diff --git a/ratatui-widgets/src/tabs.rs b/ratatui-widgets/src/tabs.rs
index fec5f7fe..7f503bf8 100644
--- a/ratatui-widgets/src/tabs.rs
+++ b/ratatui-widgets/src/tabs.rs
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ impl<'a> Tabs<'a> {
     where
         T: Into<Line<'a>>,
     {
-        self.padding_left = padding.into();
+        self.padding_right = padding.into();
         self
     }
 }
@@ -553,6 +553,24 @@ mod tests {
         test_case(tabs, Rect::new(0, 0, 30, 1), &expected);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn render_left_padding() {
+        let tabs = Tabs::new(vec!["Tab1", "Tab2", "Tab3", "Tab4"]).padding_left("---");
+        let mut expected = Buffer::with_lines(["---Tab1 │---Tab2 │---Tab3 │---Tab4      "]);
+        // first tab selected
+        expected.set_style(Rect::new(3, 0, 4, 1), DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_STYLE);
+        test_case(tabs, Rect::new(0, 0, 40, 1), &expected);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn render_right_padding() {
+        let tabs = Tabs::new(vec!["Tab1", "Tab2", "Tab3", "Tab4"]).padding_right("++");
+        let mut expected = Buffer::with_lines([" Tab1++│ Tab2++│ Tab3++│ Tab4++         "]);
+        // first tab selected
+        expected.set_style(Rect::new(1, 0, 4, 1), DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_STYLE);
+        test_case(tabs, Rect::new(0, 0, 40, 1), &expected);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn render_more_padding() {
         let tabs = Tabs::new(vec!["Tab1", "Tab2", "Tab3", "Tab4"]).padding("---", "++");