diff --git a/src/cataloglistview/cataloglistview.cpp b/src/cataloglistview/cataloglistview.cpp
--- a/src/cataloglistview/cataloglistview.cpp
+++ b/src/cataloglistview/cataloglistview.cpp
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@
 #include <QAction>
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QShortcut>
-#include <QMdiSubWindow>
-#include <QMdiArea>
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 
 #include <klocalizedstring.h>
diff --git a/src/lokalizemainwindow.h b/src/lokalizemainwindow.h
--- a/src/lokalizemainwindow.h
+++ b/src/lokalizemainwindow.h
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@
 #include <QPointer>
 #include <QMap>
 #include <QUrl>
+#include <QMdiArea>
 #include <QDBusObjectPath>
 
 class QLabel;
 class QMdiSubWindow;
 class QMdiArea;
 class QActionGroup;
+class LokalizeMdiArea;
 class KRecentFilesAction;
 class EditorTab;
 class MultiEditorAdaptor;
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@
     Q_SCRIPTABLE void editorActivated();
 
 private:
-    QMdiArea* m_mdiArea;
+    LokalizeMdiArea* m_mdiArea;
     QPointer<QMdiSubWindow> m_prevSubWindow;
     QPointer<QMdiSubWindow> m_projectSubWindow;
     QPointer<QMdiSubWindow> m_translationMemorySubWindow;
@@ -181,6 +183,13 @@
     FileToEditor m_fileToEditor;
 };
 
+class LokalizeMdiArea: public QMdiArea
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public slots:
+    void activateNextSubWindow();
+    void activatePreviousSubWindow();
+};
 
 #include <kross/ui/plugin.h>
 
diff --git a/src/lokalizemainwindow.cpp b/src/lokalizemainwindow.cpp
--- a/src/lokalizemainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/lokalizemainwindow.cpp
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@
 
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QActionGroup>
-#include <QMdiArea>
 #include <QMdiSubWindow>
+#include <QMdiArea>
 #include <QMenuBar>
 #include <QStatusBar>
 #include <QLabel>
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 
 LokalizeMainWindow::LokalizeMainWindow()
     : KXmlGuiWindow()
-    , m_mdiArea(new QMdiArea)
+    , m_mdiArea(new LokalizeMdiArea)
     , m_prevSubWindow(0)
     , m_projectSubWindow(0)
     , m_translationMemorySubWindow(0)
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
 
     QTimer::singleShot(0, this, &LokalizeMainWindow::initLater);
 }
+
 void LokalizeMainWindow::initLater()
 {
     if (!m_prevSubWindow && m_projectSubWindow)
@@ -496,10 +497,13 @@
     //KStandardAction::close(m_mdiArea, SLOT(closeActiveSubWindow()), ac);
 
     actionCategory = file;
-    ADD_ACTION_SHORTCUT("next-tab", i18n("Next tab"), Qt::CTRL + Qt::Key_BracketRight)
-    connect(action, &QAction::triggered, m_mdiArea, &QMdiArea::activateNextSubWindow);
+    ADD_ACTION_SHORTCUT("next-tab", i18n("Next tab"), Qt::CTRL + Qt::Key_Tab)
+    connect(action, &QAction::triggered, m_mdiArea, &LokalizeMdiArea::activateNextSubWindow);
 
-    ADD_ACTION_SHORTCUT("prev-tab", i18n("Previous tab"), Qt::CTRL + Qt::Key_BracketLeft)
+    ADD_ACTION_SHORTCUT("prev-tab", i18n("Previous tab"), Qt::CTRL + Qt::SHIFT + Qt::Key_Tab)
+    connect(action, &QAction::triggered, m_mdiArea, &LokalizeMdiArea::activatePreviousSubWindow);
+
+    ADD_ACTION_SHORTCUT("prev-active-tab", i18n("Previously active tab"), Qt::CTRL + Qt::Key_BracketLeft)
     connect(action, &QAction::triggered, m_mdiArea, &QMdiArea::activatePreviousSubWindow);
 
