diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 26097ad1d..b79d90655 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 * Change `Repeatable field` focus behaviour. Refs STCOM-1341.
 * Fix `<Selection>` bug with option list closing when scrollbar is used. Refs STCOM-1371.
 * `<Selection>` - fix bug handling empty string options/values. Refs STCOM-1373.
+* `<RepeatableField>` - switch to MutationObserver to resolve focus-management issues. Refs STCOM-1372.
 
 ## [12.2.0](https://github.com/folio-org/stripes-components/tree/v12.2.0) (2024-10-11)
 [Full Changelog](https://github.com/folio-org/stripes-components/compare/v12.1.0...v12.2.0)
diff --git a/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableField.js b/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableField.js
index c3ace1b0b..d44e17af8 100644
--- a/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableField.js
+++ b/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableField.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useRef } from 'react';
+import React, { useRef, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { FormattedMessage } from 'react-intl';
@@ -8,11 +8,9 @@ import Button from '../Button';
 import Headline from '../Headline';
 import EmptyMessage from '../EmptyMessage';
 import IconButton from '../IconButton';
-import { RepeatableFieldContent } from "./RepeatableFieldContent";
+import { RepeatableFieldContent } from './RepeatableFieldContent';
 import css from './RepeatableField.css';
-import { useFocusedIndex } from "./hooks/useFocusedIndex";
-import { useIsElementFocused } from "./hooks/useIsElementFocused";
-
+import { getFirstFocusable } from '../../util/getFocusableElements';
 
 const RepeatableField = ({
   canAdd = true,
@@ -33,9 +31,51 @@ const RepeatableField = ({
   const rootRef = useRef(null);
   const showDeleteBtn = typeof onRemove === 'function';
   const fieldsLength = fields.length;
-  const isSomeChildElementFocused = useIsElementFocused(rootRef);
-  const focusedIndex = useFocusedIndex(fieldsLength);
-  const hasToBeFocused = (index) => isSomeChildElementFocused && focusedIndex === index;
+  const [hasBeenFocused, setHasBeenFocused] = useState(false);
+
+  // use mutation observers to handle focus-management since we only have internal state.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const observer = new MutationObserver(mutations => {
+      mutations.forEach(mutation => {
+        if (mutation.type !== 'childList') return;
+
+        const addedNode = mutation.addedNodes?.[0];
+        const removedNode = mutation.removedNodes?.[0];
+        let rowElem;
+        // Handle added node
+        // we check if the user has interacted with the component before handling this, otherwise focus could be
+        // unwantedly moved when a form is initialized.
+        if (hasBeenFocused) {
+          if (addedNode &&
+            addedNode.nodeType === 1 && // looking for nodeType: element only... not attribute (2) or text (3)
+            addedNode.matches(`.${css.repeatableFieldItem}`)) { // only apply to repeatable field item addition removal
+            rowElem = getFirstFocusable(addedNode);
+            rowElem?.focus();
+          }
+        }
+
+        // Handle removed node
+        if (removedNode &&
+          mutation.previousSibling &&
+          mutation.previousSibling.matches(`.${css.repeatableFieldItem}`)) {
+          rowElem = getFirstFocusable(mutation.previousSibling);
+          rowElem?.focus();
+        }
+      });
+    });
+
+    if (rootRef.current) {
+    // observe for item additions/removals from list.
+      observer.observe(rootRef.current, {
+        childList: true,
+        subtree: true,
+      });
+    }
+
+    return () => {
+      observer.disconnect();
+    };
+  }, [hasBeenFocused])
 
   return (
     <fieldset
@@ -43,6 +83,8 @@ const RepeatableField = ({
       id={id}
       data-test-repeatable-field
       className={classnames(css.repeatableField, { [css.hasMargin]: hasMargin }, className)}
+      tabIndex="-1"
+      onFocus={() => { setHasBeenFocused(true) }}
     >
       {legend && (
         <Headline
@@ -85,7 +127,6 @@ const RepeatableField = ({
             >
               <RepeatableFieldContent
                 rootRef={rootRef}
-                isFocused={hasToBeFocused(index)}
               >
                 {renderField(field, index, fields)}
               </RepeatableFieldContent>
diff --git a/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableFieldContent.js b/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableFieldContent.js
index 854cdb341..edbeae103 100644
--- a/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableFieldContent.js
+++ b/lib/RepeatableField/RepeatableFieldContent.js
@@ -1,31 +1,17 @@
-import React, { useCallback } from "react";
-import PropTypes from "prop-types";
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 
-import { getFirstFocusable } from "../../util/getFocusableElements";
+import css from './RepeatableField.css';
 
-import css from "./RepeatableField.css";
-
-export const RepeatableFieldContent = ({ children, isFocused }) => {
-
-  const callbackRef = useCallback((node) => {
-    if (node && isFocused) {
-      const elem = getFirstFocusable(node, true, true);
-
-      elem?.focus();
-    }
-  }, [isFocused])
-
-  return (
-    <div className={css.repeatableFieldItemContent} ref={callbackRef}>
-      {children}
-    </div>
-  );
-}
+export const RepeatableFieldContent = ({ children }) => (
+  <div className={css.repeatableFieldItemContent}>
+    {children}
+  </div>
+);
 
 RepeatableFieldContent.propTypes = {
   children: PropTypes.oneOfType([
     PropTypes.node,
     PropTypes.func,
   ]).isRequired,
-  isFocused: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
 }