diff --git a/mod/cal.php b/mod/cal.php
index 3f3cba466f..0a2a02e53c 100644
--- a/mod/cal.php
+++ b/mod/cal.php
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function cal_content(App $a)
 	$sql_extra = " AND `event`.`cid` = 0 " . $sql_perms;
 
 	// get the tab navigation bar
-	$tabs = Profile::getTabs($a, false, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
+	$tabs = Profile::getTabs($a, 'cal', false, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
 
 	// The view mode part is similiar to /mod/events.php
 	if ($mode == 'view') {
diff --git a/mod/events.php b/mod/events.php
index 6569653a06..8e9606b203 100644
--- a/mod/events.php
+++ b/mod/events.php
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ function events_content(App $a)
 	$tabs = '';
 	// tabs
 	if ($a->theme_events_in_profile) {
-		$tabs = Profile::getTabs($a, true);
+		$tabs = Profile::getTabs($a, 'events', true);
 	}
 
 	$mode = 'view';
diff --git a/mod/notes.php b/mod/notes.php
index fdb12d6cc5..1f67e486d6 100644
--- a/mod/notes.php
+++ b/mod/notes.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function notes_content(App $a, $update = false)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	$o = Profile::getTabs($a, true);
+	$o = Profile::getTabs($a, 'notes', true);
 
 	if (!$update) {
 		$o .= '<h3>' . L10n::t('Personal Notes') . '</h3>';
diff --git a/mod/photos.php b/mod/photos.php
index 7c0ca1b7ba..61f1b79530 100644
--- a/mod/photos.php
+++ b/mod/photos.php
@@ -950,7 +950,7 @@ function photos_content(App $a)
 
 	// tabs
 	$is_owner = (local_user() && (local_user() == $owner_uid));
-	$o .= Profile::getTabs($a, $is_owner, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
+	$o .= Profile::getTabs($a, 'photos', $is_owner, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
 
 	// Display upload form
 	if ($datatype === 'upload') {
diff --git a/mod/videos.php b/mod/videos.php
index 3fb36a73e4..9e19ecf117 100644
--- a/mod/videos.php
+++ b/mod/videos.php
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ function videos_content(App $a)
 
 	// tabs
 	$_is_owner = (local_user() && (local_user() == $owner_uid));
-	$o .= Profile::getTabs($a, $_is_owner, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
+	$o .= Profile::getTabs($a, 'videos', $_is_owner, $a->data['user']['nickname']);
 
 	//
 	// dispatch request
diff --git a/src/Model/Profile.php b/src/Model/Profile.php
index 38f5c03623..9068943dfe 100644
--- a/src/Model/Profile.php
+++ b/src/Model/Profile.php
@@ -877,32 +877,35 @@ class Profile
 		return '';
 	}
 
-	public static function getTabs($a, $is_owner = false, $nickname = null)
+    /**
+     * @param App    $a
+     * @param string $current
+     * @param bool   $is_owner
+     * @param string $nickname
+     * @return string
+     * @throws \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
+     */
+	public static function getTabs(App $a, string $current, bool $is_owner, string $nickname = null)
 	{
 		if (is_null($nickname)) {
 			$nickname = $a->user['nickname'];
 		}
 
-		$tab = false;
-		if (!empty($_GET['tab'])) {
-			$tab = Strings::escapeTags(trim($_GET['tab']));
-		}
-
-		$url = System::baseUrl() . '/profile/' . $nickname;
+		$baseProfileUrl = System::baseUrl() . '/profile/' . $nickname;
 
