diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/defer_events.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/defer_events.ts
index a64e03bb45cf8..4df351f10afb9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/defer_events.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/defer_events.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ const interactionTriggers = new WeakMap<Element, DeferEventEntry>();
 /** Names of the events considered as interaction events. */
 const interactionEventNames = ['click', 'keydown'] as const;
 
+/** Names of the events considered as hover events. */
+const hoverEventNames = ['mouseenter', 'focusin'];
+
 /** Object keeping track of registered callbacks for a deferred block trigger. */
 class DeferEventEntry {
   callbacks = new Set<() => void>();
@@ -103,7 +106,9 @@ export function onHover(
     // Ensure that the handler runs in the NgZone since it gets
     // registered in `afterRender` which runs outside.
     injector.get(NgZone).run(() => {
-      trigger.addEventListener('mouseenter', entry!.listener, eventListenerOptions);
+      for (const name of hoverEventNames) {
+        trigger.addEventListener(name, entry!.listener, eventListenerOptions);
+      }
     });
   }
 
@@ -114,7 +119,9 @@ export function onHover(
     callbacks.delete(callback);
 
     if (callbacks.size === 0) {
-      trigger.removeEventListener('mouseenter', listener, eventListenerOptions);
+      for (const name of hoverEventNames) {
+        trigger.removeEventListener(name, listener, eventListenerOptions);
+      }
       hoverTriggers.delete(trigger);
     }
   };
diff --git a/packages/core/test/acceptance/defer_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/acceptance/defer_spec.ts
index ff4bfd9bc544d..b9301e46421b1 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/acceptance/defer_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/acceptance/defer_spec.ts
@@ -2499,8 +2499,9 @@ describe('@defer', () => {
          fixture.detectChanges();
          flush();
 
-         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
          expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('mouseenter', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('focusin', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
        }));
 
     it('should unbind the trigger events when the trigger is destroyed', fakeAsync(() => {
@@ -2533,8 +2534,9 @@ describe('@defer', () => {
          fixture.componentInstance.renderBlock = false;
          fixture.detectChanges();
 
-         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
          expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('mouseenter', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('focusin', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
        }));
 
     it('should unbind the trigger events when the deferred block is destroyed', fakeAsync(() => {
@@ -2568,8 +2570,9 @@ describe('@defer', () => {
          fixture.componentInstance.renderBlock = false;
          fixture.detectChanges();
 
-         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
          expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('mouseenter', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
+         expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('focusin', jasmine.any(Function), jasmine.any(Object));
        }));
 
     it('should bind the trigger events inside the NgZone', fakeAsync(() => {
@@ -2595,7 +2598,10 @@ describe('@defer', () => {
          });
          fixture.detectChanges();
 
-         expect(eventsInZone).toEqual({mouseenter: true});
+         expect(eventsInZone).toEqual({
+           mouseenter: true,
+           focusin: true,
+         });
        }));
 
     it('should prefetch resources on hover', fakeAsync(() => {