diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index ebce4b37a..36e3bda40 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
                 raise cmdutils.CommandError(
                     "-o is not supported with 'tabs.select_on_remove' set to "
                     "'last-used'!")
+            elif conf_selection == 'firefox':
+                raise cmdutils.CommandError(
+                    "-o is not supported with 'tabs.select_on_remove' set to "
+                    "'firefox'!")
             else:  # pragma: no cover
                 raise ValueError("Invalid select_on_remove value "
                                  "{!r}!".format(conf_selection))
@@ -233,7 +237,7 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
         else:
             old_selection_behavior = tabbar.selectionBehaviorOnRemove()
             tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(selection_override)
-            self._tabbed_browser.close_tab(tab)
+            self._tabbed_browser.close_tab(tab, allow_selection_strategy=False)
             tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(old_selection_behavior)
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', scope='window')
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
index a64600652..d80709de5 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
@@ -1890,6 +1890,11 @@ class SelectOnRemove(MappingType):
             QTabBar.SelectionBehavior.SelectPreviousTab,
             "Select the previously selected tab.",
         ),
+        'firefox': (
+            'firefox',
+            ("Select the tab that was opened before this tab (if closed immediately "
+             "without switching away). Falls back to 'next' otherwise."),
+        ),
     }
 
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
index e0938ae36..591a7ae8e 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from typing import (
     Any, Optional)
 from collections.abc import Mapping, MutableMapping, MutableSequence
 
-from qutebrowser.qt.widgets import QSizePolicy, QWidget, QApplication
+from qutebrowser.qt.widgets import QSizePolicy, QWidget, QApplication, QTabBar
 from qutebrowser.qt.core import pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot, QTimer, QUrl, QPoint
 
 from qutebrowser.config import config
@@ -135,6 +135,55 @@ class TabDeletedError(Exception):
     """Exception raised when _tab_index is called for a deleted tab."""
 
 
+class SelectionStrategy:
+
+    """Base class for tab selection strategies (on remove)."""
+
+    def on_tab_opened(self, _tabbed_browser: "TabbedBrowser", _tab: browsertab.AbstractTab, _background: bool) -> None:
+        """Called when a new tab is opened."""
+
+    def on_current_changed(self, _tab: browsertab.AbstractTab) -> None:
+        """Called when the current tab changes."""
+
+    def should_select_opener(self, _tab: browsertab.AbstractTab) -> bool:
+        """Check if we should return to the opener tab."""
+        return False
+
+
+class FirefoxSelectionStrategy(SelectionStrategy):
+
+    """Strategy for Firefox-like "return to opener" behavior."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self._opened_tab: Optional[weakref.ReferenceType[browsertab.AbstractTab]] = None
+
+    def on_tab_opened(self, tabbed_browser: "TabbedBrowser", tab: browsertab.AbstractTab, background: bool) -> None:
+        # Track relationship
+        if tabbed_browser.widget.count() > 0:
+            if self._opened_tab is not None and background:
+                self._opened_tab = None
+            else:
+                self._opened_tab = weakref.ref(tab)
+
+    def on_current_changed(self, tab: browsertab.AbstractTab) -> None:
+        # Clear state if user switched away
+        if self._opened_tab is not None:
+            opened = self._opened_tab()
+            if tab is not opened:
+                self._opened_tab = None
+
+    def should_select_opener(self, tab: browsertab.AbstractTab) -> bool:
+        if self._opened_tab is None:
+            return False
+
+        opened = self._opened_tab()
+        if opened is tab:
+            self._opened_tab = None  # Consume state
+            return True
+
+        return False
+
+
 class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
 
     """A TabWidget with QWebViews inside.
@@ -242,6 +291,8 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
         self.default_window_icon = self._window().windowIcon()
         self.is_private = private
         self.tab_deque = TabDeque()
+        self._selection_strategy: SelectionStrategy = SelectionStrategy()
+        self._update_selection_strategy()
         config.instance.changed.connect(self._on_config_changed)
         quitter.instance.shutting_down.connect(self.shutdown)
 
@@ -252,6 +303,19 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
         # We can't resize a collections.deque so just recreate it >:(
         self.undo_stack = collections.deque(self.undo_stack, maxlen=newsize)
 
+    def _update_selection_strategy(self):
+        """Update the selection strategy based on config."""
+        strategy_map = {
+            "default": SelectionStrategy,
+            "firefox": FirefoxSelectionStrategy,
+        }
+
+        strategy_key = config.val.tabs.select_on_remove or "default"
+        strategy_cls = strategy_map.get(strategy_key, SelectionStrategy)
+
+        if type(self._selection_strategy) is not strategy_cls:  # pylint: disable=unidiomatic-typecheck
+            self._selection_strategy = strategy_cls()
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return utils.get_repr(self, count=self.widget.count())
 
@@ -267,6 +331,8 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
             self.widget.update_tab_titles()
         elif option == "tabs.focus_stack_size":
             self.tab_deque.update_size()
+        elif option == "tabs.select_on_remove":
+            self._update_selection_strategy()
 
     def _tab_index(self, tab):
         """Get the index of a given tab.
@@ -444,7 +510,8 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
         else:
             yes_action()
 
-    def close_tab(self, tab, *, add_undo=True, new_undo=True, transfer=False):
+    def close_tab(self, tab, *, add_undo=True, new_undo=True, transfer=False,
+                  allow_selection_strategy=True):
         """Close a tab.
 
