diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/items-list.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/items-list.hbs
index e54cd281f62..af8548d029a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/items-list.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/items-list.hbs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     <div class="spinner"></div>
   </div>
 {{else if this.items.length}}
-  <ul>
+  <ul aria-labelledby={{@ariaLabelledby}}>
     {{#each this.items as |item|}}
       <UserMenu::MenuItem @item={{item}} @closeUserMenu={{@closeUserMenu}}/>
     {{/each}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu-tab.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu-tab.hbs
index 8e1e2c04eb2..860e83a12bb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu-tab.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu-tab.hbs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   class={{this.classNames}}
   id={{this.id}}
   tabindex={{this.tabIndex}}
+  title={{@tab.title}}
   aria-selected={{if this.isActive "true" "false"}}
   aria-controls={{this.ariaControls}}
   data-tab-number={{@tab.position}}
@@ -11,5 +12,8 @@
   {{!-- template-lint-disable require-context-role --}}
 >
   {{d-icon @tab.icon}}
+  {{#if @tab.count}}
+    <span aria-hidden="true" class="badge-notification">{{@tab.count}}</span>
+  {{/if}}
   {{yield}}
 </button>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.hbs
index 2bd85ea2fc9..8663bf37d70 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.hbs
@@ -1,25 +1,14 @@
 <div class="user-menu revamped menu-panel drop-down" data-max-width="320" {{did-insert this.triggerRenderedAppEvent}}>
   <div class="panel-body">
     <div class="panel-body-contents">
-      <div
-        id={{concat "quick-access-" this.currentTabId}}
-        class="quick-access-panel"
-        tabindex="-1"
-        aria-labelledby={{concat "user-menu-button-" this.currentTabId}}>
-        {{component this.currentPanelComponent closeUserMenu=@closeUserMenu filterByTypes=this.currentNotificationTypes}}
-      </div>
       <div class="menu-tabs-container" role="tablist" aria-orientation="vertical" aria-label={{i18n "user_menu.sr_menu_tabs"}}>
-        <div class="top-tabs tabs-list">
+        <div class="top-tabs tabs-list" {{did-insert this.focusFirstTab}}>
           {{#each this.topTabs as |tab|}}
             <UserMenu::MenuTab
               @tab={{tab}}
               @currentTabId={{this.currentTabId}}
               @onTabClick={{fn this.handleTabClick tab}}
-            >
-              {{#if tab.count}}
-                <span class="badge-notification">{{tab.count}}</span>
-              {{/if}}
-            </UserMenu::MenuTab>
+            />
           {{/each}}
         </div>
         <div class="bottom-tabs tabs-list">
@@ -32,6 +21,17 @@
           {{/each}}
         </div>
       </div>
+      <div
+        id={{concat "quick-access-" this.currentTabId}}
+        class="quick-access-panel"
+        tabindex="-1">
+        {{component
+          this.currentPanelComponent
+          closeUserMenu=@closeUserMenu
+          filterByTypes=this.currentNotificationTypes
+          ariaLabelledby=(concat "user-menu-button-" this.currentTabId)
+        }}
+      </div>
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
index 9f882c094dc..501ebaa871e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/menu.js
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ const CORE_OTHER_NOTIFICATIONS_TAB = class extends UserMenuTab {
   }
 
   get id() {
-    return "other";
+    return "other-notifications";
   }
 
   get icon() {
@@ -378,4 +378,9 @@ export default class UserMenu extends Component {
   triggerRenderedAppEvent() {
     this.appEvents.trigger("user-menu:rendered");
   }
+
+  @action
+  focusFirstTab(topTabsContainerElement) {
+    topTabsContainerElement.querySelector(".btn.active")?.focus();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/profile-tab-content.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/profile-tab-content.hbs
index 08eb8582801..a9158f2cc5c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/profile-tab-content.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/user-menu/profile-tab-content.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<ul>
+<ul aria-labelledby={{@ariaLabelledby}}>
   {{#if this.siteSettings.enable_user_status}}
     <li class="set-user-status">
       <DButton @class="btn-flat profile-tab-btn" @action={{this.setUserStatusClick}}>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/notification-item.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/notification-item.js
index 7660be40396..d140078e1bb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/notification-item.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/notification-item.js
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ export default class UserMenuNotificationItem extends UserMenuBaseItem {
     if (!this.notification.read) {
       this.notification.set("read", true);
 
