diff --git a/widgets/account.go b/widgets/account.go
index 3bf104b..6cf49aa 100644
--- a/widgets/account.go
+++ b/widgets/account.go
@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ func (acct *AccountView) SetStatus(setters ...statusline.SetStateFunc) {
 }
 
 func (acct *AccountView) UpdateStatus() {
-	acct.host.SetStatus(acct.state.StatusLine(acct.SelectedDirectory()))
+	if acct.isSelected() {
+		acct.host.SetStatus(acct.state.StatusLine(acct.SelectedDirectory()))
+	}
 }
 
 func (acct *AccountView) PushStatus(status string, expiry time.Duration) {
@@ -226,6 +228,10 @@ func (acct *AccountView) SelectedMessagePart() *PartInfo {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (acct *AccountView) isSelected() bool {
+	return acct.aerc.NumTabs() > 0 && acct == acct.aerc.SelectedAccount()
+}
+
 func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 	switch msg := msg.(type) {
 	case *types.Done:
diff --git a/widgets/aerc.go b/widgets/aerc.go
index db447e4..94e6754 100644
--- a/widgets/aerc.go
+++ b/widgets/aerc.go
@@ -343,6 +343,7 @@ func (aerc *Aerc) NewTab(clickable ui.Drawable, name string) *ui.Tab {
 
 func (aerc *Aerc) RemoveTab(tab ui.Drawable) {
 	aerc.tabs.Remove(tab)
+	aerc.UpdateStatus()
 }
 
 func (aerc *Aerc) ReplaceTab(tabSrc ui.Drawable, tabTarget ui.Drawable, name string) {
@@ -373,6 +374,7 @@ func (aerc *Aerc) SelectTab(name string) bool {
 	for i, tab := range aerc.tabs.Tabs {
 		if tab.Name == name {
 			aerc.tabs.Select(i)
+			aerc.UpdateStatus()
 			return true
 		}
 	}
@@ -383,6 +385,7 @@ func (aerc *Aerc) SelectTabIndex(index int) bool {
 	for i := range aerc.tabs.Tabs {
 		if i == index {
 			aerc.tabs.Select(i)
+			aerc.UpdateStatus()
 			return true
 		}
 	}