diff --git a/browser/modules/URILoadingHelper.sys.mjs b/browser/modules/URILoadingHelper.sys.mjs
index c4428df9e1c43ba7a1dfefa2d55316023325d2db..191bc513862d5247e338c683b11ae891ab914479 100644
--- a/browser/modules/URILoadingHelper.sys.mjs
+++ b/browser/modules/URILoadingHelper.sys.mjs
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ export const URILoadingHelper = {
       // page. If a load request bounces off for the currently selected tab,
       // we'll open a new tab instead.
       let tab = w.gBrowser.getTabForBrowser(targetBrowser);
-      if (tab == w.FirefoxViewHandler.tab) {
+      if (tab == w.FirefoxViewHandler.tab || tab.hasAttribute("zen-empty-tab")) {
         where = "tab";
         targetBrowser = null;
       } else if (