diff --git a/.changeset/sharp-pumas-obey.md b/.changeset/sharp-pumas-obey.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f30b3da45ea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sharp-pumas-obey.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@db-ux/core-components": patch
+---
+
+fix: set DBTabItem internal state `_selected` correctly
+- now also sets aria-selected=true|false correctly which improves screen reader behaviour
diff --git a/packages/components/src/components/tab-item/tab-item.lite.tsx b/packages/components/src/components/tab-item/tab-item.lite.tsx
index ef8888f60607..fc8917165a10 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/components/tab-item/tab-item.lite.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/components/tab-item/tab-item.lite.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
 	onMount,
+	onUnMount,
 	onUpdate,
 	Show,
 	useDefaultProps,
@@ -27,6 +28,18 @@ useDefaultProps<DBTabItemProps>({});
 
 export default function DBTabItem(props: DBTabItemProps) {
 	const _ref = useRef<HTMLInputElement | any>(null);
+
+	function setSelectedOnChange(event: any) {
+		useTarget({
+			stencil: () => {
+				state._selected = getBooleanAsString(event.target === _ref);
+			},
+			default: () => {
+				state._selected = event.target === _ref;
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
 	// jscpd:ignore-start
 	const state = useStore<DBTabItemState>({
 		_selected: false,
@@ -49,17 +62,16 @@ export default function DBTabItem(props: DBTabItemProps) {
 				props.onChange(event);
 			}
 
-			// We have different ts types in different frameworks, so we need to use any here
-
-			useTarget({
-				stencil: () => {
-					const selected = (event.target as any)?.['checked'];
-					state._selected = getBooleanAsString(selected);
-				},
-				default: () => {
-					state._selected = (event.target as any)?.['checked'];
-				}
-			});
+			if (_ref.checked && !state._selected) {
+				useTarget({
+					stencil: () => {
+						state._selected = getBooleanAsString(true);
+					},
+					default: () => {
+						state._selected = true;
+					}
+				});
+			}
 
 			useTarget({
 				angular: () =>
@@ -76,12 +88,26 @@ export default function DBTabItem(props: DBTabItemProps) {
 
 	onUpdate(() => {
 		if (state.initialized && _ref) {
+			useTarget({ react: () => state.handleNameAttribute() });
+			state.initialized = false;
+
+			// deselect this tab when another tab in tablist is selected
+			_ref.closest('[role=tablist]')?.addEventListener(
+				'change',
+				setSelectedOnChange
+			);
+
 			if (props.active) {
+				useTarget({
+					stencil: () => {
+						state._selected = getBooleanAsString(true);
+					},
+					default: () => {
+						state._selected = true;
+					}
+				});
 				_ref.click();
 			}
-
-			useTarget({ react: () => state.handleNameAttribute() });
-			state.initialized = false;
 		}
 	}, [_ref, state.initialized]);
 
@@ -91,6 +117,15 @@ export default function DBTabItem(props: DBTabItemProps) {
 		}
 	}, [props.name]);
 
+	onUnMount(() => {
+		if (state.initialized && _ref) {
+			_ref.closest('[role=tablist]')?.removeEventListener(
+				'change',
+				setSelectedOnChange
+			);
+		}
+	});
+
 	return (
 		<li class={cls('db-tab-item', props.className)} role="none">
 			<label
diff --git a/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.lite.tsx b/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.lite.tsx
index 2a286d9589b3..e9b714d02ffc 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.lite.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.lite.tsx
@@ -170,11 +170,11 @@ export default function DBTabs(props: DBTabsProps) {
 					if (tabItem) {
 						const list = tabItem.parentElement;
 						if (list) {
-							const indices = Array.from(list.childNodes).indexOf(
+							const tabIndex = Array.from(list.children).indexOf(
 								tabItem
 							);
 							if (props.onIndexChange) {
-								props.onIndexChange(indices);
+								props.onIndexChange(tabIndex);
 							}
 
 							if (props.onTabSelect) {
diff --git a/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.spec.tsx b/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.spec.tsx
index 3f5b36028b53..9d2adb819e4b 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.spec.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import AxeBuilder from '@axe-core/playwright';
 import { expect, test } from '@playwright/experimental-ct-react';
 
-import { existsSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { DBTabs } from './index';
 // @ts-ignore - vue can only find it with .ts as file ending
 import { DEFAULT_VIEWPORT } from '../../shared/constants.ts';
@@ -9,13 +8,10 @@ import { DBTabItem } from '../tab-item';
 import { DBTabList } from '../tab-list';
 import { DBTabPanel } from '../tab-panel';
 
-const filePath = './test-results/onIndexChange.txt';
+let tabIndex: number;
 
 const comp: any = (
-	<DBTabs
-		onIndexChange={(index: number) =>
-			writeFileSync(filePath, index.toString())
-		}>
+	<DBTabs onIndexChange={(index: number) => (tabIndex = index)}>
 		<DBTabList>
 			<DBTabItem data-testid="test">Test 1</DBTabItem>
 			<DBTabItem data-testid="test2">Test 2</DBTabItem>
@@ -44,10 +40,11 @@ const testComponent = () => {
 
 const testActions = () => {
 	test('should be clickable', async ({ mount }) => {
-		if (existsSync(filePath)) {
-			rmSync(filePath);
-		}
+		expect(tabIndex).toBe(undefined);
 
+		// Beware: the comments below actually change the selector for vue
+		// this is necessary because vue will not trigger a check on an list element but requires the actual
+		// radio button element, which has the role=tab
 		const component = await mount(comp);
 		await component
 			.getByTestId('test2')
@@ -59,7 +56,7 @@ const testActions = () => {
 			.isChecked();
 		expect(!tabChecked).toBeTruthy();
 
-		expect(existsSync(filePath)).toBeTruthy();
+		expect(tabIndex).toBe(1);
 	});
 };