diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
index 73ce7af6b19..4f4a2b45766 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
@@ -70,10 +70,6 @@ export class TabItem
     return new TabItems(items.filter((item) => item instanceof TabItem));
   }
 
-  public onChangeTab() {
-    this.getParentLayout().changeTab(this);
-  }
-
   public onChangeTitle(title: string) {
     this.setState({ title });
   }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemRenderer.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemRenderer.tsx
index 782fa9eeb3b..37c653ab354 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemRenderer.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemRenderer.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useLocation } from 'react-router';
 
+import { locationUtil } from '@grafana/data';
 import { SceneComponentProps, sceneGraph } from '@grafana/scenes';
 import { Tab, useElementSelection } from '@grafana/ui';
 
@@ -12,29 +14,27 @@ export function TabItemRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<TabItem>) {
   const { title, key } = model.useState();
   const isClone = useMemo(() => isClonedKey(key!), [key]);
   const parentLayout = model.getParentLayout();
-  const { currentTab } = parentLayout.useState();
+  const { tabs, currentTabIndex } = parentLayout.useState();
   const dashboard = getDashboardSceneFor(model);
   const { isEditing } = dashboard.useState();
   const titleInterpolated = sceneGraph.interpolate(model, title, undefined, 'text');
   const { isSelected, onSelect } = useElementSelection(key);
+  const myIndex = tabs.findIndex((tab) => tab === model);
+  const isActive = myIndex === currentTabIndex;
+  const location = useLocation();
+  const href = locationUtil.getUrlForPartial(location, { tab: myIndex });
 
   return (
     <Tab
       className={!isClone && isSelected ? 'dashboard-selected-element' : undefined}
       label={titleInterpolated}
-      active={model === currentTab}
+      active={isActive}
+      href={href}
       onPointerDown={(evt) => {
-        evt.stopPropagation();
-
-        if (isEditing) {
-          if (isClone) {
-            dashboard.state.editPane.clearSelection();
-          } else {
-            onSelect?.(evt);
-          }
+        if (isEditing && isActive && !isClone) {
+          evt.stopPropagation();
+          onSelect?.(evt);
         }
-
-        parentLayout.changeTab(model);
       }}
     />
   );
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
index daa86286dae..3e2c338b26f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-import { SceneObjectBase, SceneObjectState, VizPanel } from '@grafana/scenes';
+import {
+  SceneObjectBase,
+  SceneObjectState,
+  SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig,
+  SceneObjectUrlValues,
+  VizPanel,
+} from '@grafana/scenes';
 import { t } from 'app/core/internationalization';
 
 import { DashboardLayoutManager } from '../types/DashboardLayoutManager';
@@ -9,7 +15,7 @@ import { TabsLayoutManagerRenderer } from './TabsLayoutManagerRenderer';
 
 interface TabsLayoutManagerState extends SceneObjectState {
   tabs: TabItem[];
-  currentTab: TabItem;
+  currentTabIndex: number;
 }
 
 export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> implements DashboardLayoutManager {
@@ -26,14 +32,42 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
     },
     id: 'tabs-layout',
     createFromLayout: TabsLayoutManager.createFromLayout,
-
     kind: 'TabsLayout',
   };
 
   public readonly descriptor = TabsLayoutManager.descriptor;
 
+  protected _urlSync = new SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig(this, { keys: ['tab'] });
+
+  public constructor(state: Partial<TabsLayoutManagerState>) {
+    super({
+      ...state,
+      tabs: state.tabs ?? [new TabItem()],
+      currentTabIndex: state.currentTabIndex ?? 0,
+    });
+  }
+
+  public getUrlState() {
+    return { tab: this.state.currentTabIndex.toString() };
+  }
+
+  public updateFromUrl(values: SceneObjectUrlValues) {
+    if (!values.tab) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (typeof values.tab === 'string') {
+      this.setState({ currentTabIndex: parseInt(values.tab, 10) });
+    }
+  }
+
+  public getCurrentTab(): TabItem {
+    return this.state.tabs.length > this.state.currentTabIndex
+      ? this.state.tabs[this.state.currentTabIndex]
+      : this.state.tabs[0];
+  }
+
   public addPanel(vizPanel: VizPanel) {
-    this.state.currentTab.getLayout().addPanel(vizPanel);
+    this.getCurrentTab().getLayout().addPanel(vizPanel);
   }
 
   public getVizPanels(): VizPanel[] {
@@ -62,12 +96,12 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
   }
 
   public addNewRow() {
-    this.state.currentTab.getLayout().addNewRow();
+    this.getCurrentTab().getLayout().addNewRow();
   }
 
   public addNewTab() {
     const currentTab = new TabItem();
-    this.setState({ tabs: [...this.state.tabs, currentTab], currentTab });
+    this.setState({ tabs: [...this.state.tabs, currentTab], currentTabIndex: this.state.tabs.length });
   }
 
   public editModeChanged(isEditing: boolean) {
@@ -78,32 +112,33 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
     this.state.tabs.forEach((tab) => tab.getLayout().activateRepeaters?.());
   }
 
