diff --git a/changelogs/upcoming/7713.md b/changelogs/upcoming/7713.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f53a7e94ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/upcoming/7713.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+**Bug fixes**
+
+- Fixed an `EuiTabbedContent` edge case bug that occurred when updated with a completely different set of `tabs`
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.tsx.snap b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.tsx.snap
index 7d16b9bd716..374403f8198 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/__snapshots__/tabbed_content.test.tsx.snap
@@ -1,125 +1,5 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
-exports[`EuiTabbedContent behavior when selected tab state isn't controlled by the owner, select the first tab by default 1`] = `
-<div>
-  <div
-    class="euiTabs emotion-euiTabs-m-bottomBorder"
-    role="tablist"
-  >
-    <button
-      aria-controls="generated-id"
-      aria-selected="true"
-      class="euiTab euiTab-isSelected emotion-euiTab-selected"
-      id="es"
-      role="tab"
-      type="button"
-    >
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__content eui-textTruncate emotion-euiTab__content-m"
-      >
-        Elasticsearch
-      </span>
-    </button>
-    <button
-      aria-controls="generated-id"
-      aria-selected="false"
-      class="euiTab kibanaTab emotion-euiTab"
-      data-test-subj="kibanaTab"
-      id="kibana"
-      role="tab"
-      type="button"
-    >
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__prepend"
-      >
-        prepend
-      </span>
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__content eui-textTruncate emotion-euiTab__content-m"
-      >
-        <strong>
-          Kibana
-        </strong>
-      </span>
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__append"
-      >
-        append
-      </span>
-    </button>
-  </div>
-  <div
-    aria-labelledby="es"
-    id="generated-id"
-    role="tabpanel"
-  >
-    <p>
-      Elasticsearch content
-    </p>
-  </div>
-</div>
-`;
-
-exports[`EuiTabbedContent behavior when uncontrolled, the selected tab should update if it receives new content 1`] = `
-<div>
-  <div
-    class="euiTabs emotion-euiTabs-m-bottomBorder"
-    role="tablist"
-  >
-    <button
-      aria-controls="generated-id"
-      aria-selected="false"
-      class="euiTab emotion-euiTab"
-      id="es"
-      role="tab"
-      type="button"
-    >
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__content eui-textTruncate emotion-euiTab__content-m"
-      >
-        Elasticsearch
-      </span>
-    </button>
-    <button
-      aria-controls="generated-id"
-      aria-selected="true"
-      class="euiTab kibanaTab euiTab-isSelected emotion-euiTab-selected"
-      data-test-subj="kibanaTab"
-      id="kibana"
-      role="tab"
-      type="button"
-    >
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__prepend"
-      >
-        prepend
-      </span>
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__content eui-textTruncate emotion-euiTab__content-m"
-      >
-        <strong>
-          Kibana
-        </strong>
-      </span>
-      <span
-        class="euiTab__append"
-      >
-        append
-      </span>
-    </button>
-  </div>
-  <div
-    aria-labelledby="kibana"
-    id="generated-id"
-    role="tabpanel"
-  >
-    <p>
-      updated Kibana content
-    </p>
-  </div>
-</div>
-`;
-
 exports[`EuiTabbedContent is rendered with required props and tabs 1`] = `
 <div
   aria-label="aria-label"
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.tsx b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.tsx
index 7f693ec3cb3..c809b6842df 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.test.tsx
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
  */
 
 import React from 'react';
-import { mount } from 'enzyme';
-import { requiredProps, findTestSubject } from '../../../test';
-import { shouldRenderCustomStyles } from '../../../test/internal';
+import { fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { render } from '../../../test/rtl';
+import { shouldRenderCustomStyles } from '../../../test/internal';
+import { requiredProps } from '../../../test';
 
 import { EuiTabbedContent, AUTOFOCUS } from './tabbed_content';
 
