur={handleBlur}
                     validationText={
                         pickerResults.errorMessage ||
                         pickerResults.warningMessage
@@ -147,7 +163,11 @@ export const CalendarInput = ({
                         modifiers={[offsetModifier]}
                     >
                         <Card>
-                            <CalendarContainer {...calendarProps} />
+                            <CalendarContainer
+                                {...calendarProps}
+                                excludedRef={excludeRef}
+                                unfocusable
+                            />
                         </Card>
                     </Popper>
                 </Layer>
diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-container.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-container.js
index 4d8fb004b2..5bea2e0e93 100644
--- a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-container.js
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-container.js
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ export const CalendarContainer = ({
     prevMonth,
     prevYear,
     languageDirection,
+    excludedRef,
+    unfocusable,
 }) => {
     const navigationProps = useMemo(() => {
         return {
@@ -50,14 +52,20 @@ export const CalendarContainer = ({
                 dir={languageDirection}
                 data-test="calendar"
             >
-                <NavigationContainer {...navigationProps} />
-                <CalendarTable
-                    selectedDate={date}
-                    calendarWeekDays={calendarWeekDays}
-                    weekDayLabels={weekDayLabels}
-                    cellSize={cellSize}
-                    width={width}
-                />
+                <div ref={excludedRef}>
+                    <NavigationContainer
+                        {...navigationProps}
+                        unfocusable={unfocusable}
+                    />
+                    <CalendarTable
+                        selectedDate={date}
+                        calendarWeekDays={calendarWeekDays}
+                        weekDayLabels={weekDayLabels}
+                        cellSize={cellSize}
+                        width={width}
+                        unfocusable={unfocusable}
+                    />
+                </div>
             </div>
             <style jsx>{`
                 .calendar-wrapper {
@@ -82,11 +90,13 @@ export const CalendarContainer = ({
 CalendarContainer.defaultProps = {
     cellSize: '32px',
     width: '240px',
+    unfocusable: false,
 }
 
 CalendarContainer.propTypes = {
     /** the currently selected date using an iso-like format YYYY-MM-DD, in the calendar system provided (not iso8601) */
     date: PropTypes.string,
+    unfocusable: PropTypes.bool,
     ...CalendarTableProps,
     ...NavigationContainerProps,
 }
diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table-cell.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table-cell.js
index 5d4491a9de..4e8e43d02a 100644
--- a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table-cell.js
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table-cell.js
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@ import cx from 'classnames'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 import React from 'react'
 
-export const CalendarTableCell = ({ day, cellSize, selectedDate }) => {
+export const CalendarTableCell = ({
+    day,
+    cellSize,
+    selectedDate,
+    unfocusable,
+}) => {
     const dayHoverBackgroundColor = colors.grey200
     const selectedDayBackgroundColor = colors.teal700
 
@@ -16,6 +21,7 @@ export const CalendarTableCell = ({ day, cellSize, selectedDate }) => {
                     isToday: day.isToday,
                     otherMonth: !day.isInCurrentMonth,
                 })}
+                tabIndex={unfocusable ? -1 : 0}
             >
                 {day.label}
             </button>
@@ -94,4 +100,5 @@ CalendarTableCell.propTypes = {
         onClick: PropTypes.func,
     }),
     selectedDate: PropTypes.string,
+    unfocusable: PropTypes.bool,
 }
diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table.js
index a9ea2ac5cf..f887a7ccfa 100644
--- a/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table.js
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar/calendar-table.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export const CalendarTable = ({
     width,
     cellSize,
     selectedDate,
+    unfocusable,
 }) => (
     <div className="calendar-table-wrapper">
         <table className="calendar-table">
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ export const CalendarTable = ({
                                 key={day?.calendarDate}
                                 cellSize={cellSize}
                                 width={width}
+                                unfocusable={unfocusable}
                             />
                         ))}
                     </tr>
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ export const CalendarTableProps = {
     ).isRequired,
     cellSize: PropTypes.string,
     selectedDate: PropTypes.string,
+    unfocusable: PropTypes.bool,
     weekDayLabels: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.string),
     width: PropTypes.string,
 }
diff --git a/components/calendar/src/calendar/navigation-container.js b/components/calendar/src/calendar/navigation-container.js
index 87f9a1953d..e35231b9b9 100644
--- a/components/calendar/src/calendar/navigation-container.js
+++ b/components/calendar/src/calendar/navigation-container.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export const NavigationContainer = ({
     nextYear,
     prevMonth,
     prevYear,
+    unfocusable,
 }) => {
     const PreviousIcon =
         languageDirection === 'ltr' ? IconChevronLeft16 : IconChevronRight16
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export const NavigationContainer = ({
                             data-test="calendar-previous-month"
                             aria-label={`${i18n.t(`Go to ${prevMonth.label}`)}`}
                             type="button"
+                            tabIndex={unfocusable ? -1 : 0}
                         >
                             <PreviousIcon />
                         </button>
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ export const NavigationContainer = ({
                             name="next-month"
                             aria-label={`${i18n.t(`Go to ${nextMonth.label}`)}`}
                             type="button"
+                            tabIndex={unfocusable ? -1 : 0}
                         >
                             <NextIcon />
                         </button>
@@ -62,6 +65,7 @@ export const NavigationContainer = ({
                             name="previous-year"
                             aria-label={`${i18n.t('Go to previous year')}`}
                             type="button"
+                            tabIndex={unfocusable ? -1 : 0}
                         >
                             <PreviousIcon />
                         </button>
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ export const NavigationContainer = ({
                             name="next-year"
                             aria-label={`${i18n.t('Go to next year')}`}
                             type="button"
+                            tabIndex={unfocusable ? -1 : 0}
                         >
                             <NextIcon />
                         </button>
@@ -184,6 +189,7 @@ export const NavigationContainerProps = {
         label: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.string, PropTypes.number]),
         navigateTo: PropTypes.func,
     }),
+    unfocusable: PropTypes.bool,
 }
 
 NavigationContainer.propTypes = NavigationContainerProps