 		$tabs = [
 			[
 				'label' => L10n::t('Status'),
-				'url'   => $url,
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'profile' && (empty($a->argv[2]) || $a->argv[2] !== 'contacts') ? 'active' : '',
+				'url'   => $baseProfileUrl,
+				'sel'   => !$current ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Status Messages and Posts'),
 				'id'    => 'status-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'm',
 			],
 			[
 				'label' => L10n::t('Profile'),
-				'url'   => $url . '/?tab=profile',
-				'sel'   => $tab == 'profile' ? 'active' : '',
+				'url'   => $baseProfileUrl . '/?tab=profile',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'profile' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Profile Details'),
 				'id'    => 'profile-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'r',
@@ -910,7 +913,7 @@ class Profile
 			[
 				'label' => L10n::t('Photos'),
 				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/photos/' . $nickname,
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'photos' ? 'active' : '',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'photos' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Photo Albums'),
 				'id'    => 'photo-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'h',
@@ -918,7 +921,7 @@ class Profile
 			[
 				'label' => L10n::t('Videos'),
 				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/videos/' . $nickname,
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'videos' ? 'active' : '',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'videos' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Videos'),
 				'id'    => 'video-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'v',
@@ -930,7 +933,7 @@ class Profile
 			$tabs[] = [
 				'label' => L10n::t('Events'),
 				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/events',
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'events' ? 'active' : '',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'events' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Events and Calendar'),
 				'id'    => 'events-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'e',
@@ -941,7 +944,7 @@ class Profile
 			$tabs[] = [
 				'label' => L10n::t('Events'),
 				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/cal/' . $nickname,
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'cal' ? 'active' : '',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'cal' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Events and Calendar'),
 				'id'    => 'events-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'e',
@@ -952,7 +955,7 @@ class Profile
 			$tabs[] = [
 				'label' => L10n::t('Personal Notes'),
 				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/notes',
-				'sel'   => !$tab && $a->argv[0] == 'notes' ? 'active' : '',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'notes' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Only You Can See This'),
 				'id'    => 'notes-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 't',
@@ -972,15 +975,15 @@ class Profile
 		if ($is_owner || empty($a->profile['hide-friends'])) {
 			$tabs[] = [
 				'label' => L10n::t('Contacts'),
-				'url'   => System::baseUrl() . '/profile/' . $nickname . '/contacts',
-				'sel'   => !$tab && !empty($a->argv[2]) && $a->argv[2] == 'contacts' ? 'active' : '',
+				'url'   => $baseProfileUrl . '/contacts',
+				'sel'   => $current == 'contacts' ? 'active' : '',
 				'title' => L10n::t('Contacts'),
 				'id'    => 'viewcontacts-tab',
 				'accesskey' => 'k',
 			];
 		}
 
-		$arr = ['is_owner' => $is_owner, 'nickname' => $nickname, 'tab' => $tab, 'tabs' => $tabs];
+		$arr = ['is_owner' => $is_owner, 'nickname' => $nickname, 'tab' => $current, 'tabs' => $tabs];
 		Hook::callAll('profile_tabs', $arr);
 
 		$tpl = Renderer::getMarkupTemplate('common_tabs.tpl');
diff --git a/src/Module/Profile.php b/src/Module/Profile.php
index fceea726b4..1a515073dd 100644
--- a/src/Module/Profile.php
+++ b/src/Module/Profile.php
@@ -178,12 +178,9 @@ class Profile extends BaseModule
 		}
 
 		if (!$update) {
-			$tab = false;
-			if (!empty($_GET['tab'])) {
-				$tab = Strings::escapeTags(trim($_GET['tab']));
-			}
+            $tab = Strings::escapeTags(trim(defaults($_GET, 'tab', '')));
 
-			$o .= ProfileModel::getTabs($a, $is_owner, $a->profile['nickname']);
+			$o .= ProfileModel::getTabs($a, $tab, $is_owner, $a->profile['nickname']);
 
 			if ($tab === 'profile') {
 				$o .= ProfileModel::getAdvanced($a);
diff --git a/src/Module/Profile/Contacts.php b/src/Module/Profile/Contacts.php
index 340c9ef19c..9e6d7d6b2b 100644
--- a/src/Module/Profile/Contacts.php
+++ b/src/Module/Profile/Contacts.php
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Contacts extends BaseModule
 		$is_owner = $a->profile['profile_uid'] == local_user();
 
 		// tabs
-		$o = Profile::getTabs($a, $is_owner, $nickname);
+		$o = Profile::getTabs($a, 'contacts', $is_owner, $nickname);
 
 		if (!count($a->profile) || $a->profile['hide-friends']) {
 			notice(L10n::t('Permission denied.') . EOL);