-      const groupedUnreadNotifications =
-        this.currentUser.grouped_unread_notifications;
+      const groupedUnreadNotifications = {
+        ...this.currentUser.grouped_unread_notifications,
+      };
       const unreadCount =
         groupedUnreadNotifications &&
         groupedUnreadNotifications[this.notification.notification_type];
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/tab.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/tab.js
index 9e8aaa099f8..356b7f8ec1d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/tab.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/user-menu/tab.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import I18n from "I18n";
+
 /**
  * abstract class representing a tab in the user menu
  */
@@ -22,6 +24,26 @@ export default class UserMenuTab {
     return 0;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @returns {string} title attribute for the tab element in the DOM
+   */
+  get title() {
+    const id = this.id.replaceAll(/-/g, "_");
+    const count = this.count;
+    let key;
+    if (this.count) {
+      key = `user_menu.tabs.${id}_with_unread`;
+    } else {
+      key = `user_menu.tabs.${id}`;
+    }
+    // the lookup method returns undefined if the key doesn't exist.
+    // this ensures that don't use the "missing translation" string as the
+    // title for tabs that don't define title in the yml files.
+    if (I18n.lookup(key)) {
+      return I18n.t(key, { count });
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * @returns {string} Dasherized version of the component name that should be rendered in the panel area when the tab is active.
    */
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/user-menu-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/user-menu-test.js
index 000f7999e97..da24b409fd5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/user-menu-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/user-menu-test.js
@@ -51,6 +51,41 @@ acceptance("User menu", function (needs) {
     requestHeaders = {};
   });
 
+  test("notifications panel has a11y attributes", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/");
+    await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
+    const panel = query("#quick-access-all-notifications");
+    assert.strictEqual(panel.getAttribute("tabindex"), "-1");
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      panel.querySelector("ul").getAttribute("aria-labelledby"),
+      "user-menu-button-all-notifications"
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("mentions notifications panel has a11y attributes", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/");
+    await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
+    await click("#user-menu-button-mentions");
+    const panel = query("#quick-access-mentions");
+    assert.strictEqual(panel.getAttribute("tabindex"), "-1");
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      panel.querySelector("ul").getAttribute("aria-labelledby"),
+      "user-menu-button-mentions"
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("profile panel has a11y attributes", async function (assert) {
+    await visit("/");
+    await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
+    await click("#user-menu-button-profile");
+    const panel = query("#quick-access-profile");
+    assert.strictEqual(panel.getAttribute("tabindex"), "-1");
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      panel.querySelector("ul").getAttribute("aria-labelledby"),
+      "user-menu-button-profile"
+    );
+  });
+
   test("clicking on an unread notification", async function (assert) {
     await visit("/");
     await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
@@ -133,6 +168,72 @@ acceptance("User menu", function (needs) {
     );
   });
 
+  test("tabs have title attributes", async function (assert) {
+    withPluginApi("0.1", (api) => {
+      api.registerUserMenuTab((UserMenuTab) => {
+        return class extends UserMenuTab {
+          get id() {
+            return "tiny-tab-1";
+          }
+
+          get count() {
+            return this.currentUser.get("unread_high_priority_notifications");
+          }
+
+          get icon() {
+            return "wrench";
+          }
+
+          get panelComponent() {
+            return "d-button";
+          }
+
+          get title() {
+            return `Custom title: ${this.count}`;
+          }
+        };
+      });
+    });
+
+    const expectedTitles = {
+      "user-menu-button-all-notifications": I18n.t(
+        "user_menu.tabs.all_notifications"
+      ),
+      "user-menu-button-replies": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.replies_with_unread", {
+        count: 2,
+      }),
+      "user-menu-button-mentions": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.mentions"),
+      "user-menu-button-likes": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.likes"),
+      "user-menu-button-watching": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.watching"),
+      "user-menu-button-messages": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.messages"),
+      "user-menu-button-bookmarks": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.bookmarks"),
+      "user-menu-button-tiny-tab-1": "Custom title: 73",
+      "user-menu-button-review-queue": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.review_queue"),
+      "user-menu-button-other-notifications": I18n.t(
+        "user_menu.tabs.other_notifications"
+      ),
+      "user-menu-button-profile": I18n.t("user_menu.tabs.profile"),
+    };
+    await visit("/");
+    await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
+    for (const [key, title] of Object.entries(expectedTitles)) {
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        query(`#${key}`).title,
+        title,
+        `${key} tab has the right title`
+      );
+    }
+
+    await publishToMessageBus(`/notification/${loggedInUser().id}`, {
+      unread_high_priority_notifications: 22,
+    });
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      query("#user-menu-button-tiny-tab-1").title,
+      "Custom title: 22",
+      "tabs titles can update dynamically"
+    );
+  });
+
   test("tabs added via the plugin API", async function (assert) {
     withPluginApi("0.1", (api) => {
       api.registerUserMenuTab((UserMenuTab) => {
@@ -186,7 +287,7 @@ acceptance("User menu", function (needs) {
       "user-menu-button-custom-tab-1": "7",
       "user-menu-button-custom-tab-2": "8",
       "user-menu-button-review-queue": "9",
-      "user-menu-button-other": "10",
+      "user-menu-button-other-notifications": "10",
     };
 
