diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2dc63db9c60..988e9cf2d57 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -233,7 +233,9 @@
   "optionalDependencies": {
     "inspect-process": "^0.5"
   },
-  "browserslist": ["extends @instructure/browserslist-config-canvas-lms"],
+  "browserslist": [
+    "extends @instructure/browserslist-config-canvas-lms"
+  ],
   "jest-junit": {
     "output": "./coverage-js/junit-reports/jest.xml"
   },
diff --git a/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/RCEWrapper.js b/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/RCEWrapper.js
index 706e6ba5c37..a2a64ad3a37 100644
--- a/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/RCEWrapper.js
+++ b/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/RCEWrapper.js
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ class RCEWrapper extends React.Component {
     this.indicator = false;
 
     this._elementRef = null;
+    this._showOnFocusButton = null;
 
     injectTinySkin()
 
@@ -278,14 +279,14 @@ class RCEWrapper extends React.Component {
     return editors.filter(ed => ed.id === this.props.textareaId)[0];
   }
 
-  onTinyMCEInstance(command) {
-    if (command == "mceRemoveEditor") {
-      let editor = this.mceInstance();
-      if (editor) {
+  onTinyMCEInstance(command, args) {
+    const editor = this.mceInstance();
+    if (editor) {
+      if (command == "mceRemoveEditor") {
         editor.execCommand("mceNewDocument");
       } // makes sure content can't persist past removal
+      editor.execCommand(command, false, this.props.textareaId, args);
     }
-    this.props.tinymce.execCommand(command, false, this.props.textareaId);
   }
 
   destroy() {
@@ -552,7 +553,7 @@ class RCEWrapper extends React.Component {
   }
 
   onA11yChecker = () => {
-    this.onTinyMCEInstance('openAccessibilityChecker', {'data-canvas-component': true})
+    this.onTinyMCEInstance('openAccessibilityChecker', {skip_focus: true})
   }
 
   handleShortcutKeyShortcut = (event) => {
@@ -572,8 +573,10 @@ class RCEWrapper extends React.Component {
   }
 
   KBShortcutModalClosed = () => {
-    if(Bridge.activeEditor() === this) {
-      Bridge.focusActiveEditor(false)
+    // when the modal is opened from the showOnFocus button, focus doesn't
+    // get automatically returned to the button like it should.
+    if (this._showOnFocusButton && document.activeElement === document.body) {
+      this._showOnFocusButton.focus()
     }
   }
 
@@ -710,6 +713,7 @@ class RCEWrapper extends React.Component {
             icon: IconKeyboardShortcutsLine,
             margin: 'xx-small'
           }}
+          ref={el => this._showOnFocusButton = el}
         >
           {<ScreenReaderContent>{formatMessage('View keyboard shortcuts')}</ScreenReaderContent>}
         </ShowOnFocusButton>
diff --git a/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/StatusBar.js b/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/StatusBar.js
index 2de2c480a51..71ca273592f 100644
--- a/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/StatusBar.js
+++ b/packages/canvas-rce/src/rce/StatusBar.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ export default function StatusBar(props) {
         >
           <ScreenReaderContent>{kbshortcut}</ScreenReaderContent>
         </Button>
-        <Button 
+        <Button
           variant="link"
           icon={IconA11yLine}
           title={a11y}
diff --git a/packages/canvas-rce/test/module/RCEWrapper.test.js b/packages/canvas-rce/test/module/RCEWrapper.test.js
index 1a4870ce1a5..7bd407d2ed2 100644
--- a/packages/canvas-rce/test/module/RCEWrapper.test.js
+++ b/packages/canvas-rce/test/module/RCEWrapper.test.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import RCEWrapper from "../../src/rce/RCEWrapper";
 
 const textareaId = "myUniqId";
 
-let React, fakeTinyMCE, execCommandSpy, editorCommandSpy, sd, editor;
+let React, fakeTinyMCE, editorCommandSpy, sd, editor;
 
 // ====================
 //        HELPERS
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ function requireReactDeps() {
 }
 
 function createBasicElement(opts) {
+  if (opts && opts.textareaId) {
+    // so RCEWrapper.mceInstance() works
+    fakeTinyMCE.editors[0].id = opts.textareaId
+  }
   let props = Object.assign({ textareaId, tinymce: fakeTinyMCE }, opts);
   return new RCEWrapper(props);
 }
@@ -117,13 +121,11 @@ describe("RCEWrapper", () => {
       editors: [editor]
     };
 
-    execCommandSpy = sinon.spy(fakeTinyMCE, "execCommand");
     sinon.spy(editor, "insertContent");
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
     jsdomify.destroy();
-    execCommandSpy.restore();
   });
 
   // ====================
@@ -163,7 +165,7 @@ describe("RCEWrapper", () => {
       element = createBasicElement({ textareaId: "myOtherUniqId" });
       element.focus();
       assert(
-        execCommandSpy.withArgs("mceFocus", false, "myOtherUniqId").called
+        editorCommandSpy.withArgs("mceFocus", false, "myOtherUniqId", undefined).called
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index edaffcb93ba..fb883572a47 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -18962,9 +18962,9 @@ tinycolor2@1.4.1, tinycolor2@^1.4.1:
   integrity sha1-9PrTM0R7wLB9TcjpIJ2POaisd+g=
 
 tinymce-a11y-checker@^2:
-  version "2.2.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/tinymce-a11y-checker/-/tinymce-a11y-checker-2.2.0.tgz#8ac8ad0fa298b2c24ad025ca3345199ce18486f3"
-  integrity sha512-0GSXRNZa8zhj/f1S0DGRNRPnhJ7SDg5rMRqTlSrKOb9El6eR8JxokE/jc2OPLtlCioJMhre6KUUiV8G0tlWAAQ==
+  version "2.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/tinymce-a11y-checker/-/tinymce-a11y-checker-2.3.0.tgz#9698550ae50664281df7de5c08abf2fc0cf7187c"
+  integrity sha512-7WlvnS0zLGf+HP3QqMdvZ9jSt91ZNBcay+XDPjKlBHPIpVnF8rQdWK6QwDDenMlOu9fg/jmOYb+A799Uox24Rg==
   dependencies:
     "@instructure/ui-buttons" "^5"
     "@instructure/ui-core" "^5"