         Args:
@@ -452,6 +519,7 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
             add_undo: Whether the tab close can be undone.
             new_undo: Whether the undo entry should be a new item in the stack.
             transfer: Whether the tab is closing because it is moving to a new window.
+            allow_selection_strategy: Whether to try selecting the 'opener' tab (if configured).
         """
         if config.val.tabs.tabs_are_windows or transfer:
             last_close = 'close'
@@ -463,8 +531,18 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
         if last_close == 'ignore' and count == 1:
             return
 
+        restore_behavior = None
+        if allow_selection_strategy and self._selection_strategy.should_select_opener(tab):
+            # Temporarily switch to 'last-used' behavior to select the opener
+            tabbar = self.widget.tab_bar()
+            restore_behavior = tabbar.selectionBehaviorOnRemove()
+            tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(QTabBar.SelectionBehavior.SelectPreviousTab)
+
         self._remove_tab(tab, add_undo=add_undo, new_undo=new_undo)
 
+        if restore_behavior is not None:
+            self.widget.tab_bar().setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(restore_behavior)
+
         if count == 1:  # We just closed the last tab above.
             if last_close == 'close':
                 self.close_window.emit()
@@ -659,6 +737,9 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
 
         if background is None:
             background = config.val.tabs.background
+
+        self._selection_strategy.on_tab_opened(self, tab, background)
+
         if background:
             # Make sure the background tab has the correct initial size.
             # With a foreground tab, it's going to be resized correctly by the
@@ -904,6 +985,9 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
                 .format(idx))
             return
 
+        # Clear state if user switched to a tab that's not the opened tab
+        self._selection_strategy.on_current_changed(tab)
+
         log.modes.debug("Current tab changed, focusing {!r}".format(tab))
         tab.setFocus()
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
index 8d50ac45d..8a6e686a0 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
@@ -70,7 +70,12 @@ class TabWidget(QTabWidget):
         tabbar = self.tab_bar()
         tabbar.vertical = position in [
             QTabWidget.TabPosition.West, QTabWidget.TabPosition.East]
-        tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(selection_behavior)
+        # 'firefox' mode uses custom selection logic; fall back to 'next' for Qt
+        if selection_behavior == 'firefox':
+            tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(
+                QTabBar.SelectionBehavior.SelectRightTab)
+        else:
+            tabbar.setSelectionBehaviorOnRemove(selection_behavior)
         tabbar.refresh()
 
     def tab_bar(self) -> "TabBar":
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/tabs_firefox.feature b/tests/end2end/features/tabs_firefox.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..87bfbd123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/tabs_firefox.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+Feature: Tab selection on remove (firefox behavior)
+    Tests for tabs.select_on_remove = firefox
+
+    Background:
+        Given I clean up open tabs
+        And I set tabs.tabs_are_windows to false
+        And I set tabs.background to false
+        And I clear the log
+
+    Scenario: :tab-close with tabs.select_on_remove = firefox
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 2
+        And I run :tab-close
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt
+            - data/numbers/3.txt (active)
+            - data/numbers/4.txt
+            """
+
+    Scenario: :tab-close with tabs.select_on_remove = firefox
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 1
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-close
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt (active)
+            - data/numbers/2.txt
+            - data/numbers/3.txt
+            """
+
+    Scenario: Error with --opposite
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I run :tab-close --opposite
+        Then the error "-o is not supported with 'tabs.select_on_remove' set to 'firefox'!" should be shown
+
+    Scenario: Override with --next
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 2
+        And I run :tab-close --next
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt
+            - data/numbers/3.txt (active)
+            - data/numbers/4.txt
+            """
+
+    Scenario: Override with --prev
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new tab
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 3
+        And I run :tab-close --prev
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt
+            - data/numbers/2.txt (active)
+            - data/numbers/4.txt
+            """
+
+    Scenario: :tab-close with tabs.select_on_remove = firefox and --opposite
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I run :tab-close --opposite
+        Then the error "-o is not supported with 'tabs.select_on_remove' set to 'firefox'!" should be shown
+
+    Scenario: Opening a second background tab forgets the state
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 1
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new background tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new background tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 3
+        And I run :tab-close
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt
+            - data/numbers/2.txt
+            - data/numbers/4.txt (active)
+            """
+
+    Scenario: Opening a foreground tab creates a state
+        When I set tabs.select_on_remove to firefox
+        And I open data/numbers/1.txt
+        And I open data/numbers/4.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-focus 1
+        And I open data/numbers/2.txt in a new background tab
+        And I open data/numbers/3.txt in a new tab
+        And I run :tab-close
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            """
+            - data/numbers/1.txt (active)
+            - data/numbers/4.txt
+            - data/numbers/2.txt
+            """