nearly everything working with activedescendant... then decide it's wrong.

js/.jshintrc

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     "laxbreak" : true,
     "browser"  : true,
     "debug"    : true,
+    "devel"    : true,
     "boss"     : true,
     "expr"     : true,
     "asi"      : true

js/bootstrap-dropdown.js

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
   * ========================= */
 
   var toggle = '[data-toggle="dropdown"]'
+    , active = 'aria-active'
     , Dropdown = function (element) {
         var $el = $(element).on('click.dropdown.data-api', this.toggle)
         $('html').on('click.dropdown.data-api', function () {
@@ -41,34 +42,87 @@
   , toggle: function (e) {
       var $this = $(this)
         , $parent
-        , selector
         , isActive
 
       if ($this.is('.disabled, :disabled')) return
 
-      selector = $this.attr('data-target')
-
-      if (!selector) {
-        selector = $this.attr('href')
-        selector = selector && selector.replace(/.*(?=#[^\s]*$)/, '') //strip for ie7
-      }
-
-      $parent = $(selector)
-      $parent.length || ($parent = $this.parent())
+      $parent = getParent($this)
 
       isActive = $parent.hasClass('open')
 
       clearMenus()
 
-      if (!isActive) $parent.toggleClass('open')
+      if (!isActive) {
+        $parent.toggleClass('open')
+        $this.focus()
+      }
 
       return false
     }
 
+  , keydown: function (e) {
+      var $this = $(this)
+        , $items
+        , $active
+        , $parent
+        , index
+
+      if (e.keyCode == 27) return $this.click()
+
+      if (!/(38|40|13)/.test(e.keyCode)) return
+
+      e.preventDefault()
+      e.stopPropagation()
+
+      if ($this.is('.disabled, :disabled')) return
+
+      $parent = getParent($this)
+
+      $parent.hasClass('open') || $this.click()
+
+      $items = $('[role=menu] li:not(.divider)', $parent)
+
+      if (!$items.length) return
+
+      index = $items.index($items.filter('#' + active))
+
+      $items
+        .eq(index)
+        .attr('id', '')
+
+      if (e.keyCode == 38 && index > 0) index--                                        // up
+      else if (e.keyCode == 40 && index < $items.length - 1) index++                   // down
+      else if (e.keyCode == 13 && ~index) return $items.eq(index).find('a').click()    // enter
+
+      if (!~index) index = 0
+
+      $items
+        .eq(index)
+        .attr('id', active)
+    }
+
   }
 
   function clearMenus() {
-    $(toggle).parent().removeClass('open')
+    getParent($(toggle))
+      .removeClass('open')
+      .find('#' + active)
+      .attr('id', '')
+  }
+
+  function getParent($this) {
+    var selector = $this.attr('data-target')
+      , $parent
+
+    if (!selector) {
+      selector = $this.attr('href')
+      selector = selector && selector.replace(/.*(?=#[^\s]*$)/, '') //strip for ie7
+    }
+
+    $parent = $(selector)
+    $parent.length || ($parent = $this.parent())
+
+    return $parent
   }
 
 
@@ -91,10 +145,12 @@
    * =================================== */
 
   $(function () {
-    $('html').on('click.dropdown.data-api', clearMenus)
+    $('html')
+      .on('click.dropdown.data-api', clearMenus)
     $('body')
       .on('click.dropdown', '.dropdown form', function (e) { e.stopPropagation() })
-      .on('click.dropdown.data-api', toggle, Dropdown.prototype.toggle)
+      .on('click.dropdown.data-api'  , toggle, Dropdown.prototype.toggle)
+      .on('keydown.dropdown.data-api', toggle, Dropdown.prototype.keydown)
   })
 
 }(window.jQuery);