diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Primary Window/PrimaryWindow.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Primary Window/PrimaryWindow.swift
index 04ba7bdac..51194ad91 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Primary Window/PrimaryWindow.swift	
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Primary Window/PrimaryWindow.swift	
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class FocusedSurfaceWrapper {
 // such as non-native fullscreen.
 class PrimaryWindow: NSWindow {
     var focusedSurfaceWrapper: FocusedSurfaceWrapper = FocusedSurfaceWrapper()
-    
+
     static func create(ghostty: Ghostty.AppState, appDelegate: AppDelegate, baseConfig: ghostty_surface_config_s? = nil) -> PrimaryWindow {
         let window = PrimaryWindow(
             contentRect: NSRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 800, height: 600),
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Ghostty/AppState.swift b/macos/Sources/Ghostty/AppState.swift
index 3dec00975..f61928f82 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Ghostty/AppState.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Ghostty/AppState.swift
@@ -385,6 +385,16 @@ extension Ghostty {
         static func newTab(_ userdata: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?, config: ghostty_surface_config_s) {
             guard let surface = self.surfaceUserdata(from: userdata) else { return }
 
+            guard self.appState(fromSurface: userdata)?.windowDecorations else {
+                let alert = NSAlert()
+                alert.messageText = "Tabs are disabled"
+                alert.informativeText = "Enable window decorations to use tabs"
+                alert.addButton(withTitle: "OK")
+                alert.alertStyle = .warning
+                _ = alert.runModal()
+                return
+            }
+
             NotificationCenter.default.post(
                 name: Notification.ghosttyNewTab,
                 object: surface,