diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs.html b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs.html
index bba0e8a588..3e38f5f254 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs.html
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs.html
@@ -46,6 +46,41 @@
 		}).get();
 		same( actual, expected );
 	}
+
+	function tabs_disabled( tabs, state ) {
+		var expected = $.map( new Array( tabs.find ( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).length ), function( _, index ) {
+			if ( typeof state === "boolean" ) {
+				return state ? 1 : 0;
+			} else {
+				return $.inArray( index, state ) !== -1 ? 1 : 0;
+			}
+		});
+
+		var internalState = tabs.tabs( "option", "disabled" );
+		if ( internalState === false ) {
+			internalState = [];
+		}
+		if ( internalState === true ) {
+			internalState = $.map( new Array( tabs.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).length ), function( _, index ) {
+				return index;
+			});
+		}
+
+		var actual = tabs.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).map(function( index ) {
+			var tab = $( this ),
+				tabIsDisabled = tab.hasClass( "ui-state-disabled" );
+
+			if ( tabIsDisabled && $.inArray( index, internalState ) !== -1 ) {
+				return 1;
+			}
+			if ( !tabIsDisabled && $.inArray( index, internalState ) === -1 ) {
+				return 0;
+			}
+			return -1; // mixed state - invalid
+		}).get();
+		same( tabs.tabs( "option", "disabled" ), state );
+		same( actual, expected );
+	}
 	</script>
 	<script>
 	// disable this stale testsuite for testswarm only
diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.html b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.html
index 1fb50352b2..aae11c33d8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.html
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_deprecated.html
@@ -45,6 +45,41 @@
 		}).get();
 		same( actual, expected );
 	}
+
+	function tabs_disabled( tabs, state ) {
+		var expected = $.map( new Array( tabs.find ( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).length ), function( _, index ) {
+			if ( typeof state === "boolean" ) {
+				return state ? 1 : 0;
+			} else {
+				return $.inArray( index, state ) !== -1 ? 1 : 0;
+			}
+		});
+
+		var internalState = tabs.tabs( "option", "disabled" );
+		if ( internalState === false ) {
+			internalState = [];
+		}
+		if ( internalState === true ) {
+			internalState = $.map( new Array( tabs.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).length ), function( _, index ) {
+				return index;
+			});
+		}
+
+		var actual = tabs.find( ".ui-tabs-nav li" ).map(function( index ) {
+			var tab = $( this ),
+				tabIsDisabled = tab.hasClass( "ui-state-disabled" );
+
+			if ( tabIsDisabled && $.inArray( index, internalState ) !== -1 ) {
+				return 1;
+			}
+			if ( !tabIsDisabled && $.inArray( index, internalState ) === -1 ) {
+				return 0;
+			}
+			return -1; // mixed state - invalid
+		}).get();
+		same( tabs.tabs( "option", "disabled" ), state );
+		same( actual, expected );
+	}
 	</script>
 	<script>
 	// disable this stale testsuite for testswarm only
diff --git a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
index bd28316c5f..c7c0437609 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
+++ b/tests/unit/tabs/tabs_methods.js
@@ -17,80 +17,72 @@ test('destroy', function() {
 	ok( $('li:eq(2)', el).is(':not(.ui-state-hover, .ui-state-focus)'), 'remove classes from mouseovered or focused li');
 });
 
-test('enable', function() {
-    expect(12);
+test( "enable", function() {
+	expect( 8 );
 
-	el = $('#tabs1').tabs({ disabled: [ 0, 1 ] });
-	el.tabs("enable", 1);
-	ok( $('li:eq(1)', el).is(':not(.ui-state-disabled)'), 'remove class from li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 0 ], 'update property');
-	
-	// enable all tabs
-	el.tabs({ disabled: [ 0, 1 ] });
-	el.tabs("enable");
-	ok( !$('li.ui-state-disabled', el).length, 'enable all');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), false, 'update property');
+	var element = $( "#tabs1" ).tabs({ disabled: true });
+	tabs_disabled( element, true );
+	element.tabs( "enable" );
+	tabs_disabled( element, false );
+	element.tabs( "destroy" );
 
