diff --git a/src/browser/base/content/zen-styles/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css b/src/browser/base/content/zen-styles/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
index 2c530b8df..a5ca41b3f 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/content/zen-styles/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
+++ b/src/browser/base/content/zen-styles/zen-tabs/vertical-tabs.css
@@ -368,9 +368,10 @@
 #zen-browser-tabs-wrapper {
   min-height: fit-content;
   overflow-y: auto;
-  overflow-x: clip;
+  overflow-x: clip !important; /* might break custom css with new design, so let's force it */
   height: 100%;
   scrollbar-width: thin;
+  position: relative;
 }
 
 #vertical-pinned-tabs-container {
@@ -378,7 +379,8 @@
   display: flex !important;
   flex-direction: column;
   min-height: fit-content !important;
-  overflow: visible;
+  overflow-x: clip;
+  overflow-y: visible;
   max-height: unset !important;
 
   & .tabbrowser-tab:not(:hover) .tab-background:not([selected]):not([multiselected]) {
diff --git a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
index 2fa911df9..9aeeeabb7 100644
--- a/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
+++ b/src/browser/base/zen-components/ZenWorkspaces.mjs
@@ -1308,7 +1308,7 @@ var ZenWorkspaces = new (class extends ZenMultiWindowFeature {
     }
     tab.setAttribute('zen-workspace-id', workspaceID);
     const parent = tab.pinned ? '#zen-browser-tabs-pinned ' : '#zen-browser-tabs ';
-    const container = document.querySelector(parent + '.zen-browser-tabs-container');
+    const container = document.querySelector(parent + '.zen-workspace-tabs-section');
     if (container) {
       container.insertBefore(tab, container.firstChild);
     }
@@ -2036,4 +2036,43 @@ var ZenWorkspaces = new (class extends ZenMultiWindowFeature {
     // Return true only if the bookmark is in another workspace and not in the active one
     return isInOtherWorkspace && !isInActiveWorkspace;
   }
+
+  // Session restore functions
+  get allStoredTabs() {
+    if (!this._hasInitializedTabsStrip) {
+      const children = Array.from(this.tabboxChildren);
+      children.pop(); // Remove the last child which is the new tab button
+      return children;
+    }
+
+    const tabs = [];
+    // we need to go through each tab in each container
+    const essentialsContainer = document.getElementById('zen-essentials-container');
+    const pinnedContainers = document.querySelectorAll('#vertical-pinned-tabs-container .zen-workspace-tabs-section');
+    const normalContainers = document.querySelectorAll('#tabbrowser-arrowscrollbox .zen-workspace-tabs-section');
+    const containers = [essentialsContainer, ...pinnedContainers, ...normalContainers];
+    for (const container of containers) {
+      for (const tab of container.children) {
+        if (tab.tagName === 'tab' || tab.tagName == 'tab-group') {
+          tabs.push(tab);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return tabs;
+  }
+
+  get pinnedTabCount() {
+    return this.pinnedTabsContainer.children.length - 1;
+  }
+
+  get normalTabCount() {
+    return this.tabboxChildren.length - 1;
+  }
+
+  get allWorkspaceTabs() {
+    const currentWorkspace = this.activeWorkspace;
+    return this.allStoredTabs.filter(
+      (tab) => tab.hasAttribute('zen-essential') || tab.getAttribute('zen-workspace-id') === currentWorkspace
+    );
+  }
 })();
diff --git a/src/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore-sys-mjs.patch b/src/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore-sys-mjs.patch
index 85c7071f7..2c7b2688f 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore-sys-mjs.patch
+++ b/src/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore-sys-mjs.patch
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 diff --git a/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.sys.mjs b/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.sys.mjs
-index 8125c1afc07f3365a2ad030adaf6a560453d7fe6..2856c5f93bfc9d68b98e09b2f26e3d5266c1f46a 100644
+index 908743177d9f95e2e6549c689e7a493ca8668701..b452d7dfc93f6171f8a65668e052a37638f1f6c3 100644
 --- a/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.sys.mjs
 +++ b/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.sys.mjs
-@@ -3679,6 +3679,7 @@ var SessionStoreInternal = {
+@@ -3848,6 +3848,7 @@ var SessionStoreInternal = {
          aWindow.gBrowser.selectedTab = newTab;
        }
  
