diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/Tab.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/Tab.zig
index 96acfea0a..c25f4ad55 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/Tab.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/Tab.zig
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ const log = std.log.scoped(.gtk);
 
 pub const GHOSTTY_TAB = "ghostty_tab";
 
+/// The window that owns this tab.
 window: *Window,
 
-/// The tab label.
+/// The tab label. The tab label is the text that appears on the tab.
 label_text: *c.GtkLabel,
 
 /// We'll put our children into this box instead of packing them
@@ -86,7 +87,9 @@ pub fn init(self: *Tab, window: *Window, parent_: ?*CoreSurface) !void {
         c.gtk_widget_set_size_request(label_text_widget, 100, 1);
     }
 
-    // Create a Box in which we'll later keep either Surface or Split
+    // Create a Box in which we'll later keep either Surface or Split.
+    // Using a box makes it easier to maintain the tab contents because
+    // we never need to change the root widget of the notebook page (tab).
     const box_widget = c.gtk_box_new(c.GTK_ORIENTATION_VERTICAL, 0);
     c.gtk_widget_set_hexpand(box_widget, 1);
     c.gtk_widget_set_vexpand(box_widget, 1);
@@ -145,6 +148,12 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Tab, alloc: Allocator) void {
     self.elem.deinit(alloc);
 }
 
+/// Deinit and deallocate the tab.
+pub fn destroy(self: *Tab, alloc: Allocator) void {
+    self.deinit(alloc);
+    alloc.destroy(self);
+}
+
 // TODO: move this
 /// Replace the surface element that this tab is showing.
 pub fn replaceElem(self: *Tab, elem: Surface.Container.Elem) void {
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/Window.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/Window.zig
index fbe1f64f2..0f9d239da 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/Window.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/Window.zig
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ notebook: *c.GtkNotebook,
 /// pointer to this because GTK can use it at any time.
 icon: icon.Icon,
 
+/// The tab state for this window.
 tabs: std.ArrayListUnmanaged(*Tab),
 
 pub fn create(alloc: Allocator, app: *App) !*Window {
@@ -58,13 +59,9 @@ pub fn init(self: *Window, app: *App) !void {
         .icon = undefined,
         .window = undefined,
         .notebook = undefined,
-        .tabs = undefined,
+        .tabs = .{},
     };
 
-    var tabs: std.ArrayListUnmanaged(*Tab) = .{};
-    errdefer tabs.deinit(app.core_app.alloc);
-    self.tabs = tabs;
-
     // Create the window
     const window = c.gtk_application_window_new(app.app);
     const gtk_window: *c.GtkWindow = @ptrCast(window);
@@ -192,17 +189,14 @@ fn initActions(self: *Window) void {
 
 pub fn deinit(self: *Window) void {
     self.icon.deinit(self.app);
-    for (self.tabs.items) |tab| {
-        tab.deinit(self.app.core_app.alloc);
-        self.app.core_app.alloc.destroy(tab);
-    }
+    for (self.tabs.items) |tab| tab.destroy(self.app.core_app.alloc);
     self.tabs.deinit(self.app.core_app.alloc);
 }
 
 /// Add a new tab to this window.
-pub fn newTab(self: *Window, parentSurface: ?*CoreSurface) !void {
+pub fn newTab(self: *Window, parent: ?*CoreSurface) !void {
     const alloc = self.app.core_app.alloc;
-    const tab = try Tab.create(alloc, self, parentSurface);
+    const tab = try Tab.create(alloc, self, parent);
     try self.tabs.append(alloc, tab);
 
     // TODO: When this is triggered through a GTK action, the new surface