--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/BrowserApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/BrowserApp.java
@@ -2208,30 +2208,36 @@ public class BrowserApp extends GeckoApp
                         showTabs(panel);
                     }
                 });
             }
         } else {
             if (mDoorHangerPopup != null) {
                 mDoorHangerPopup.disable();
             }
+            if (mTabStrip != null) {
+                mTabStrip.tabStripIsCovered(true);
+            }
             mTabsPanel.show(panel);
 
             // Hide potentially visible "find in page" bar (Bug 1177338)
             mFindInPageBar.hide();
 
             for (final BrowserAppDelegate delegate : delegates) {
                 delegate.onTabsTrayShown(this, mTabsPanel);
             }
         }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void hideTabs() {
         mTabsPanel.hide();
+        if (mTabStrip != null) {
+            mTabStrip.tabStripIsCovered(false);
+        }
         if (mDoorHangerPopup != null) {
             mDoorHangerPopup.enable();
         }
 
         for (final BrowserAppDelegate delegate : delegates) {
             delegate.onTabsTrayHidden(this, mTabsPanel);
         }
     }
@@ -4170,16 +4176,20 @@ public class BrowserApp extends GeckoApp
 
         // Only slide the urlbar out if it was hidden when the action mode started
         // Don't animate hiding it so that there's no flash as we switch back to url mode
         mDynamicToolbar.setTemporarilyVisible(false, VisibilityTransition.IMMEDIATE);
     }
 
     public static interface TabStripInterface {
         public void refresh();
+        /** Called to let the tab strip know it is now, or is now no longer, being hidden by
+         *  something being drawn over it.
+         */
+        void tabStripIsCovered(boolean covered);
         void setOnTabChangedListener(OnTabAddedOrRemovedListener listener);
         interface OnTabAddedOrRemovedListener {
             void onTabChanged();
         }
     }
 
     @Override
     protected void recordStartupActionTelemetry(final String passedURL, final String action) {

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tabs.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tabs.java
@@ -672,16 +672,17 @@ public class Tabs implements BundleEvent
         STOP,
         FAVICON,
         THUMBNAIL,
         TITLE,
         SELECTED,
         UNSELECTED,
         ADDED,
         RESTORED,
+        MOVED,
         LOCATION_CHANGE,
         MENU_UPDATED,
         PAGE_SHOW,
         LINK_FEED,
         SECURITY_CHANGE,
         DESKTOP_MODE_CHANGE,
         RECORDING_CHANGE,
         BOOKMARK_ADDED,
@@ -1152,16 +1153,18 @@ public class Tabs implements BundleEvent
             // other threads from possibly choosing to start iterating mOrder in between when we
             // might mOrder.clear() and then mOrder.addAll(newTabsArray) if we were to repopulate
             // mOrder in place.)
             mOrder = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>(newTabsList);
         }
 
         queuePersistAllTabs();
 
+        notifyListeners(mOrder.get(toPosition), TabEvents.MOVED);
+
         final GeckoBundle data = new GeckoBundle();
         data.putInt("fromTabId", fromTabId);
         data.putInt("fromPosition", fromPosition);
         data.putInt("toTabId", toTabId);
         data.putInt("toPosition", toPosition);
         EventDispatcher.getInstance().dispatch("Tab:Move", data);
     }
 }

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabStrip.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabStrip.java
@@ -4,16 +4,17 @@
  * You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 package org.mozilla.gecko.tabs;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
 import android.graphics.drawable.StateListDrawable;
 import android.graphics.Rect;
+import android.support.annotation.UiThread;
 import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
 import android.util.AttributeSet;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.TouchDelegate;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewTreeObserver;
 
 import org.mozilla.gecko.BrowserApp.TabStripInterface;
@@ -28,16 +29,20 @@ public class TabStrip extends ThemedLine
     private static final String LOGTAG = "GeckoTabStrip";
 
     private final TabStripView tabStripView;
     private final ThemedImageButton addTabButton;
 
     private final TabsListener tabsListener;
     private OnTabAddedOrRemovedListener tabChangedListener;
 
+    // True when the tab strip isn't visible to the user due to something being drawn over it.
+    private boolean tabStripIsCovered;
+    private boolean tabsNeedUpdating;
+
     public TabStrip(Context context) {
         this(context, null);
     }
 
     public TabStrip(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
         super(context, attrs);
         setOrientation(HORIZONTAL);
 
@@ -135,25 +140,43 @@ public class TabStrip extends ThemedLine
                 case UNSELECTED:
                     // We just need to update the style for the unselected tab...
                 case TITLE:
                 case FAVICON:
                 case RECORDING_CHANGE:
                 case AUDIO_PLAYING_CHANGE:
                     tabStripView.updateTab(tab);
                     break;
+
+                case MOVED:
+                    if (tabStripIsCovered && tab.isPrivate() == tabStripView.isPrivate()) {
+                        // One of our tabs got moved while we're visible but covered; be sure to
+                        // update the tabs list before the user can see us again.
+                        tabsNeedUpdating = true;
+                    }
+                    break;
             }
         }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void refresh() {
         tabStripView.refresh();
     }
 
+    @UiThread
+    @Override
+    public void tabStripIsCovered(boolean covered) {
+        tabStripIsCovered = covered;
+        if (!tabStripIsCovered && tabsNeedUpdating) {
+            tabStripView.refreshTabs();
+            tabsNeedUpdating = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void onLightweightThemeChanged() {
         final Drawable drawable = getTheme().getDrawable(this);
         if (drawable == null) {
             return;
         }
 
         final StateListDrawable stateList = new StateListDrawable();

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabStripView.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabStripView.java
@@ -133,16 +133,20 @@ public class TabStripView extends Recycl
         }
 
     }
 
     /* package */ void updateTab(Tab tab) {
         adapter.notifyTabChanged(tab);
     }
 
+    /* package */ boolean isPrivate() {
+        return isPrivate;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean onItemMove(int fromPosition, int toPosition) {
         return adapter.moveTab(fromPosition, toPosition);
     }
 
     public int getPositionForSelectedTab() {
         return adapter.getPositionForTab(Tabs.getInstance().getSelectedTab());
     }