@@ -10,3 +10,12 @@ index 8125c1afc07f3365a2ad030adaf6a560453d7fe6..2856c5f93bfc9d68b98e09b2f26e3d52
        // Restore the state into the new tab.
        this.restoreTab(newTab, tabState, {
          restoreImmediately: aRestoreImmediately,
+@@ -5315,7 +5316,7 @@ var SessionStoreInternal = {
+     }
+ 
+     let tabbrowser = aWindow.gBrowser;
+-    let tabs = tabbrowser.tabs;
++    let tabs = aWindow.ZenWorkspaces.allStoredTabs;
+     /** @type {WindowStateData} */
+     let winData = this._windows[aWindow.__SSi];
+     let tabsData = (winData.tabs = []);
diff --git a/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser-js.patch b/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser-js.patch
index 1e2d0b8fc..e5ba04639 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser-js.patch
+++ b/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser-js.patch
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 diff --git a/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser.js b/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser.js
-index ff90a70bdad6c94ec4b90027ff102972d0eb28e5..cbeb4472fdc7dc12c2a45a0c578d166c1cac1b6b 100644
+index ff90a70bdad6c94ec4b90027ff102972d0eb28e5..c90119b4b248887fd8612beb9aac83c6eeb57088 100644
 --- a/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser.js
 +++ b/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabbrowser.js
 @@ -406,11 +406,39 @@
@@ -57,12 +57,8 @@ index ff90a70bdad6c94ec4b90027ff102972d0eb28e5..cbeb4472fdc7dc12c2a45a0c578d166c
        }
        aTab.setAttribute("pinned", "true");
        this._updateTabBarForPinnedTabs();
-@@ -828,10 +856,10 @@
-           // the moving of a tab from the vertical pinned tabs container
-           // and back into arrowscrollbox.
-           aTab.removeAttribute("pinned");
--          this.tabContainer.arrowScrollbox.prepend(aTab);
-+          ZenWorkspaces.activeWorkspaceStrip.prepend(aTab);
+@@ -831,7 +859,7 @@
+           this.tabContainer.arrowScrollbox.prepend(aTab);
          });
        } else {
 -        this.moveTabTo(aTab, this.pinnedTabCount - 1, {
diff --git a/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs-js.patch b/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs-js.patch
index 149134733..dfafb0b6c 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs-js.patch
+++ b/src/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs-js.patch
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 diff --git a/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs.js b/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs.js
-index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67709dae7d 100644
+index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..f7866af6f5b72e2704a87148300a391b20e112db 100644
 --- a/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs.js
 +++ b/browser/components/tabbrowser/content/tabs.js
 @@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
@@ -209,7 +209,12 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
            if (tab && rect(tab).width <= this._tabClipWidth) {
              this.setAttribute("closebuttons", "activetab");
            } else {
-@@ -1832,6 +1858,7 @@
+@@ -1828,10 +1854,12 @@
+ 
+     _handleTabSelect(aInstant) {
+       let selectedTab = this.selectedItem;
++      if (!selectedTab) return;
+       if (this.overflowing) {
          this.arrowScrollbox.ensureElementIsVisible(selectedTab, aInstant);
        }
  
@@ -217,7 +222,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
        selectedTab._notselectedsinceload = false;
      }
  
-@@ -1843,7 +1870,7 @@
+@@ -1843,7 +1871,7 @@
          return;
        }
  
@@ -226,7 +231,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
        if (!tabs.length) {
          return;
        }
-@@ -1879,7 +1906,7 @@
+@@ -1879,7 +1907,7 @@
          if (isEndTab && !this._hasTabTempMaxWidth) {
            return;
          }
@@ -235,7 +240,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
          // Force tabs to stay the same width, unless we're closing the last tab,
          // which case we need to let them expand just enough so that the overall
          // tabbar width is the same.
-@@ -1894,7 +1921,7 @@
+@@ -1894,7 +1922,7 @@
          let tabsToReset = [];
          for (let i = numPinned; i < tabs.length; i++) {
            let tab = tabs[i];
@@ -244,7 +249,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
            if (!isEndTab) {
              // keep tabs the same width
              tab.style.transition = "none";
-@@ -1960,16 +1987,15 @@
+@@ -1960,16 +1988,15 @@
        // Move pinned tabs to another container when the tabstrip is toggled to vertical
        // and when session restore code calls _positionPinnedTabs; update styling whenever
        // the number of pinned tabs changes.
@@ -266,7 +271,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
          }
        }
  
-@@ -1977,9 +2003,7 @@
+@@ -1977,9 +2004,7 @@
      }
  
      _resetVerticalPinnedTabs() {
@@ -277,7 +282,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
  
        if (!verticalTabsContainer.children.length) {
          return;
-@@ -1992,8 +2016,8 @@
+@@ -1992,8 +2017,8 @@
      }
  
      _positionPinnedTabs() {
@@ -288,7 +293,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
        let absPositionHorizontalTabs =
          this.overflowing && tabs.length > numPinned && numPinned > 0;
  
-@@ -2074,7 +2098,7 @@
+@@ -2074,7 +2099,7 @@
          return;
        }
  
@@ -297,7 +302,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
  
        let directionX = screenX > dragData.animLastScreenX;
        let directionY = screenY > dragData.animLastScreenY;
-@@ -2257,9 +2281,9 @@
+@@ -2257,9 +2282,9 @@
        }
  
        let pinned = draggedTab.pinned;
@@ -310,7 +315,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
          pinned ? numPinned : undefined
        );
  
