@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ export interface TabsPlayground {
   icons: Ref<boolean>
   header: Ref<boolean>
   teamDisabled: Ref<boolean>
+  mobileSelect: Ref<boolean>
   tones: FormSelectOption[]
   variants: FormSelectOption[]
   modes: FormSelectOption[]
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ const tabsPlaygroundTemplate = html`<Flex direction="column">
     <Badge tone="accent" variant="surface">Live playground</Badge>
   </Flex>
   <Tabs id="tabs-playground-preview" group="tabs-playground-views" :selectedTab="selected"
-    :tone="tone" :variant="shell" :tabVariant="controls" :variantMode="mode" ariaLabel="Project workspace">
+    :tone="tone" :variant="shell" :tabVariant="controls" :variantMode="mode" :mobileSelect="mobileSelect" ariaLabel="Project workspace">
     <template #header>
       <Flex r-if="header" class="tabs__header" justify="between" align="center" wrap="true">
         <div><p class="text-eyebrow m-0">PureStack Studio</p><h3 class="mt-1 mb-0">Project workspace</h3></div>
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ const tabsPlaygroundTemplate = html`<Flex direction="column">
       <FormCheck id="tabs-disabled" label="Disable Team" :checked="teamDisabled"/>
     </Flex>
   </div>
+  <FormCheck id="tabs-mobile-select" label="Use a select on mobile" :checked="mobileSelect"/>
   <Flex justify="between" align="center" wrap="true">
     <p class="text-muted m-0" role="status">Selected: <code id="tabs-selected">{{ selected }}</code></p>
     <Btn variant="outline" size="sm" @click="reset">Reset playground</Btn>
@@ -115,6 +117,7 @@ const tabsPlayground = defineComponent<TabsPlayground>(tabsPlaygroundTemplate, {
     const icons = ref(true)
     const header = ref(true)
     const teamDisabled = ref(true)
+    const mobileSelect = ref(false)
     const refresh = () => {
       if (teamDisabled() && selected() === 'tabs-lab-team')
         selected('tabs-lab-overview')
@@ -132,6 +135,7 @@ const tabsPlayground = defineComponent<TabsPlayground>(tabsPlaygroundTemplate, {
       icons,
       header,
       teamDisabled,
+      mobileSelect,
       refresh,
       tones: [
         'neutral',
@@ -180,6 +184,7 @@ const tabsPlayground = defineComponent<TabsPlayground>(tabsPlaygroundTemplate, {
             Tabs: {
               group: 'tabs-playground-views',
               selectedTab: selected(),
+              mobileSelect: mobileSelect(),
               tone: tone(),
               variant: shell(),
               tabVariant: controls(),
@@ -204,6 +209,7 @@ const tabsPlayground = defineComponent<TabsPlayground>(tabsPlaygroundTemplate, {
         icons(true)
         header(true)
         teamDisabled(true)
+        mobileSelect(false)
         refresh()
       },
     }
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ nav:
 <Grid columns="1" columnsMd="3">
   <Panel variant="outline" bodyClass="p-3"><p class="text-eyebrow mt-0">Selection</p><strong>One shared ref</strong><p class="text-muted mb-0">Connect the active pane to forms, buttons and the rest of your app.</p></Panel>
   <Panel variant="outline" bodyClass="p-3"><p class="text-eyebrow mt-0">State</p><strong>Panels stay mounted</strong><p class="text-muted mb-0">Switch views without discarding a draft or resetting an input.</p></Panel>
-  <Panel variant="outline" bodyClass="p-3"><p class="text-eyebrow mt-0">Space</p><strong>Controls adapt</strong><p class="text-muted mb-0">Overflow on narrow containers. A native selector on mobile.</p></Panel>
+  <Panel variant="outline" bodyClass="p-3"><p class="text-eyebrow mt-0">Space</p><strong>Controls adapt</strong><p class="text-muted mb-0">Overflow on narrow containers. An optional native selector on mobile.</p></Panel>
 </Grid>
 
 ## In context
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ const select = (id: string) => {
 }
 ```
 
-`refresh()` rebuilds the generated buttons and selector; it keeps the existing panel content. Scope it to the root you changed. Also refresh after inserting or removing panes. A ref assignment updates the underlying radio binding, but the current runtime does not watch every component prop automatically.