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ describe('EuiTabbedContent', () => {
     describe('onTabClick', () => {
       test('is called when a tab is clicked', () => {
         const onTabClickHandler = jest.fn();
-        const component = mount(
+        const { getByTestSubject } = render(
           <EuiTabbedContent onTabClick={onTabClickHandler} tabs={tabs} />
         );
-        findTestSubject(component, 'kibanaTab').simulate('click');
+        fireEvent.click(getByTestSubject('kibanaTab'));
         expect(onTabClickHandler).toBeCalledTimes(1);
         expect(onTabClickHandler).toBeCalledWith(kibanaTab);
       });
@@ -94,33 +94,59 @@ describe('EuiTabbedContent', () => {
   });
 
   describe('behavior', () => {
-    test("when selected tab state isn't controlled by the owner, select the first tab by default", () => {
-      const { container } = render(<EuiTabbedContent tabs={tabs} />);
-      expect(container.firstChild).toMatchSnapshot();
+    describe('when selectedTab state is uncontrolled', () => {
+      it('selects the first tab by default', () => {
+        const { getAllByRole } = render(<EuiTabbedContent tabs={tabs} />);
+        const tabElements = getAllByRole('tab');
+        expect(tabElements[0]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true');
+        expect(tabElements[1]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'false');
+      });
     });
 
-    test('when uncontrolled, the selected tab should update if it receives new content', () => {
-      const tabs = [
-        elasticsearchTab,
-        {
-          ...kibanaTab,
-        },
-      ];
-      const component = mount(<EuiTabbedContent tabs={tabs} />);
-
-      component.find('EuiTab[id="kibana"] button').first().simulate('click');
-
-      component.setProps({
-        tabs: [
-          elasticsearchTab,
-          {
-            ...kibanaTab,
-            content: <p>updated Kibana content</p>,
-          },
-        ],
-      });
+    it("does not reset the existing selected tab if the tab's contents update", () => {
+      const { rerender, getAllByRole, getByTestSubject } = render(
+        <EuiTabbedContent tabs={[elasticsearchTab, { ...kibanaTab }]} />
+      );
+
+      fireEvent.click(getByTestSubject('kibanaTab'));
+      expect(getAllByRole('tab')[1]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true');
+
+      rerender(
+        <EuiTabbedContent
+          tabs={[
+            elasticsearchTab,
+            { ...kibanaTab, content: <p>pdated Kibana content</p> },
+          ]}
+        />
+      );
+      expect(getAllByRole('tab')[1]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true');
+    });
 
-      expect(component.render()).toMatchSnapshot();
+    it('resets the selected tab to the first if the `tabs` content completely changes', () => {
+      const { rerender, getAllByRole, getByTestSubject } = render(
+        <EuiTabbedContent tabs={tabs} />
+      );
+
+      fireEvent.click(getByTestSubject('kibanaTab'));
+      expect(getAllByRole('tab')[1]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true');
+
+      rerender(
+        <EuiTabbedContent
+          tabs={[
+            {
+              id: 'hello',
+              name: 'New tab 1',
+              content: <p>Hello</p>,
+            },
+            {
+              id: 'world',
+              name: 'New tab 2',
+              content: <p>World</p>,
+            },
+          ]}
+        />
+      );
+      expect(getAllByRole('tab')[0]).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true');
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.tsx b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.tsx
index 99ed28a5bcc..7a81e25ea25 100644
--- a/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.tsx
+++ b/src/components/tabs/tabbed_content/tabbed_content.tsx
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component<
     // Only track selection state if it's not controlled externally.
     let selectedTabId;
     if (!selectedTab) {
-      selectedTabId =
-        (initialSelectedTab && initialSelectedTab.id) || tabs[0].id;
+      selectedTabId = initialSelectedTab?.id || tabs[0].id;
     }
 
     this.state = {
@@ -154,11 +153,10 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component<
     // Allow the consumer to control tab selection.
     const selectedTab =
       externalSelectedTab ||
-      tabs.find(
-        (tab: EuiTabbedContentTab) => tab.id === this.state.selectedTabId
-      );
+      tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === this.state.selectedTabId) ||
+      tabs[0]; // Fall back to the first tab if a selected tab can't be found
 
-    const { content: selectedTabContent, id: selectedTabId } = selectedTab!;
+    const { content: selectedTabContent, id: selectedTabId } = selectedTab;
 
     return (
       <div className={className} {...rest}>
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@ export class EuiTabbedContent extends Component<
           onFocus={this.initializeFocus}
           onBlur={this.removeFocus}
         >
-          {tabs.map((tab: EuiTabbedContentTab) => {
+          {tabs.map((tab) => {
             const {
               id,
               name,