-  public removeTab(tab: TabItem) {
-    if (this.state.currentTab === tab) {
-      const currentTabIndex = this.state.tabs.indexOf(tab);
-      const nextTabIndex = currentTabIndex === 0 ? 1 : currentTabIndex - 1;
-      const nextTab = this.state.tabs[nextTabIndex];
-      this.setState({ tabs: this.state.tabs.filter((t) => t !== tab), currentTab: nextTab });
+  public removeTab(tabToRemove: TabItem) {
+    // Do not allow removing last tab (for now)
+    if (this.state.tabs.length === 1) {
       return;
     }
 
-    const filteredTab = this.state.tabs.filter((tab) => tab !== this.state.currentTab);
+    const currentTab = this.getCurrentTab();
+
+    if (currentTab === tabToRemove) {
+      const nextTabIndex = this.state.currentTabIndex > 0 ? this.state.currentTabIndex - 1 : 0;
+      this.setState({ tabs: this.state.tabs.filter((t) => t !== tabToRemove), currentTabIndex: nextTabIndex });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const filteredTab = this.state.tabs.filter((tab) => tab !== tabToRemove);
     const tabs = filteredTab.length === 0 ? [new TabItem()] : filteredTab;
 
-    this.setState({ tabs, currentTab: tabs[tabs.length - 1] });
-  }
-
-  public changeTab(tab: TabItem) {
-    this.setState({ currentTab: tab });
+    this.setState({ tabs, currentTabIndex: 0 });
   }
 
   public static createEmpty(): TabsLayoutManager {
     const tab = new TabItem();
-    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs: [tab], currentTab: tab });
+    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs: [tab] });
   }
 
   public static createFromLayout(layout: DashboardLayoutManager): TabsLayoutManager {
     const tab = new TabItem({ layout: layout.clone() });
-    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs: [tab], currentTab: tab });
+    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs: [tab] });
   }
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManagerRenderer.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManagerRenderer.tsx
index 68d4840ae19..443ae6e1f1c 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManagerRenderer.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManagerRenderer.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import { TabsLayoutManager } from './TabsLayoutManager';
 
 export function TabsLayoutManagerRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<TabsLayoutManager>) {
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
-  const { tabs, currentTab } = model.useState();
+  const { tabs, currentTabIndex } = model.useState();
+  const currentTab = tabs[currentTabIndex];
   const { layout } = currentTab.useState();
 
   return (
@@ -18,7 +19,9 @@ export function TabsLayoutManagerRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<TabsLay
           <tab.Component model={tab} key={tab.state.key!} />
         ))}
       </TabsBar>
-      <TabContent className={styles.tabContentContainer}>{layout && <layout.Component model={layout} />}</TabContent>
+      <TabContent className={styles.tabContentContainer}>
+        {currentTab && <layout.Component model={layout} />}
+      </TabContent>
     </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/layoutSerializers/TabsLayoutSerializer.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/layoutSerializers/TabsLayoutSerializer.ts
index d6eb10803a1..d5093fb4663 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/layoutSerializers/TabsLayoutSerializer.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/layoutSerializers/TabsLayoutSerializer.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ export class TabsLayoutSerializer implements LayoutManagerSerializer {
         layout: layoutSerializerRegistry.get(layout.kind).serializer.deserialize(layout, elements, preload),
       });
     });
-    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs, currentTab: tabs[0] });
+    return new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs });
   }
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/transformSceneToSaveModelSchemaV2.test.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/transformSceneToSaveModelSchemaV2.test.ts
index 4ff7c331b78..050565bc711 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/transformSceneToSaveModelSchemaV2.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/transformSceneToSaveModelSchemaV2.test.ts
@@ -549,14 +549,7 @@ describe('dynamic layouts', () => {
       }),
     ];
 
-    const scene = setupDashboardScene(
-      getMinimalSceneState(
-        new TabsLayoutManager({
-          currentTab: tabs[0],
-          tabs,
-        })
-      )
-    );
+    const scene = setupDashboardScene(getMinimalSceneState(new TabsLayoutManager({ tabs })));
     const result = transformSceneToSaveModelSchemaV2(scene);
     expect(result.layout.kind).toBe('TabsLayout');
     const tabsLayout = result.layout.spec as TabsLayoutSpec;