-@@ -2502,8 +2526,9 @@
+@@ -2502,8 +2527,9 @@
        );
      }
  
@@ -322,7 +327,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
          return;
        }
  
-@@ -2668,9 +2693,9 @@
+@@ -2668,9 +2694,9 @@
        function newIndex(aTab, index) {
          // Don't allow mixing pinned and unpinned tabs.
          if (aTab.pinned) {
@@ -334,7 +339,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
        }
      }
  
-@@ -2754,7 +2779,7 @@
+@@ -2754,7 +2780,7 @@
      }
  
      _notifyBackgroundTab(aTab) {
@@ -343,7 +348,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
          return;
        }
  
-@@ -2772,12 +2797,14 @@
+@@ -2772,12 +2798,14 @@
                selectedTab = {
                  left: selectedTab.left,
                  right: selectedTab.right,
@@ -359,7 +364,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
                selectedTab,
              ];
            })
-@@ -2794,8 +2821,11 @@
+@@ -2794,8 +2822,11 @@
              delete this._lastTabToScrollIntoView;
              // Is the new tab already completely visible?
              if (
@@ -373,7 +378,7 @@ index 8aeb244ffca9f48661805f5b7d860b5896055562..ab0a6a6ed80608385b4663775b4edf67
              ) {
                return;
              }
-@@ -2803,21 +2833,29 @@
+@@ -2803,21 +2834,29 @@
              if (this.arrowScrollbox.smoothScroll) {
                // Can we make both the new tab and the selected tab completely visible?
                if (
diff --git a/src/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList-yaml.patch b/src/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList-yaml.patch
index 6d3166133..fadcff2b1 100644
--- a/src/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList-yaml.patch
+++ b/src/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList-yaml.patch
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 diff --git a/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml b/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml
-index 5c5992d7b32e4c16d6a92815ca6fd54e8fcec824..6c8e67e36f02b578c800fa460868135afb73c66b 100644
+index 7364514f74703184462e8dbce3f0aafc3f850a3d..560671beddf6c216e918a47bd5dbd4e770a24ec7 100644
 --- a/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml
 +++ b/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml
-@@ -17810,7 +17810,7 @@
+@@ -18067,7 +18067,7 @@
  # Whether we use the mica backdrop. Off by default for now.
  - name: widget.windows.mica
    type: bool
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ index 5c5992d7b32e4c16d6a92815ca6fd54e8fcec824..6c8e67e36f02b578c800fa460868135a
    mirror: once
  #endif
  
-@@ -17923,6 +17923,19 @@
+@@ -18180,6 +18180,26 @@
    mirror: always
  #endif
  
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ index 5c5992d7b32e4c16d6a92815ca6fd54e8fcec824..6c8e67e36f02b578c800fa460868135a
 +  value: false
 +  mirror: always
 +#endif
++
++#ifdef XP_WIN
++- name: zen.widget.windows.acrylic
++  type: bool
++  value: true
++  mirror: once
++#endif
 +
  #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # Prefs starting with "zoom."
diff --git a/src/widget/windows/nsWindow-cpp.patch b/src/widget/windows/nsWindow-cpp.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99fe82efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widget/windows/nsWindow-cpp.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+diff --git a/widget/windows/nsWindow.cpp b/widget/windows/nsWindow.cpp
+index b735e78b1c2f3e0d85a5224311cdc746007c7eac..50f3c6e40b11220b71a8a3811305661887bb4360 100644
+--- a/widget/windows/nsWindow.cpp
++++ b/widget/windows/nsWindow.cpp
+@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@
+ #include "mozilla/StaticPrefs_layout.h"
+ #include "mozilla/StaticPrefs_ui.h"
+ #include "mozilla/StaticPrefs_widget.h"
++#include "mozilla/StaticPrefs_zen.h"
+ #include "nsNativeAppSupportWin.h"
+ 
+ #include "nsIGfxInfo.h"
+@@ -1071,7 +1072,7 @@ nsresult nsWindow::Create(nsIWidget* aParent, const LayoutDeviceIntRect& aRect,
+ 
+   if (WinUtils::MicaEnabled() && !IsPopup()) {
+     // Enable Mica Alt Material if available.
+-    const DWM_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE tabbedWindow = DWMSBT_TABBEDWINDOW;
++    const DWM_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE tabbedWindow = StaticPrefs::zen_widget_windows_acrylic_AtStartup() ? DWMSBT_TRANSIENTWINDOW : DWMSBT_TABBEDWINDOW;
+     DwmSetWindowAttribute(mWnd, DWMWA_SYSTEMBACKDROP_TYPE, &tabbedWindow,
+                           sizeof tabbedWindow);
+   }
diff --git a/surfer.json b/surfer.json
index 96ac3b992..8b97e5388 100644
--- a/surfer.json
+++ b/surfer.json
@@ -53,4 +53,4 @@
     "licenseType": "MPL-2.0"
   },
   "updateHostname": "updates.zen-browser.app"
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file