diff --git a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/components/ChannelTabsContainer.tsx b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/components/ChannelTabsContainer.tsx
index 20ad46e5..8ee35fc3 100644
--- a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/components/ChannelTabsContainer.tsx
+++ b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/components/ChannelTabsContainer.tsx
@@ -52,16 +52,25 @@ export default function ChannelsTabsContainer(props: BasicChannelTabsProps) {
     }, []);
 
     useEffect(() => {
-        (Vencord.Plugins.plugins.ChannelTabs as any).containerHeight = ref.current?.clientHeight;
+        if (ref.current) {
+            try {
+                (Vencord.Plugins.plugins.ChannelTabs as any).containerHeight = ref.current.clientHeight;
+            } catch { }
+        }
     }, [userId, showBookmarkBar]);
 
     useEffect(() => {
         _update();
     }, [widerTabsAndBookmarks]);
 
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (userId) {
+            handleChannelSwitch(props);
+            saveTabs(userId);
+        }
+    }, [userId, props.channelId, props.guildId]);
+
     if (!userId) return null;
-    handleChannelSwitch(props);
-    saveTabs(userId);
 
     return (
         <div
@@ -121,4 +130,4 @@ export function ChannelTabsPreview(p) {
             </Flex>
         </>
     );
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/index.tsx b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/index.tsx
index 6c5aaf10..f0cc1b4f 100644
--- a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/index.tsx
+++ b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/index.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { Channel, Message } from "discord-types/general";
 import { JSX } from "react";
 
 import ChannelsTabsContainer from "./components/ChannelTabsContainer";
-import { BasicChannelTabsProps, createTab, settings } from "./util";
+import { BasicChannelTabsProps, createTab, handleChannelSwitch, settings } from "./util";
 import * as ChannelTabsUtils from "./util";
 
 const contextMenuPatch: NavContextMenuPatchCallback = (children, props: { channel: Channel, messageId?: string; }) =>
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ export default definePlugin({
                 replace: "$1$4$self.render,{currentChannel:$2,children:$3})$5"
             }
         },
+        // intercept channel navigation to switch/create tabs
+        {
+            find: "transitionToGuild",
+            replacement: {
+                match: /transitionToGuild\(([^,]+),([^)]+)\)/,
+                replace: "$&;$self.handleNavigation($1,$2)"
+            }
+        },
         // ctrl click to open in new tab in inbox unread
         {
             find: ".messageContainer,onKeyDown",
@@ -113,5 +121,14 @@ export default definePlugin({
         createTab(tab, false, message.id);
     },
 
+    handleNavigation(guildId: string, channelId: string) {
+        if (!guildId || !channelId) return;
+
+        // wait for discord to update channel data
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            handleChannelSwitch({ guildId, channelId });
+        });
+    },
+
     util: ChannelTabsUtils,
-});
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/style.css b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/style.css
index 2d4f187a..b99f4c2e 100644
--- a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/style.css
+++ b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/style.css
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@
     width: 12rem;
     min-width: 0;
     margin-right: 0.25rem;
+    background-color: var(--background-primary);
+    border: 1px solid var(--background-modifier-accent);
+    transition: background-color 0.15s ease;
 }
 
 .vc-channeltabs-tab.vc-channeltabs-wider:not(.vc-channeltabs-tab-compact) {
@@ -159,6 +162,7 @@
 .vc-channeltabs-tab-selected {
     background: var(--bg-overlay-selected);
     background-color: var(--background-modifier-selected);
+    border-color: var(--brand-500);
 }
 
 /* channel type container */
diff --git a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/constants.tsx b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/constants.tsx
index 04e2b078..7d72f16c 100644
--- a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/constants.tsx
+++ b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/constants.tsx
@@ -71,7 +71,32 @@ export const settings = definePluginSettings({
         type: OptionType.BOOLEAN,
         default: false,
         restartNeeded: false
+    },
+    switchToExistingTab: {
+        type: OptionType.BOOLEAN,
+        description: "Switch to tab if it already exists for the channel you're navigating to",
+        default: false,
+        restartNeeded: false
+    },
+    createNewTabIfNotExists: {
+        type: OptionType.BOOLEAN,
+        description: "Create a new tab if one doesn't exist for the channel you're navigating to",
+        default: false,
+        restartNeeded: false
+    },
+    enableRapidNavigation: {
+        type: OptionType.BOOLEAN,
+        description: "Enable rapid navigation behavior - quickly navigating between channels will replace the current tab instead of creating new ones",
+        default: false,
+        restartNeeded: false
+    },
+    rapidNavigationThreshold: {
+        type: OptionType.SLIDER,
+        description: "Time window (in milliseconds) for rapid navigation. Within this time, new channels replace the current tab instead of creating new ones.",
+        markers: [500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 5000, 10000],
+        default: 3000,
+        stickToMarkers: false,
     }
 });
 
-export const CircleQuestionIcon = findComponentByCodeLazy("10.58l-3.3-3.3a1");
+export const CircleQuestionIcon = findComponentByCodeLazy("10.58l-3.3-3.3a1");
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/tabs.tsx b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/tabs.tsx
index 3deb257f..74773495 100644
--- a/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/tabs.tsx
+++ b/src/equicordplugins/channelTabs/util/tabs.tsx
@@ -128,11 +128,46 @@ export function closeTabsToTheLeft(id: number) {
     else update();
 }
 
+let lastNavigationTime = 0;
+
 export function handleChannelSwitch(ch: BasicChannelTabsProps) {
     const tab = openTabs.find(c => c.id === currentlyOpenTab);
-    if (tab === undefined) return logger.error("Couldn't find the currently open channel " + currentlyOpenTab, openTabs);
+    const existingTab = openTabs.find(tab => tab.channelId === ch.channelId && tab.guildId === ch.guildId);
 
-    if (tab.channelId !== ch.channelId) openTabs[openTabs.indexOf(tab)] = { id: tab.id, compact: tab.compact, ...ch };
+    // First check: switch to existing tab if setting enabled and tab exists
+    if (settings.store.switchToExistingTab && existingTab) {
+        moveToTab(existingTab.id);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Second check: create new tab if setting enabled
+    if (settings.store.createNewTabIfNotExists) {
+        // Apply rapid navigation logic when creating new tabs
+        const now = Date.now();
+        const isRapidNavigation = now - lastNavigationTime < settings.store.rapidNavigationThreshold;
+        lastNavigationTime = now;
+
+        if (isRapidNavigation && settings.store.enableRapidNavigation) {
+            // Replace current tab content instead of creating new one
+            const currentTab = openTabs.find(t => t.id === currentlyOpenTab);
+            if (currentTab) {
+                currentTab.channelId = ch.channelId;
+                currentTab.guildId = ch.guildId;
+                update();
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Create new tab (normal behavior)
+        createTab(ch, true);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Default behavior: replace current tab content
+    if (tab && tab.channelId !== ch.channelId) {
+        openTabs[openTabs.indexOf(tab)] = { id: tab.id, compact: tab.compact, ...ch };
+        update();
+    }
 }
 
 export function hasClosedTabs() {
@@ -271,4 +306,4 @@ export function useGhostTabs() {
         setCount(0);
     };
     return new Array<JSX.Element>(count).fill(<div className={cl("tab", "ghost-tab")} />);
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file