diff --git a/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/TestSearchBarKeyboardReopen.tsx b/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/TestSearchBarKeyboardReopen.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3e1dabaf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/TestSearchBarKeyboardReopen.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { NavigationContainer, ParamListBase } from '@react-navigation/native';
+import {
+  NativeStackNavigationProp,
+  createNativeStackNavigator,
+} from '@react-navigation/native-stack';
+import { Alert, Button, ScrollView, Text, View } from 'react-native';
+import { ListItem } from '../../shared';
+
+type StackRouteParamList = {
+  Home: undefined;
+  Second: undefined;
+};
+
+type NavigationProp<ParamList extends ParamListBase> = {
+  navigation: NativeStackNavigationProp<ParamList>;
+};
+
+type StackNavigationProp = NavigationProp<StackRouteParamList>;
+
+const Stack = createNativeStackNavigator<StackRouteParamList>();
+
+const items = Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, i) => `Item ${i + 1}`);
+
+function Second({}: StackNavigationProp) {
+  return (
+    <View style={{ flex: 1, alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'center' }}>
+      <Text>Second screen</Text>
+    </View>
+  );
+}
+
+function Home({ navigation }: StackNavigationProp) {
+  const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = React.useState('');
+
+  React.useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    navigation.setOptions({
+      headerSearchBarOptions: {
+        placement: 'stacked',
+        hideWhenScrolling: false,
+        onChangeText: event => setSearchQuery(event.nativeEvent.text),
+      },
+      headerRight: () => (
+        <Button
+          title="Menu"
+          onPress={() => Alert.alert('Menu', 'Header button pressed')}
+          testID="home-header-right-button"
+        />
+      ),
+    });
+  }, [navigation]);
+
+  return (
+    <View style={{ flex: 1 }}>
+      <ScrollView
+        contentInsetAdjustmentBehavior="automatic"
+        contentContainerStyle={{ marginTop: 15 }}>
+        <Text style={{ padding: 15, color: '#666', lineHeight: 22 }}>
+          Steps to reproduce:{'\n'}
+          1. Tap the search bar to focus it{'\n'}
+          2. Dismiss the keyboard (tap Cancel or tap away){'\n'}
+          3. Tap the "Menu" button in the header{'\n'}
+          4. Bug: The keyboard opens again instead of just triggering the button
+        </Text>
+        <Button
+          title="Open Second"
+          onPress={() => navigation.navigate('Second')}
+          testID="home-button-open-second"
+        />
+        {items
+          .filter(
+            name =>
+              searchQuery === '' ||
+              name.toLowerCase().includes(searchQuery.toLowerCase()),
+          )
+          .map(name => (
+            <ListItem key={name} title={name} onPress={() => {}} />
+          ))}
+      </ScrollView>
+    </View>
+  );
+}
+
+export default function App() {
+  return (
+    <NavigationContainer>
+      <Stack.Navigator>
+        <Stack.Screen name="Home" component={Home} />
+        <Stack.Screen name="Second" component={Second} />
+      </Stack.Navigator>
+    </NavigationContainer>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/index.ts b/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/index.ts
index 52d35ab344..4bfeeb479e 100644
--- a/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/index.ts
+++ b/apps/src/tests/issue-tests/index.ts
@@ -201,4 +201,5 @@ export { default as TestBottomTabsOrientation } from './TestBottomTabsOrientatio
 export { default as TestScreenStack } from './TestScreenStack';
 export { default as TestSplit } from './TestSplit';
 export { default as TestSafeAreaViewIOS } from './TestSafeAreaViewIOS';
+export { default as TestSearchBarKeyboardReopen } from './TestSearchBarKeyboardReopen';
 export { default as TestStackNesting } from './TestStackNesting';
diff --git a/ios/RNSScreenStackHeaderConfig.mm b/ios/RNSScreenStackHeaderConfig.mm
index 7d8e49475a..6198075b4f 100644
--- a/ios/RNSScreenStackHeaderConfig.mm
+++ b/ios/RNSScreenStackHeaderConfig.mm
@@ -673,7 +673,12 @@ + (void)updateViewController:(UIViewController *)vc
 #if !TARGET_OS_TV
           RNSSearchBar *searchBar = subview.subviews[0];
           searchBarPresent = true;
-          navitem.searchController = searchBar.controller;
+          // Only assign searchController if it changed to avoid UIKit re-activating the search bar
+          // and triggering the keyboard to appear unexpectedly (e.g. when pressing a header menu button
+          // after the search bar was previously focused and dismissed).
+          if (navitem.searchController != searchBar.controller) {
+            navitem.searchController = searchBar.controller;
+          }
           navitem.hidesSearchBarWhenScrolling = searchBar.hideWhenScrolling;
 #if RNS_IPHONE_OS_VERSION_AVAILABLE(16_0)
           if (@available(iOS 16.0, *)) {
diff --git a/ios/RNSSearchBar.mm b/ios/RNSSearchBar.mm
index e570363e7b..60aa4ea079 100644
--- a/ios/RNSSearchBar.mm
+++ b/ios/RNSSearchBar.mm
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ - (void)searchBarSearchButtonClicked:(UISearchBar *)searchBar
 - (void)searchBarCancelButtonClicked:(UISearchBar *)searchBar
 {
   _controller.searchBar.text = @"";
+  [_controller.searchBar resignFirstResponder];
   [self resignFirstResponder];
   [self hideCancelButton];