diff --git a/docs/plugin-ui-markup.md b/docs/plugin-ui-markup.md
index 01805ec88..b9a1d808a 100644
--- a/docs/plugin-ui-markup.md
+++ b/docs/plugin-ui-markup.md
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ Unknown or miscased element names throw at build time.
 | `button` | Button with caption and optional icon | `x y w h text color background border onclick icon iconkind` |
 | `icon` | An icon | `x y w h did` or `spell` or `item`, `tooltip` |
 | `meter` | Nine-slice bar | `x y w h fill cur max color` plus the nine-slice `backleft backtile backright frontleft fronttile frontright` |
-| `tab` | Tab button | `x y w h text selected onclick` |
+| `tab` | Tab button with optional icon | `x y w h text selected onclick icon iconkind` |
 | `toggle` | Checkbox | `x y w h text checked onclick color` |
 | `slider` | Horizontal slider | `x y w h value onchange min max style` |
 | `field` | Single-line text input | `x y w h text maxlength clearonsubmit onchange onsubmit onup ondown color background` |
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ Do not add the prefix to them.
 ## Icon sources
 
 An icon comes from one of three sources. On `<icon>` the source is whichever
-attribute is set; on `<button>` and `<list>` it is `iconkind` (default `did`).
+attribute is set; on `<button>`, `<tab>` and `<list>` it is `iconkind` (default `did`).
 
 | Source | Draws |
 |---|---|
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ attribute is set; on `<button>` and `<list>` it is `iconkind` (default `did`).
 <icon x="8"  y="8" w="32" h="32" did="7735" tooltip="An icon"/>
 <icon x="48" y="8" w="32" h="32" spell="{SpellId}" tooltip="{SpellName}"/>
 <button x="12" y="68" w="120" h="24" text="Report" icon="0x06002D14" onclick="{Report}"/>
+<tab x="140" y="68" w="90" h="24" text="Spells" icon="{SpellId}" iconkind="spell" selected="{SpellsTab}" onclick="{ShowSpells}"/>
 <list x="12" y="100" w="256" h="108" items="{SpellRows}" icons="{SpellIds}" iconkind="spell" selected="{SelectedIndex}"/>
 ```
 
@@ -272,6 +273,9 @@ Rules:
   and centered. An id of 0 or an unresolvable id draws nothing.
 - An `<icon>` with a `tooltip` is hit-testable; without one it is
   click-through.
+- A `<button>` or `<tab>` with `icon` draws it in a square column at the
+  left and centers the caption in the rest. Leave out `text` for an
+  icon-only control.
 - A `<list>` with `icons` draws one square icon column at the left, one
   icon per row, using one `iconkind` for the whole list. Rows without a
   matching icon draw text only.
diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/UI/MarkupDocument.cs b/src/AcDream.App/UI/MarkupDocument.cs
index a779198de..f38996fd0 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/UI/MarkupDocument.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/UI/MarkupDocument.cs
@@ -238,21 +238,7 @@ void BindColorSource(string? expression, object model, Action<Vector4> setValue,
                         (string?)el.Attribute("border"), binding,
                         value => button.BorderColor = value,
                         source => button.BorderColorSource = source);
-                    string? buttonIcon = (string?)el.Attribute("icon");
-                    if (buttonIcon is not null)
-                    {
-                        string? buttonIconKind = (string?)el.Attribute("iconkind");
-                        ValidateIconKind(buttonIconKind);
-                        Func<uint> buttonIconReader =
-                            BindUintLiteralOrBinding(buttonIcon, binding, "button icon");
-                        if (icons is not null)
-                        {
-                            button.IconSource = BuildIconSource(
-                                buttonIconKind,
-                                buttonIconReader,
-                                icons);
-                        }
-                    }
+                    ApplyButtonIcon(button, el, binding, icons, "button icon");
                     ApplyCommon(button, el, binding);
                     if (onClick is not null)
                         button.Click += onClick;
@@ -264,7 +250,7 @@ void BindColorSource(string? expression, object model, Action<Vector4> setValue,
                     if (el.Attribute("iconkind") is not null)
                     {
                         throw new FormatException(
-                            "iconkind applies to button and list; icon derives its kind from did/spell/item");
+                            "iconkind applies to button, tab and list; icon derives its kind from did/spell/item");
                     }
 
                     string? didAttr = (string?)el.Attribute("did");
