diff --git a/lib/shared/widgets/querya_tab_strip.dart b/lib/shared/widgets/querya_tab_strip.dart
index c606de27..7c5ffc0e 100644
--- a/lib/shared/widgets/querya_tab_strip.dart
+++ b/lib/shared/widgets/querya_tab_strip.dart
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ class QueryaTabStripState extends material.State<QueryaTabStrip>
     with material.TickerProviderStateMixin {
   late List<material.FocusNode> _focusNodes;
   late List<bool> _focused;
+
+  /// The tab whose focus came from a click: it takes focus (so arrow keys
+  /// work) but draws no ring until a key is pressed (#1438).
+  int? _pointerFocusedIndex;
   late List<material.GlobalKey> _tabKeys;
   final material.GlobalKey _stripKey = material.GlobalKey();
 
@@ -186,6 +190,9 @@ class QueryaTabStripState extends material.State<QueryaTabStrip>
 
   material.KeyEventResult _onKeyEvent(int index, KeyEvent event) {
     if (event is! KeyDownEvent) return material.KeyEventResult.ignored;
+    if (_pointerFocusedIndex != null) {
+      setState(() => _pointerFocusedIndex = null);
+    }
 
     // Delete / Backspace close the focused tab, as the close button does.
     if (event.logicalKey == LogicalKeyboardKey.delete ||
@@ -267,7 +274,8 @@ class QueryaTabStripState extends material.State<QueryaTabStrip>
       children: [
         ...List.generate(widget.labels.length, (index) {
           final selected = widget.selectedIndex == index;
-          final focused = _focused[index];
+          final focused =
+              _focused[index] && _pointerFocusedIndex != index;
           final label = widget.labels[index];
           final showClose = _canCloseAt(index);
           return material.Padding(
@@ -276,8 +284,12 @@ class QueryaTabStripState extends material.State<QueryaTabStrip>
               key: _tabKeys[index],
               child: material.Focus(
                 focusNode: _focusNodes[index],
-                onFocusChange: (value) =>
-                    setState(() => _focused[index] = value),
+                onFocusChange: (value) => setState(() {
+                  _focused[index] = value;
+                  if (!value && _pointerFocusedIndex == index) {
+                    _pointerFocusedIndex = null;
+                  }
+                }),
                 onKeyEvent: (_, event) => _onKeyEvent(index, event),
                 child: material.Semantics(
                   button: true,
@@ -289,7 +301,10 @@ class QueryaTabStripState extends material.State<QueryaTabStrip>
                       child: material.GestureDetector(
                         excludeFromSemantics: true,
                         behavior: material.HitTestBehavior.opaque,
-                        onTap: () => _selectAndFocus(index),
+                        onTap: () {
+                          _pointerFocusedIndex = index;
+                          _selectAndFocus(index);
+                        },
                         child: material.AnimatedContainer(
                           key: material.ValueKey('querya_tab_$label'),
                           duration: context.motionDuration(QueryaMotion.fast),
diff --git a/test/shared/querya_tab_strip_test.dart b/test/shared/querya_tab_strip_test.dart
index 4a3d2d7a..06645ced 100644
--- a/test/shared/querya_tab_strip_test.dart
+++ b/test/shared/querya_tab_strip_test.dart
@@ -112,6 +112,43 @@ void main() {
     );
   });
 
+  testWidgets('a clicked tab has no focus ring until a key is pressed',
+      (tester) async {
+    var selected = 0;
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      stripShell(
+        child: material.StatefulBuilder(
+          builder: (context, setState) => QueryaTabStrip(
+            labels: const ['Server', 'SQL', 'History'],
+            selectedIndex: selected,
+            onSelected: (index) => setState(() => selected = index),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+
+    material.Color ringOf(String label) {
+      final tab = tester.widget<material.AnimatedContainer>(
+        find.byKey(material.ValueKey('querya_tab_$label')),
+      );
+      final decoration = tab.decoration! as material.BoxDecoration;
+      return (decoration.border! as material.Border).top.color;
+    }
+
+    await tester.tap(find.byKey(const material.ValueKey('querya_tab_SQL')));
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+
+    expect(selected, 1);
+    expect(ringOf('SQL'), material.Colors.transparent);
+
+    await tester.sendKeyEvent(LogicalKeyboardKey.arrowRight);
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+
+    expect(selected, 2);
+    expect(ringOf('History'), isNot(material.Colors.transparent));
+  });
+
   testWidgets('renders sliding indicator under selected tab', (tester) async {
     await pumpSettledStrip(
       tester,