+`refresh()` rebuilds the generated buttons and selector; it keeps the existing panel content. Scope it to the root you changed. Also refresh after inserting or removing panes. A ref assignment updates the underlying radio binding, but the current runtime does not watch every component prop automatically. Changes to `mobileSelect` update the layout automatically and do not require a refresh.
 
 Choose an enabled pane explicitly when disabling or removing the selected pane. This keeps the model and visible view aligned. The playground demonstrates that policy in its `refresh` action.
 
@@ -157,9 +157,23 @@ Change the example's width without resizing the page. On desktop, the More tabs
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | Wide viewport, enough container space | Horizontal buttons | Choose Full available width |
 | Wide viewport, narrow container | Buttons plus More tabs | Choose 280px or 360px |
-| Viewport at or below the framework's `sm` breakpoint (640px) | Native select | Open the page on a phone or resize the browser |
+| Viewport at or below the framework's `sm` breakpoint (640px), with `mobileSelect` enabled | Native select | Enable Use a select on mobile in the playground, then resize the browser |
+| Mobile viewport with `mobileSelect` disabled (default) | Buttons plus More tabs when needed | Leave Use a select on mobile unchecked in the playground |
 
-Container width determines overflow. **Viewport width** determines compact mode. A 280px component inside a desktop page still uses the overflow menu. Selection and panel state survive either transition.
+Container width determines overflow. When `mobileSelect` is enabled, **viewport width** determines compact mode. A 280px component inside a desktop page still uses the overflow menu. Selection and panel state survive either transition.
+
+### Use a select on mobile
+
+Tabs keep their buttons and overflow menu at every viewport width by default. Set `:mobileSelect="true"` on an individual Tabs to use a native select on mobile:
+
+```html
+<Tabs :mobileSelect="true" selectedTab="mobile-overview">
+  <TabPane id="mobile-overview" label="Overview">Overview content</TabPane>
+  <TabPane id="mobile-details" label="Details">Details content</TabPane>
+</Tabs>
+```
+
+The default is `false`. In a Regor app, bind a boolean ref with `:mobileSelect="mobileSelect"`; changing it switches between the mobile select and tab buttons without rebuilding the component or resetting its selected pane. The playground's Use a select on mobile checkbox demonstrates this.
 
 ## Header slots, overrides and nested groups
 
@@ -206,7 +220,7 @@ All variant values are available in the playground: `none`, `solid`, `surface`,
 </div>
 
 <nav class="api-index" aria-label="Tabs API">
-  <a href="#tabs-group-api">group</a><a href="#tabs-selected-api">selectedTab</a><a href="#tabs-label-api">ariaLabel</a><a href="#tabs-tone-api">tone</a><a href="#tabs-variant-api">variants</a><a href="#pane-id-api">pane identity</a><a href="#pane-disabled-api">disabled</a><a href="#pane-style-api">pane styling</a><a href="#tabs-slots-api">slots</a><a href="#tabs-runtime-api">runtime</a>
+  <a href="#tabs-group-api">group</a><a href="#tabs-selected-api">selectedTab</a><a href="#tabs-mobile-select-api">mobileSelect</a><a href="#tabs-label-api">ariaLabel</a><a href="#tabs-tone-api">tone</a><a href="#tabs-variant-api">variants</a><a href="#pane-id-api">pane identity</a><a href="#pane-disabled-api">disabled</a><a href="#pane-style-api">pane styling</a><a href="#tabs-slots-api">slots</a><a href="#tabs-runtime-api">runtime</a>
 </nav>
 
 ### Tabs properties
@@ -220,6 +234,11 @@ All variant values are available in the playground: `none`, `solid`, `surface`,
   <p>Set an enabled pane explicitly for predictable initial state. Without a valid checked pane, the enhanced runtime chooses the first enabled pane; the CSS-only fallback displays the first pane.</p>
 </ApiProperty>
 
+<ApiProperty anchor="tabs-mobile-select-api" name="mobileSelect" valueType="RefOrValue&lt;boolean&gt;" defaultValue="false">
+  <p>Set true to use a native select at viewport widths up to 640px. By default, Tabs retain their buttons and overflow menu on mobile.</p>
+  <p>Bind a boolean ref to change this per instance. The browser runtime updates the layout automatically and preserves the selected pane; no refresh is needed for this prop.</p>
+</ApiProperty>
+
 <ApiProperty anchor="tabs-label-api" name="ariaLabel" valueType="RefOrValue&lt;string&gt;" defaultValue="Tabs">
