diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 55d8f0be4..6da059bd4 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - Linux: Fix a regression in 0.36.0 that caused font features defined via fontconfig to be ignored (:iss:`7773`)
 
+- :ac:`goto_tab`: Allow numbers less than ``-1`` to go to the Nth previously active tab
+
 0.36.1 [2024-08-24]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/kitty/options/definition.py b/kitty/options/definition.py
index 5eafafa42..0ef2841c2 100644
--- a/kitty/options/definition.py
+++ b/kitty/options/definition.py
@@ -3968,8 +3968,9 @@ map('Set tab title',
 egr('''
 You can also create shortcuts to go to specific :term:`tabs <tab>`, with
 :code:`1` being the first tab, :code:`2` the second tab and :code:`-1` being the
-previously active tab, and any number larger than the last tab being the last
-tab::
+previously active tab, :code:`-2` being the tab active before the previously active tab and so on.
+Any number larger than the number of tabs goes to the last tab and any number less
+than the number of previously used tabs in the history goes to the oldest previously used tab in the history::
 
     map ctrl+alt+1 goto_tab 1
     map ctrl+alt+2 goto_tab 2
diff --git a/kitty/options/utils.py b/kitty/options/utils.py
index 49c8517bb..2a23447d3 100644
--- a/kitty/options/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/options/utils.py
@@ -145,8 +145,10 @@ def open_url_parse(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
 
 @func_with_args('goto_tab')
 def goto_tab_parse(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
-    args = (max(0, int(rest)), )
-    return func, args
+    n = int(rest)
+    if n < 0:
+        n += 1  # goto_tab subtracts 1 from its argument, this maps both zero and -1 to previous tab for backwards compat.
+    return func, (n,)
 
 
 @func_with_args('detach_window')
diff --git a/kitty/tabs.py b/kitty/tabs.py
index e781cb119..3629ac6e8 100644
--- a/kitty/tabs.py
+++ b/kitty/tabs.py
@@ -1034,11 +1034,11 @@ class TabManager:  # {{{
             tab_num = max(0, len(self.tabs) - 1)
         if tab_num >= 0:
             self.set_active_tab_idx(tab_num)
-        else:
+        elif self.active_tab_history:
             try:
                 old_active_tab_id = self.active_tab_history[tab_num]
             except IndexError:
-                return
+                old_active_tab_id = self.active_tab_history[0]
             for idx, tab in enumerate(self.tabs):
                 if tab.id == old_active_tab_id:
                     self.set_active_tab_idx(idx)