diff --git a/app/components/QueryParamTabs.browser.spec.tsx b/app/components/QueryParamTabs.browser.spec.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d1bc4552
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/QueryParamTabs.browser.spec.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/*
+ * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+ *
+ * Copyright Oxide Computer Company
+ */
+import { createRoutesStub, useLoaderData, useNavigation } from 'react-router'
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { render } from 'vitest-browser-react'
+
+import { Tabs } from '~/ui/lib/Tabs'
+
+import { QueryParamTabs } from './QueryParamTabs'
+
+test('waits for the loader before showing the new tab', async () => {
+  let finishLoad = () => {}
+  // tab each render of the second panel saw in loader data
+  const panelTwoRenders: string[] = []
+
+  function PanelTwo() {
+    const { tab } = useLoaderData<{ tab: string }>()
+    panelTwoRenders.push(tab)
+    return <p>Panel two</p>
+  }
+
+  function Page() {
+    // like the loading bar in RootLayout, which rerenders while the nav is pending
+    const navigation = useNavigation()
+    return (
+      <QueryParamTabs defaultValue="one">
+        <Tabs.List>
+          <Tabs.Trigger value="one">One</Tabs.Trigger>
+          <Tabs.Trigger value="two">Two</Tabs.Trigger>
+        </Tabs.List>
+        <Tabs.Content value="one">
+          <p>Panel one</p>
+        </Tabs.Content>
+        <Tabs.Content value="two">
+          <PanelTwo />
+        </Tabs.Content>
+        <p>Navigation {navigation.state}</p>
+      </QueryParamTabs>
+    )
+  }
+
+  const Stub = createRoutesStub([
+    {
+      path: '/',
+      Component: Page,
+      // like a page loader that only prefetches the current tab's data
+      loader: async ({ request }) => {
+        const tab = new URL(request.url).searchParams.get('tab') ?? 'one'
+        if (tab === 'two') await new Promise<void>((resolve) => (finishLoad = resolve))
+        return { tab }
+      },
+    },
+  ])
+
+  const screen = await render(<Stub />)
+  await expect.element(screen.getByText('Panel one')).toBeVisible()
+
+  await screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Two' }).click()
+  await expect.element(screen.getByText('Navigation loading')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  // still on the old tab while the new tab's loader runs
+  await expect.element(screen.getByText('Panel one')).toBeVisible()
+  expect(panelTwoRenders).toEqual([])
+
+  finishLoad()
+  await expect.element(screen.getByText('Panel two')).toBeVisible()
+  expect(panelTwoRenders).not.toContain('one')
+})
diff --git a/app/components/QueryParamTabs.tsx b/app/components/QueryParamTabs.tsx
index ba273d7ca..593ba294e 100644
--- a/app/components/QueryParamTabs.tsx
+++ b/app/components/QueryParamTabs.tsx
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@ export function QueryParamTabs(props: TabsRootProps) {
   const value = searchParams.get('tab') || props.defaultValue
 
   function onValueChange(newValue: string | number | null) {
+    // Copy rather than mutate: the hook's object is what we read `value` from,
+    // so mutating it switches the tab on the next render, before the navigation
+    // (and the loader it triggers) has committed.
+    const nextParams = new URLSearchParams(searchParams)
     if (newValue === props.defaultValue) {
-      searchParams.delete('tab')
+      nextParams.delete('tab')
     } else {
-      searchParams.set('tab', String(newValue))
+      nextParams.set('tab', String(newValue))
     }
-    setSearchParams(searchParams, { replace: true })
+    setSearchParams(nextParams, { replace: true })
   }
 
   return <Tabs.Root {...props} value={value} onValueChange={onValueChange} />