-	// enable one tab
-	el.tabs({ disabled: true });
-	el.tabs("enable", 1);
-	ok( $('li:eq(1)', el).is(':not(.ui-state-disabled)'), 'remove class from li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 0, 2 ], 'update property');
-
-	// all tabs already enabled
-	el.tabs({ disabled: false });
-	el.tabs("enable", 1);
-	ok( !$('li.ui-state-disabled', el).length, 'enable all');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), false, 'update property');
-
-	el.tabs('destroy');
-	// enable all tabs one by one
-	el.tabs({ disabled: [ 1, 2 ] });
-	el.tabs("enable", 1);
-	ok( $('li:eq(1)', el).is(':not(.ui-state-disabled)'), 'remove class from li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 2 ], 'update property');
-	el.tabs("enable", 2);
-	ok( $('li:eq(2)', el).is(':not(.ui-state-disabled)'), 'remove class from li');
-	same( el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), false, 'set to false');
+	element.tabs({ disabled: [ 0, 1 ] });
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 0, 1 ] );
+	element.tabs( "enable" );
+	tabs_disabled( element, false );
 });
 
-test('disable', function() {
-    expect(14);
+test( "enable( index )", function() {
+    expect( 10 );
 
-	// normal
-	el = $('#tabs1').tabs();
-	el.tabs('disable', 1);
-	ok( $('li:eq(1)', el).is('.ui-state-disabled'), 'add class to li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 1 ], 'update disabled property');
+	var element = $( "#tabs1" ).tabs({ disabled: true });
+	tabs_disabled( element, true );
+	// fully disabled -> partially disabled
+	element.tabs( "enable", 1 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 0, 2 ] );
+	// partially disabled -> partially disabled
+	element.tabs( "enable", 2 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 0 ] );
+	// already enabled tab, no change
+	element.tabs( "enable", 2 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 0 ] );
+	// partially disabled -> fully enabled
+	element.tabs( "enable", 0 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, false );
+});
 
-	// disable selected
-	el.tabs('disable', 0);
-	ok( $('li:eq(0)', el).is('.ui-state-disabled'), 'add class to selected li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 0, 1 ], 'update disabled property');
-	
-	// disable all tabs
-	el.tabs('disable');
-	same( $('li.ui-state-disabled', el).length, 3, 'disable all');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), true, 'set to true');
+test( "disable", function() {
+	expect( 8 );
 
-	// all tabs already disabled
-	el.tabs({ disabled: true });
-	el.tabs("disable", 1);
-	ok( $('li.ui-state-disabled', el).length, 'disable all');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), true, 'set to true');
+	var element = $( "#tabs1" ).tabs({ disabled: false });
+	tabs_disabled( element, false );
+	element.tabs( "disable" );
+	tabs_disabled( element, true );
+	element.tabs( "destroy" );
 
-	el.tabs("destroy");
-	// disable all tabs one by one
-	el.tabs();
-	el.tabs('disable', 0);
-	ok( $('li:eq(0)', el).is('.ui-state-disabled'), 'add class to li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 0 ], 'update disabled property');
-	el.tabs('disable', 1);
-	ok( $('li:eq(1)', el).is('.ui-state-disabled'), 'add class to li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), [ 0, 1 ], 'update disabled property');
-	el.tabs('disable', 2);
-	ok( $('li:eq(2)', el).is('.ui-state-disabled'), 'add class to li');
-	same(el.tabs('option', 'disabled'), true, 'set to true');
+	element.tabs({ disabled: [ 0, 1 ] });
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 0, 1 ] );
+	element.tabs( "disable" );
+	tabs_disabled( element, true );
+});
+
+test( "disable( index )", function() {
+    expect( 10 );
+
+	var element = $( "#tabs1" ).tabs({ disabled: false });
+	tabs_disabled( element, false );
+	// fully enabled -> partially disabled
+	element.tabs( "disable", 1 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 1 ] );
+	// partially disabled -> partially disabled
+	element.tabs( "disable", 2 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 1, 2 ] );
+	// already disabled tab, no change
+	element.tabs( "disable", 2 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, [ 1, 2 ] );
+	// partially disabled -> fully disabled
+	element.tabs( "disable", 0 );
+	tabs_disabled( element, true );
 });
 
 test('refresh', function() {
diff --git a/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js b/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
index 5c525b34a9..071fcbc678 100755
--- a/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
+++ b/ui/jquery.ui.tabs.js
@@ -544,6 +544,9 @@ $.widget( "ui.tabs", {
 			disabled = true;
 		} else {
 			index = this._getIndex( index );
+			if ( $.inArray( index, disabled ) !== -1 ) {
+				return;
+			}
 			if ( $.isArray( disabled ) ) {
 				disabled = $.merge( [ index ], disabled ).sort();
 			} else {