diff --git a/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js b/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
index 0f6842405f..e45bdfde9f 100644
--- a/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
+++ b/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 import isFocusable from '../../commons/dom/is-focusable';
 
 function focusableDescendants(vNode) {
-  const isNodeFocusable = isFocusable(vNode);
-  let tabIndex = parseInt(vNode.attr('tabindex'), 10);
-  tabIndex = !isNaN(tabIndex) ? tabIndex : null;
-
-  if(tabIndex ? isNodeFocusable && tabIndex >= 0 : isNodeFocusable) {
+  if (isFocusable(vNode)) {
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js b/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
index 9959fda468..1e1a3a8474 100644
--- a/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
+++ b/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
@@ -37,26 +37,4 @@ describe('no-focusable-content tests', function() {
     );
     assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
   });
-
-  it('should return true on span with tabindex=-1', function() {
-    var vNode = queryFixture('<span id="target" role="text"> some text '
-        +'<span tabIndex="-1">JavaScript is able to focus this</span> '
-        +'</span>');
-    assert.isTrue(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
-  });
-
-  it('should return true on aria-hidden span with tabindex=-1', function() {
-    var vNode = queryFixture('<span id="target" role="text"> some text '
-        +'<span tabIndex="-1" aria-hidden="true">JavaScript is able to focus this</span> '
-        +'</span>');
-    assert.isTrue(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
-  });
-
-  it('should return false on span with tabindex=0', function() {
-    var vNode = queryFixture('<span id="target" role="text"> some text '
-        +'<span tabIndex="0">anyone is able to focus this</span> '
-        +'</span>');
-    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
-  });
-
 });
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.html b/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.html
index 4059f1e53b..28252c0bce 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.html
+++ b/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.html
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ <h1>
 <div role="text" id="fail2">
   <a href="#" role="none">Flattened text</a> because of the explicit role.
 </div>
-<div role="text" id="pass4">
+<div role="text" id="fail3">
   <a href="#" tabindex="-1" role="none">Flattened text</a> because of the
-  explicit role.  Considered non-focusable because of tabindex=-1...
+  explicit role.
 </div>
-<p role="text" id="fail3"><button>Hello</button></p>
+<p role="text" id="fail4"><button>Hello</button></p>
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.json b/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.json
index 3aa00ff23b..f6c3f1d2d9 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.json
+++ b/test/integration/rules/aria-text/aria-text.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "description": "aria-text tests",
   "rule": "aria-text",
-  "violations": [["#fail1"], ["#fail2"], ["#fail3"]],
-  "passes": [["#pass1"], ["#pass2"], ["#pass3"], ["#pass4"]]
+  "violations": [["#fail1"], ["#fail2"], ["#fail3"], ["#fail4"]],
+  "passes": [["#pass1"], ["#pass2"], ["#pass3"]]
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.html b/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.html
index 0baf57f5bb..beb7fbdf37 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.html
+++ b/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.html
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 <button id="pass1">pass</button>
-<button id="pass2"><span tabindex="-1">pass</span></button>
-<div role="button" id="pass3">pass</div>
-<div role="tab" id="pass4">pass</div>
-<div role="checkbox" id="pass5">pass</div>
-<div role="radio" id="pass6"><span>pass</span></div>
-<div role="radio" id="pass7"><span tabindex="-1">pass</span></div>
+<div role="button" id="pass2">pass</div>
+<div role="tab" id="pass3">pass</div>
+<div role="checkbox" id="pass4">pass</div>
+<div role="radio" id="pass5"><span>pass</span></div>
 
 <button id="fail1"><span tabindex="0">fail</span></button>
 <div role="button" id="fail2"><input /></div>
-<div role="tab" id="fail3"><button id="pass8">fail</button></div>
+<div role="tab" id="fail3"><button id="pass6">fail</button></div>
 <div role="checkbox" id="fail4"><a href="foo.html">fail</a></div>
 <div role="radio" id="fail5"><span tabindex="0">fail</span></div>
 
diff --git a/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.json b/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.json
index 9195a46ad1..78d3b43176 100644
--- a/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.json
+++ b/test/integration/rules/nested-interactive/nested-interactive.json
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
     ["#pass3"],
     ["#pass4"],
     ["#pass5"],
-    ["#pass6"],
-    ["#pass7"],
-    ["#pass8"]
+    ["#pass6"]
   ]
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/virtual-rules/nested-interactive.js b/test/integration/virtual-rules/nested-interactive.js
index cd364e2b22..ba963b99b5 100644
--- a/test/integration/virtual-rules/nested-interactive.js
+++ b/test/integration/virtual-rules/nested-interactive.js
@@ -38,26 +38,6 @@ describe('nested-interactive virtual-rule', function() {
     assert.lengthOf(results.incomplete, 0);
   });
 
-  it('should pass for element with content with tabindex=-1', function() {
-    var node = new axe.SerialVirtualNode({
-      nodeName: 'button'
-    });
-    var child = new axe.SerialVirtualNode({
-      nodeName: 'span',
-      attributes: {
-        tabindex: -1
-      }
-    });
-    child.children = [];
-    node.children = [child];
-
-    var results = axe.runVirtualRule('nested-interactive', node);
-
-    assert.lengthOf(results.passes, 1);
-    assert.lengthOf(results.violations, 0);
-    assert.lengthOf(results.incomplete, 0);
-  });
-
   it('should pass for empty element without', function() {
     var node = new axe.SerialVirtualNode({
       nodeName: 'div',