 //Tools
@@ -991,9 +995,22 @@
 {
     busy ? QApplication::setOverrideCursor(Qt::WaitCursor) : QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
 }
-// void LokalizeMainWindow::processEvents(){QCoreApplication::processEvents();}
 
 
+void LokalizeMdiArea::activateNextSubWindow()
+{
+    this->setActivationOrder((QMdiArea::WindowOrder)Settings::tabSwitch());
+    this->QMdiArea::activateNextSubWindow();
+    this->setActivationOrder(QMdiArea::ActivationHistoryOrder);
+}
+
+void LokalizeMdiArea::activatePreviousSubWindow()
+{
+    this->setActivationOrder((QMdiArea::WindowOrder)Settings::tabSwitch());
+    this->QMdiArea::activatePreviousSubWindow();
+    this->setActivationOrder(QMdiArea::ActivationHistoryOrder);
+}
+
 MultiEditorAdaptor::MultiEditorAdaptor(EditorTab *parent)
     : EditorAdaptor(parent)
 {
@@ -1015,7 +1032,6 @@
 void MultiEditorAdaptor::handleParentDestroy(QObject* p)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(p);
-    qCWarning(LOKALIZE_LOG) << "avoiding destroying m_multiEditorAdaptor";
     setParent(0);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nokde-stubs/prefs.cpp b/src/nokde-stubs/prefs.cpp
--- a/src/nokde-stubs/prefs.cpp
+++ b/src/nokde-stubs/prefs.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
     , mDeleteFromTMOnMissing(false)
 
     , mWordCompletionLength(3)
+    , mTabSwitch(0)
     , mSuggCount(10)
     , mSuggScore(0)
 {
diff --git a/src/nokde-stubs/prefs_lokalize.h b/src/nokde-stubs/prefs_lokalize.h
--- a/src/nokde-stubs/prefs_lokalize.h
+++ b/src/nokde-stubs/prefs_lokalize.h
@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@
         return self()->mWordCompletionLength;
     }
 
+    static
+    int tabSwitch()
+    {
+        return self()->mTabSwitch;
+    }
+
     static
     bool prefetchTM()
     {
@@ -203,6 +209,7 @@
     bool mDeleteFromTMOnMissing;
 
     int mWordCompletionLength;
+    int mTabSwitch;
     int mSuggCount;
     int mSuggScore;
 };
diff --git a/src/noteeditor.cpp b/src/noteeditor.cpp
--- a/src/noteeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/noteeditor.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /* ****************************************************************************
   This file is part of Lokalize
 
diff --git a/src/prefs/lokalize.kcfg b/src/prefs/lokalize.kcfg
--- a/src/prefs/lokalize.kcfg
+++ b/src/prefs/lokalize.kcfg
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@
     <entry name="WordCompletionLength"  type="Int">
         <default>4</default>
     </entry>
+    <entry name="TabSwitch"  type="Int">
+        <default>0</default>
+    </entry>
     <entry name="AltTransViewEverShownWithData" type="Bool">
       <default>false</default>
     </entry>
diff --git a/src/prefs/prefs_editor.ui b/src/prefs/prefs_editor.ui
--- a/src/prefs/prefs_editor.ui
+++ b/src/prefs/prefs_editor.ui
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
    <property name="spacing">
     <number>6</number>
    </property>
-   <item row="3" column="0" colspan="2">
+   <item row="4" column="0" colspan="2">
     <spacer>
      <property name="orientation">
       <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
@@ -80,6 +80,40 @@
      </item>
     </layout>
    </item>
+   <item row="3" column="0">
+    <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QLabel" name="l2">
+       <property name="toolTip">
+        <string>Defines the behavior of the next/previous tab shortcuts </string>
+       </property>
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>Next/previous tab shortcut behavior</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QComboBox" name="kcfg_TabSwitch" >
+       <item>
+        <property name="text" >
+         <string>According to tab position</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="data">
+         <number>0</number>
+        </property>
+       </item>
+       <item>
+        <property name="text" >
+         <string>According to tab activation order</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="data">
+         <number>2</number>
+        </property>
+       </item>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+    </layout>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <resources/>