@@ -327,6 +313,7 @@ void BindColorSource(string? expression, object model, Action<Vector4> setValue,
                         binding,
                         "tab selected"),
                 };
+                ApplyButtonIcon(tab, el, binding, icons, "tab icon");
                 ApplyCommon(tab, el, binding);
                 if (tabClick is not null)
                     tab.Click += tabClick;
@@ -675,6 +662,24 @@ void RefreshMenu()
             PluginMarkupTheme.Register(themedPanel, parent.Children[firstChild], el);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Reads a button-like control's optional icon/iconkind pair. Both are
+    /// validated at build even with no resolver wired, so a typo fails early.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static void ApplyButtonIcon(
+        UiSimpleButton button, XElement el, object binding,
+        IMarkupIconResolver? icons, string context)
+    {
+        string? iconExpression = (string?)el.Attribute("icon");
+        if (iconExpression is null)
+            return;
+        string? iconKind = (string?)el.Attribute("iconkind");
+        ValidateIconKind(iconKind);
+        Func<uint> iconReader = BindUintLiteralOrBinding(iconExpression, binding, context);
+        if (icons is not null)
+            button.IconSource = BuildIconSource(iconKind, iconReader, icons);
+    }
+
     private static string ValidateIconKind(string? iconKind, string context = "iconkind") =>
         (iconKind ?? "did") switch
         {
diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiMarkupTabButton.cs b/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiMarkupTabButton.cs
index d3457267f..b93980055 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiMarkupTabButton.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiMarkupTabButton.cs
@@ -15,10 +15,16 @@ public sealed class UiMarkupTabButton : UiSimpleButton
 
     public PluginUiPalette? ThemePalette { get; set; }
 
+    /// <summary>The alpha an unselected tab draws its icon at, so it recedes like its caption.</summary>
+    internal const float InactiveIconAlpha = 0.55f;
+
     public Func<bool>? SelectedSource { get; set; }
 
     public bool IsSelected => SelectedSource?.Invoke() ?? false;
 
+    private protected override Vector4 IconTint =>
+        IsSelected ? base.IconTint : base.IconTint with { W = base.IconTint.W * InactiveIconAlpha };
+
     public UiMarkupTabButton()
     {
         BackgroundColor = Vector4.Zero;
diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiPanel.cs b/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiPanel.cs
index e8812e237..e7e3402eb 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiPanel.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/UI/UiPanel.cs
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ public class UiSimpleButton : UiPanel
 
     public Func<(uint tex, int w, int h)>? IconSource { get; set; }
 
+    /// <summary>The color the icon is drawn in; white draws it as authored.</summary>
+    private protected virtual Vector4 IconTint => Vector4.One;
+
     public event System.Action? Click;
 
     private readonly UiKeyboardActivation _keyboardActivation = new();
@@ -147,7 +150,7 @@ protected override void OnDraw(UiRenderContext ctx)
                     3f + (extent - drawWidth) * 0.5f,
                     (Height - drawHeight) * 0.5f,
                     drawWidth, drawHeight,
-                    0f, 0f, 1f, 1f, Vector4.One);
+                    0f, 0f, 1f, 1f, IconTint);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/AcDream.App.Tests/UI/MarkupIconTests.cs b/tests/AcDream.App.Tests/UI/MarkupIconTests.cs
index 5202eb111..37e409ad8 100644
--- a/tests/AcDream.App.Tests/UI/MarkupIconTests.cs
+++ b/tests/AcDream.App.Tests/UI/MarkupIconTests.cs
@@ -313,6 +313,150 @@ public void ButtonIcon_NoResolverWired_IconSourceStaysNull()
         Assert.Null(button.IconSource);
     }
 
+    // ── <tab icon>: same attributes and resolver dispatch as <button icon> ──
+
+    private sealed class TabIconBinding
+    {
+        public bool Selected { get; set; }
+        public uint SpellId { get; set; } = 42u;
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabIcon_DefaultsToDidKind_AndResolvesThroughTheResolver()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Spells\" " +
+            "selected=\"{Selected}\" icon=\"7735\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+        var resolver = new FakeIconResolver();
+
+        var panel = MarkupDocument.Build(xml, new TabIconBinding(), Sprite, icons: resolver);
+        var tab = Assert.IsType<UiMarkupTabButton>(panel.Children[0]);
+
+        Assert.NotNull(tab.IconSource);
