diff --git a/lib/javascript-static.js b/lib/javascript-static.js
index 731059647bc..c3ffd76f4c7 100644
--- a/lib/javascript-static.js
+++ b/lib/javascript-static.js
@@ -1408,42 +1408,42 @@ M.util.help_icon = {
     instance : null,
     add : function(Y, properties) {
         this.Y = Y;
-        var node = Y.one('#'+properties.id);
-        if (node) {
-            node.on('click', this.display, this, properties);
+        properties.node = Y.one('#'+properties.id);
+        if (properties.node) {
+            properties.node.on('click', this.display, this, properties);
         }
     },
     display : function(event, args) {
         event.preventDefault();
         if (M.util.help_icon.instance === null) {
             var Y = M.util.help_icon.Y;
-            Y.use('overlay', 'io', 'event-mouseenter', 'node', function(Y) {
+            Y.use('overlay', 'io', 'event-mouseenter', 'node', 'event-key', function(Y) {
                 var help_content_overlay = {
+                    helplink : null,
                     overlay : null,
                     init : function() {
 
-                        var closebtn = Y.Node.create('<img src="'+M.util.image_url('t/delete', 'moodle')+'" />');
-
+                        var closebtn = Y.Node.create('<a id="closehelpbox" href="#"><img  src="'+M.util.image_url('t/delete', 'moodle')+'" /></a>');
                         // Create an overlay from markup
                         this.overlay = new Y.Overlay({
                             headerContent: closebtn,
                             bodyContent: '',
-                            width:'400px',
+                            id: 'helppopupbox',
+                            width:'400px',                            
                             visible : false,
-                            constrain : true
+                            constrain : true                            
                         });
                         this.overlay.render(Y.one(document.body));
 
                         closebtn.on('click', this.overlay.hide, this.overlay);
-
+                        
                         var boundingBox = this.overlay.get("boundingBox");
-                        boundingBox.addClass('helppopup');
 
                         //  Hide the menu if the user clicks outside of its content
                         boundingBox.get("ownerDocument").on("mousedown", function (event) {
                             var oTarget = event.target;
                             var menuButton = Y.one("#"+args.id);
-
+                            
                             if (!oTarget.compareTo(menuButton) &&
                                 !menuButton.contains(oTarget) &&
                                 !oTarget.compareTo(boundingBox) &&
@@ -1451,11 +1451,21 @@ M.util.help_icon = {
                                 this.overlay.hide();
                             }
                         }, this);
+
+                        Y.on("key", this.close, closebtn , "down:13", this);
+                        closebtn.on('click', this.close, this);
+                    },
+
+                    close : function(e) {
+                        e.preventDefault();
+                        this.helplink.focus();
+                        this.overlay.hide();
                     },
 
                     display : function(event, args) {
+                        this.helplink = args.node;
                         this.overlay.set('bodyContent', Y.Node.create('<img src="'+M.cfg.loadingicon+'" class="spinner" />'));
-                        this.overlay.set("align", {node:"#" + args.id, points:[Y.WidgetPositionAlign.TL, Y.WidgetPositionAlign.RC]});
+                        this.overlay.set("align", {node:args.node, points:[Y.WidgetPositionAlign.TL, Y.WidgetPositionAlign.RC]});
 
                         var fullurl = args.url;
                         if (!args.url.match(/https?:\/\//)) {
@@ -1483,10 +1493,12 @@ M.util.help_icon = {
 
                         Y.io(ajaxurl, cfg);
                         this.overlay.show();
+
+                        Y.one('#closehelpbox').focus();
                     },
 
                     display_callback : function(content) {
-                        this.overlay.setStdModContent(Y.WidgetStdMod.BODY, content, Y.WidgetStdMod.REPLACE);
+                        this.overlay.set('bodyContent', content);
                     },
 
                     hideContent : function() {
@@ -1503,6 +1515,6 @@ M.util.help_icon = {
         }
     },
     init : function(Y) {                
-        this.Y = Y;
+        this.Y = Y;        
     }
 }
diff --git a/theme/base/style/core.css b/theme/base/style/core.css
index 23ed57ab8fc..9583595e25c 100644
--- a/theme/base/style/core.css
+++ b/theme/base/style/core.css
@@ -536,8 +536,8 @@ body.tag .managelink {padding: 5px;}
 /**
  * Help Content (pop-up)
  */
- .helppopup {background-color: #FFE691; border: 1px solid #848484;}
- .helppopup .yui3-widget-hd {float:right;margin:3px 3px 0 0;}
- .helppopup .yui3-widget-bd {margin:0 1em 1em 1em;border-top:1px solid #FFE691;}
- .helppopup .helpheading {font-size: 1em;}
- .helppopup .spinner {margin:1em;}
+#helppopupbox {background-color: #FFE691; border: 1px solid #848484;}
+#helppopupbox .yui3-widget-hd {float:right;margin:3px 3px 0 0;}
+#helppopupbox .yui3-widget-bd {margin:0 1em 1em 1em;border-top:1px solid #FFE691;}
+#helppopupbox .helpheading {font-size: 1em;}
+#helppopupbox .spinner {margin:1em;}