   <p>Accessible group name for the tab list and compact selector. Describe the views, such as Release workspace or Deployment environment.</p>
 </ApiProperty>
@@ -484,7 +503,7 @@ A text label, an optional icon, a disabled view, and label fallback to the ID ar
 | Selecting one group clears another | Give each Tabs instance a different group |
 | The wrong panel opens or labels target another example | Make every TabPane id document-unique |
 | The model changes but enhanced controls look stale | Refresh the affected root after the DOM update |
-| A narrow desktop demo does not use a select | Compact mode follows viewport width, not container width |
+| A narrow desktop demo does not use a select | Enable mobileSelect; compact mode follows viewport width, not container width |
 | A header appears below the generated controls | Add tabs__header to the header-slot wrapper |
 | A selected pane becomes disabled | Move selection to an enabled pane before refreshing |
 
 
@@ -8,6 +8,85 @@ import { defineIconComponents } from '../icon/icon'
 import { defineTabsComponents } from './tabs'
 
 describe('Tabs rendering', () => {
+  it.each([
+    [undefined, null],
+    [true, 'true'],
+    [false, 'false'],
+  ])(
+    'renders the mobile select setting %s as %s',
+    async (mobileSelect, expected) => {
+      const cleanup = ensureDomGlobals()
+      try {
+        const binding =
+          mobileSelect === undefined ? '' : `:mobileSelect="${mobileSelect}"`
+        const html = await renderApp(
+          `<Tabs ${binding}><TabPane id="overview" label="Overview">Content</TabPane></Tabs>`,
+          {
+            components: {
+              ...defineIconComponents(getSvgIcon),
+              ...defineTabsComponents(),
+            },
+            context: createTestContext({
+              pageInfo: { relPath: 'tabs.mdx', urlPath: '/tabs/' },
+            }),
+          },
+        )
+        if (expected === null) {
+          expect(html).not.toContain('data-mobile-select=')
+        } else {
+          expect(html).toContain(`data-mobile-select="${expected}"`)
+        }
+      } finally {
+        cleanup()
+      }
+    },
+  )
+
+  it('updates mobileSelect reactively per instance without changing selection', () => {
+    const cleanupDom = createDom(
+      '<html><body><div id="app"></div></body></html>',
+    )
+    const mobileSelect = ref(false)
+    const selectedTab = ref('details')
+    const app = createApp(
+      {
+        components: {
+          ...defineIconComponents(getSvgIcon),
+          ...defineTabsComponents(),
+        },
+        mobileSelect,
+        selectedTab,
+      },
+      {
+        selector: '#app',
+        template: `<Tabs id="configurable-tabs" group="configurable" :mobileSelect="mobileSelect" :selectedTab="selectedTab">
+          <TabPane id="overview" label="Overview">Overview</TabPane>
+          <TabPane id="details" label="Details">Details</TabPane>
+        </Tabs>
+        <Tabs id="default-tabs" group="default"><TabPane id="other" label="Other">Other</TabPane></Tabs>`,
+      },
+    )
+    try {
+      const root = document.querySelector('#configurable-tabs')
+      const other = document.querySelector('#default-tabs')
+      expect(root?.getAttribute('data-mobile-select')).toBe('false')
+      expect(other?.getAttribute('data-mobile-select')).toBeNull()
+
+      mobileSelect(true)
+      expect(root?.getAttribute('data-mobile-select')).toBe('true')
+      mobileSelect(false)
+      expect(root?.getAttribute('data-mobile-select')).toBe('false')
+      expect(other?.getAttribute('data-mobile-select')).toBeNull()
+      expect(selectedTab()).toBe('details')
+      expect(
+        document.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('#details')?.checked,
+      ).toBe(true)
+    } finally {
+      app.unbind()
+      cleanupDom()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('renders slotted tab content and active tab state', async () => {
     const cleanup = ensureDomGlobals()
     const components = {
 
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export class Tabs {
   group: string = defaultGroup
   ariaLabel?: RefOrValue<string>
   selectedTab?: RefOrValue<string>
+  mobileSelect?: RefOrValue<boolean>
   tone?: RefOrValue<SemanticTone>
   variant?: RefOrValue<ComponentVariant>
   variantMode?: RefOrValue<ComponentVariantMode>
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ export interface TabPane {