+        (uint tex, _, _) = tab.IconSource!();
+        Assert.Equal(resolver.DidTexture, tex);
+        Assert.Equal(("did", 0x06001E37u), resolver.Calls[^1]);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabIcon_BoundSpell_ReReadsTheBindingEveryFrame()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"20\" h=\"20\" selected=\"{Selected}\" " +
+            "icon=\"{SpellId}\" iconkind=\"spell\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+        var resolver = new FakeIconResolver();
+        var binding = new TabIconBinding();
+
+        var panel = MarkupDocument.Build(xml, binding, Sprite, icons: resolver);
+        var tab = Assert.IsType<UiMarkupTabButton>(panel.Children[0]);
+
+        tab.IconSource!();
+        Assert.Equal(("spell", 42u), resolver.Calls[^1]);
+
+        binding.SpellId = 99u;
+        tab.IconSource!();
+        Assert.Equal(("spell", 99u), resolver.Calls[^1]);
+    }
+
+    private static List<Vector4> IconColors(UiElement element, uint texture)
+    {
+        var device = new RecordingGpuDevice();
+        var renderer = new TextRenderer(device, new NullGpuFrameSource(), "unused");
+        renderer.Begin(new Vector2(800f, 600f));
+        element.DrawSelfAndChildren(new UiRenderContext(renderer, new Vector2(800f, 600f)));
+
+        var colors = new List<Vector4>();
+        foreach ((uint drawn, IReadOnlyList<float> verts) in renderer.DebugSpriteSegmentVerts)
+        {
+            if (drawn != texture) continue;
+            for (int i = 0; i + 8 <= verts.Count; i += 8)
+                colors.Add(new Vector4(verts[i + 4], verts[i + 5], verts[i + 6], verts[i + 7]));
+        }
+        return colors;
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabIcon_DrawsFullWhenSelected_AndDimmedWhenNot()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Spells\" " +
+            "selected=\"{Selected}\" icon=\"7735\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+        var resolver = new FakeIconResolver();
+        var binding = new TabIconBinding { Selected = true };
+        var panel = MarkupDocument.Build(xml, binding, Sprite, icons: resolver);
+        var tab = Assert.IsType<UiMarkupTabButton>(panel.Children[0]);
+
+        List<Vector4> selected = IconColors(tab, resolver.DidTexture);
+        Assert.NotEmpty(selected);
+        Assert.All(selected, c => Assert.Equal(1f, c.W, 3));
+
+        binding.Selected = false;
+        List<Vector4> unselected = IconColors(tab, resolver.DidTexture);
+        Assert.NotEmpty(unselected);
+        Assert.All(unselected, c => Assert.Equal(UiMarkupTabButton.InactiveIconAlpha, c.W, 3));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ButtonIcon_IsNotDimmed()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<button x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Go\" icon=\"7735\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+        var resolver = new FakeIconResolver();
+        var panel = MarkupDocument.Build(xml, new IconBinding(), Sprite, icons: resolver);
+
+        List<Vector4> colors = IconColors(panel.Children[0], resolver.DidTexture);
+        Assert.NotEmpty(colors);
+        Assert.All(colors, c => Assert.Equal(1f, c.W, 3));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabWithoutIconAttribute_HasNoIconSource()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Spells\" selected=\"{Selected}\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+
+        var panel = MarkupDocument.Build(xml, new TabIconBinding(), Sprite, icons: new FakeIconResolver());
+        var tab = Assert.IsType<UiMarkupTabButton>(panel.Children[0]);
+
+        Assert.Null(tab.IconSource);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabIcon_UnknownIconKind_ThrowsAtBuild_EvenWithNoResolverWired()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Spells\" selected=\"{Selected}\" " +
+            "icon=\"1\" iconkind=\"spel\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+
+        Assert.Throws<FormatException>(
+            () => MarkupDocument.Build(xml, new TabIconBinding(), Sprite));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TabIcon_MalformedBinding_ThrowsAtBuild_EvenWithNoResolverWired()
+    {
+        const string xml =
+            "<panel x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"100\" h=\"60\">" +
+            "<tab x=\"0\" y=\"0\" w=\"60\" h=\"20\" text=\"Spells\" selected=\"{Selected}\" " +
+            "icon=\"{Typo}\"/>" +
+            "</panel>";
+
+        Assert.Throws<FormatException>(
+            () => MarkupDocument.Build(xml, new TabIconBinding(), Sprite));
+    }
+
     private sealed class IntIconBinding
     {
         public int IconIdInt { get; set; } = 42;