diff --git a/src/mac/carbon/toplevel.cpp b/src/mac/carbon/toplevel.cpp
index d41ae760f0..c4914ac596 100644
--- a/src/mac/carbon/toplevel.cpp
+++ b/src/mac/carbon/toplevel.cpp
@@ -521,15 +521,6 @@ pascal OSStatus wxMacTopLevelMouseEventHandler( EventHandlerCallRef handler , Ev
                 cursorPoint += cursorTarget->GetPosition() ;
         }
 
-        // update focus
-
-        if ( wxevent.GetEventType() == wxEVT_LEFT_DOWN )
-        {
-            // set focus to this window
-            if (currentMouseWindow->AcceptsFocus() && wxWindow::FindFocus()!=currentMouseWindow)
-                currentMouseWindow->SetFocus();
-        }
-
         // make tooltips current
         
     #if wxUSE_TOOLTIPS
@@ -542,6 +533,15 @@ pascal OSStatus wxMacTopLevelMouseEventHandler( EventHandlerCallRef handler , Ev
             result = noErr;
         else
         {
+            // if the user code did _not_ handle the event, then perform the
+            // default processing
+            if ( wxevent.GetEventType() == wxEVT_LEFT_DOWN )
+            {
+                // ... that is set focus to this window
+                if (currentMouseWindow->AcceptsFocus() && wxWindow::FindFocus()!=currentMouseWindow)
+                    currentMouseWindow->SetFocus();
+            }
+
             ControlPartCode dummyPart ;
             // if built-in find control is finding the wrong control (ie static box instead of overlaid
             // button, we cannot let the standard handler do its job, but must handle manually