     await visit("/");
@@ -855,19 +956,21 @@ acceptance("User menu - Dismiss button", function (needs) {
     await visit("/");
     await click(".d-header-icons .current-user");
 
-    await click("#user-menu-button-other");
-    let repliesBadgeNotification = query(
-      "#user-menu-button-other .badge-notification"
+    await click("#user-menu-button-other-notifications");
+    let othersBadgeNotification = query(
+      "#user-menu-button-other-notifications .badge-notification"
     );
     assert.strictEqual(
-      repliesBadgeNotification.textContent.trim(),
+      othersBadgeNotification.textContent.trim(),
       "4",
       "badge shows the right count"
     );
 
     await click(".user-menu .notifications-dismiss");
 
-    assert.ok(!exists("#user-menu-button-other .badge-notification"));
+    assert.ok(
+      !exists("#user-menu-button-other-notifications .badge-notification")
+    );
     assert.ok(
       markRead,
       "mark-read request is sent without a confirmation modal"
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
index aad9b144938..a0de1cada5e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/user-menu/menu-test.js
@@ -21,16 +21,6 @@ module("Integration | Component | user-menu", function (hooks) {
     assert.ok(notifications[2].classList.contains("liked-consolidated"));
   });
 
-  test("notifications panel has a11y attributes", async function (assert) {
-    await render(template);
-    const panel = query("#quick-access-all-notifications");
-    assert.strictEqual(panel.getAttribute("tabindex"), "-1");
-    assert.strictEqual(
-      panel.getAttribute("aria-labelledby"),
-      "user-menu-button-all-notifications"
-    );
-  });
-
   test("active tab has a11y attributes that indicate it's active", async function (assert) {
     await render(template);
     const activeTab = query(".top-tabs.tabs-list .btn.active");
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/menu-panel.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/menu-panel.scss
index 26f4e4b7bcd..29fafc3bc48 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/menu-panel.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/menu-panel.scss
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
 
   .panel-body-contents {
     display: flex;
-    flex-direction: row;
+    flex-direction: row-reverse;
   }
 
   .quick-access-panel {
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 1c9a0646507..34950b28eda 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -2567,10 +2567,45 @@ en:
     view_all: "view all %{tab}"
     user_menu:
       generic_no_items: "There are no items in this list."
-      sr_menu_tabs: "Menu tabs"
+      sr_menu_tabs: "User menu tabs"
       view_all_notifications: "view all notifications"
       view_all_bookmarks: "view all bookmarks"
       view_all_messages: "view all personal messages"
+      tabs:
+        all_notifications: "All notifications"
+        replies: "Replies"
+        replies_with_unread:
+          one: "Replies - %{count} unread reply"
+          other: "Replies - %{count} unread replies"
+        mentions: "Mentions"
+        mentions_with_unread:
+          one: "Mentions - %{count} unread mention"
+          other: "Mentions - %{count} unread mentions"
+        likes: "Likes"
+        likes_with_unread:
+          one: "Likes - %{count} unread like"
+          other: "Likes - %{count} unread likes"
+        watching: "Watched topics"
+        watching_with_unread:
+          one: "Watched topics - %{count} unread watched topic"
+          other: "Watched topics - %{count} unread watched topics"
+        messages: "Personal messages"
+        messages_with_unread:
+          one: "Personal messages - %{count} unread message"
+          other: "Personal messages - %{count} unread messages"
+        bookmarks: "Bookmarks"
+        bookmarks_with_unread:
+          one: "Bookmarks - %{count} unread bookmark"
+          other: "Bookmarks - %{count} unread bookmarks"
+        review_queue: "Review queue"
+        review_queue_with_unread:
+          one: "Review queue - %{count} item needs review"
+          other: "Review queue - %{count} items need review"
+        other_notifications: "Other notifications"
+        other_notifications_with_unread:
+          one: "Other notifications - %{count} unread notification"
+          other: "Other notifications - %{count} unread notifications"
+        profile: "Profile"
       reviewable:
         view_all: "view all review items"
         queue: "Queue"