diff --git a/src/core/public/application/application_service.test.ts b/src/core/public/application/application_service.test.ts
index de9e4d4496f3b2..f348936d267954 100644
--- a/src/core/public/application/application_service.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/public/application/application_service.test.ts
@@ -804,6 +804,21 @@ describe('#start()', () => {
       `);
     });
 
+    it("when openInNewTab is true it doesn't update currentApp$ after mounting", async () => {
+      service.setup(setupDeps);
+
+      const { currentAppId$, navigateToApp } = await service.start(startDeps);
+      const stop$ = new Subject();
+      const promise = currentAppId$.pipe(bufferCount(4), takeUntil(stop$)).toPromise();
+
+      await navigateToApp('delta', { openInNewTab: true });
+      stop$.next();
+
+      const appIds = await promise;
+
+      expect(appIds).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
     it('updates httpLoadingCount$ while mounting', async () => {
       // Use a memory history so that mounting the component will work
       const { createMemoryHistory } = jest.requireActual('history');
diff --git a/src/core/public/application/application_service.tsx b/src/core/public/application/application_service.tsx
index 2e804bf2f5413c..3ba0d78cf15fd9 100644
--- a/src/core/public/application/application_service.tsx
+++ b/src/core/public/application/application_service.tsx
@@ -250,16 +250,15 @@ export class ApplicationService {
         if (path === undefined) {
           path = applications$.value.get(appId)?.defaultPath;
         }
-        if (!navigatingToSameApp) {
-          this.appInternalStates.delete(this.currentAppId$.value!);
-        }
         if (openInNewTab) {
           this.openInNewTab!(getAppUrl(availableMounters, appId, path));
         } else {
+          if (!navigatingToSameApp) {
+            this.appInternalStates.delete(this.currentAppId$.value!);
+          }
           this.navigate!(getAppUrl(availableMounters, appId, path), state, replace);
+          this.currentAppId$.next(appId);
         }
-
-        this.currentAppId$.next(appId);
       }
     };