From ebd182f7af8a7447fd07c6be305cf59223043b86 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: ABHISHEK KUMAR SINGH <abhishek.singh.se2024@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2026 05:26:37 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] fix(aria): restore tab stop when active tab is removed

---
 src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts |  3 ++-
 src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts    | 16 ++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts b/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
index 85a82d8496a1..6faab1626eb8 100644
--- a/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
+++ b/src/aria/private/tabs/tabs.ts
@@ -246,7 +246,8 @@ export class TabListPattern {
 
   /** Sets the default active state of the tablist before receiving interaction for the first time. */
   setDefaultStateEffect(): void {
-    if (this.hasBeenInteracted()) return;
+    const activeTab = this.activeTab();
+    if (this.hasBeenInteracted() && activeTab && this.inputs.items().includes(activeTab)) return;
 
     this.setDefaultState();
   }
diff --git a/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts b/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
index 065677e040d1..1a56e792be03 100644
--- a/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/tabs/tabs.spec.ts
@@ -767,6 +767,22 @@ describe('Tabs', () => {
       expect(testComponent.selectedTab()).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
+    it('should make a remaining tab the Tab stop when the active tab is removed', async () => {
+      await click(tabElements[1]);
+      expect(isTabFocused(1)).toBe(true);
+
+      testComponent.tabsData.set([
+        {value: 'tab1', label: 'Tab 1', content: 'Content 1'},
+        {value: 'tab3', label: 'Tab 3', content: 'Content 3'},
+      ]);
+      await fixture.whenStable();
+      defineTestVariables();
+
+      expect(isTabFocused(0)).toBe(true);
+      expect(tabElements[0].getAttribute('tabindex')).toBe('0');
+      expect(tabElements[1].getAttribute('tabindex')).toBe('-1');
+    });
+
     it('should maintain selection when a new tab is added', async () => {
       expect(testComponent.selectedTab()).toBe('tab2');