   tabClasses?: ComputedRef<string>
 }
 
-const tabsTemplate = html`<section class="tabs" :class="classes">
+const tabsTemplate = html`<section class="tabs" :class="classes" :data-mobile-select="mobileSelect">
   <slot name="header"></slot>
   <div class="tabs__list" role="tablist" :aria-label="ariaLabel || 'Tabs'">
     <slot></slot>
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ function defineTabsComponent() {
       'ariaLabel',
       'group',
       'selectedTab',
+      'mobileSelect',
       'tone',
       'variant',
       'variantMode',
 
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { createDom } from '@purestack/ts-minidom'
+import { styleBuilder } from '@purestack/ts-style'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { registerTabsStyles } from './tabsStyle'
+
+function tabsOwnerId(control: Element) {
+  let parent = control.parentElement
+  while (parent) {
+    if (parent.classList.contains('tabs')) return parent.id
+    parent = parent.parentElement
+  }
+}
+
+describe('nested Tabs responsive styles', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    styleBuilder.reset()
+  })
+
+  it.each(['light', 'dark'] as const)(
+    'keeps a compact parent from changing its nested controls in the %s theme',
+    (theme) => {
+      const cleanup = createDom(`<html><body>
+        <section id="outer" class="tabs tabs--enhanced tabs--compact">
+          <div class="tabs__tabs-row"></div>
+          <div class="tabs__select-wrap"></div>
+          <div class="tabs__list"><div class="tabs__item">
+            <label class="tabs__tab">Outer tab</label>
+            <section class="tabs__panel">
+              <section id="inner" class="tabs tabs--enhanced" data-mobile-select="false">
+                <div class="tabs__tabs-row"></div>
+                <div class="tabs__select-wrap"></div>
+                <div class="tabs__list"><div class="tabs__item">
+                  <label class="tabs__tab">Inner tab</label>
+                </div></div>
+              </section>
+              <section id="static" class="tabs">
+                <div class="tabs__list"><div class="tabs__item">
+                  <label class="tabs__tab">Static fallback tab</label>
+                </div></div>
+              </section>
+            </section>
+          </div></div>
+        </section>
+      </body></html>`)
+      try {
+        registerTabsStyles()
+        const rules = [...styleBuilder.get(theme).children.values()]
+        const compactRules = rules.filter((rule) =>
+          rule.selector.includes('.tabs--compact'),
+        )
+        expect(compactRules.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+        for (const rule of compactRules) {
+          const matched = [...document.querySelectorAll(rule.selector)]
+          expect(matched.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+          for (const control of matched) {
+            expect(tabsOwnerId(control)).toBe('outer')
+          }
+        }
+
+        const labelRule = rules.find(
+          (rule) =>
+            rule.selector.includes('.tabs--enhanced') &&
+            rule.selector.endsWith('.tabs__tab'),
+        )
+        expect(labelRule).toBeDefined()
+        const labels = [...document.querySelectorAll(labelRule?.selector ?? '')]
+        expect(labels).toHaveLength(2)
+        expect(labels.map(tabsOwnerId)).toEqual(['outer', 'inner'])
+      } finally {
+        cleanup()
+      }
+    },
+  )
+})
@@ -215,17 +215,21 @@ function registerTabsPanelStyles(theme: ThemeMode) {
 }
 
 function registerTabsResponsiveStyles(theme: ThemeMode) {
-  styleBuilder.select('.tabs--enhanced .tabs__tabs-row', theme).display('flex')
+  styleBuilder
+    .select('.tabs--enhanced > .tabs__tabs-row', theme)
+    .display('flex')
 
   styleBuilder
-    .select('.tabs--compact .tabs__select-wrap', theme)
+    .select('.tabs--compact > .tabs__select-wrap', theme)
     .display('block')
 
-  styleBuilder.select('.tabs--enhanced .tabs__tab', theme).display('none')
+  styleBuilder
+    .select('.tabs--enhanced > .tabs__list > .tabs__item > .tabs__tab', theme)
+    .display('none')
 
-  styleBuilder.select('.tabs--compact .tabs__tabs-row', theme).display('none')
+  styleBuilder.select('.tabs--compact > .tabs__tabs-row', theme).display('none')
 
   styleBuilder
-    .select('.tabs--compact .tabs__list', theme)
+    .select('.tabs--compact > .tabs__list', theme)
     .gridTemplateColumns('1fr')
 }