diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-body.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-body.js
index c4f47e325d..3f9eb7fc5f 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-body.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-body.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { TabPanels, TabPanel } from '@reach/tabs'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 import SymbolPaletteItems from './symbol-palette-items'
@@ -9,6 +8,7 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteBody({
   filteredSymbols,
   handleSelect,
   focusInput,
+  activeCategoryId,
 }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation()
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteBody({
   // note: include empty tab panels so that aria-controls on tabs can still reference the panel ids
   if (filteredSymbols) {
     return (
-      <>
+      <div className="symbol-palette-panels">
         {filteredSymbols.length ? (
           <SymbolPaletteItems
             items={filteredSymbols}
@@ -28,29 +28,43 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteBody({
           <div className="symbol-palette-empty">{t('no_symbols_found')}</div>
         )}
 
-        <TabPanels>
-          {categories.map(category => (
-            <TabPanel key={category.id} tabIndex={-1} />
-          ))}
-        </TabPanels>
-      </>
+        {categories.map(category => (
+          <div
+            key={category.id}
+            role="tabpanel"
+            className="symbol-palette-panel"
+            id={`symbol-palette-panel-${category.id}`}
+            aria-labelledby={`symbol-palette-tab-${category.id}`}
+            hidden
+          />
+        ))}
+      </div>
     )
   }
 
   // not searching: show the symbols grouped by category
   return (
-    <TabPanels>
-      {categories.map(category => (
-        <TabPanel key={category.id} tabIndex={-1}>
+    <div className="symbol-palette-panels">
+      {categories.map((category) => (
+        <div
+          key={category.id}
+          id={`symbol-palette-panel-${category.id}`}
+          className="symbol-palette-panel"
+          role="tabpanel"
+          aria-labelledby={`symbol-palette-tab-${category.id}`}
+          hidden={category.id !== activeCategoryId}
+        >
           <SymbolPaletteItems
             items={categorisedSymbols[category.id]}
             handleSelect={handleSelect}
             focusInput={focusInput}
           />
-        </TabPanel>
+        </div>
       ))}
-    </TabPanels>
+    </div>
   )
+
+
 }
 SymbolPaletteBody.propTypes = {
   categories: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.object).isRequired,
@@ -58,4 +72,5 @@ SymbolPaletteBody.propTypes = {
   filteredSymbols: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.object),
   handleSelect: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   focusInput: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  activeCategoryId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
 }
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
index 839b5d1cd5..dbde7ca775 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-close-button.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteCloseButton() {
         type="button"
         className="btn-close symbol-palette-close-button"
         onClick={toggleSymbolPalette}
-        aria-label={t('clear_search')}
+        aria-label={t('close')}
       >
       </button>
     </div>
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-content.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-content.js
index cb5a9e3029..b395cac53d 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-content.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-content.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { Tabs } from '@reach/tabs'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
@@ -10,8 +9,6 @@ import SymbolPaletteBody from './symbol-palette-body'
 import SymbolPaletteTabs from './symbol-palette-tabs'
 import SymbolPaletteCloseButton from './symbol-palette-close-button'
 
-import '@reach/tabs/styles.css'
-
 export default function SymbolPaletteContent({ handleSelect }) {
   const [input, setInput] = useState('')
 
@@ -19,6 +16,7 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteContent({ handleSelect }) {
 
   // build the list of categories with translated labels
   const categories = useMemo(() => createCategories(t), [t])
+  const [activeCategoryId, setActiveCategoryId] = useState(categories[0]?.id)
 
   // group the symbols by category
   const categorisedSymbols = useMemo(
@@ -59,18 +57,23 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteContent({ handleSelect }) {
       inputRef.current.focus()
     }
   }, [])
-
   return (
-    <Tabs className="symbol-palette-container">
+    <div className="symbol-palette-container">
       <div className="symbol-palette">
         <div className="symbol-palette-header-outer">
           <div className="symbol-palette-header">
-            <SymbolPaletteTabs categories={categories} />
+            <SymbolPaletteTabs 
+              categories={categories} 
+              activeCategoryId={activeCategoryId}
+              setActiveCategoryId={setActiveCategoryId}
+            />
             <div className="symbol-palette-header-group">
               <SymbolPaletteSearch setInput={setInput} inputRef={inputRef} />
-              <SymbolPaletteCloseButton />
             </div>
           </div>
+          <div className="symbol-palette-header-group">
+            <SymbolPaletteCloseButton />
+          </div>
         </div>
         <div className="symbol-palette-body">
           <SymbolPaletteBody
@@ -79,10 +82,11 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteContent({ handleSelect }) {
             filteredSymbols={filteredSymbols}
             handleSelect={handleSelect}
             focusInput={focusInput}
+            activeCategoryId={activeCategoryId}
           />
         </div>
       </div>
-    </Tabs>
+    </div>
   )
 }
 SymbolPaletteContent.propTypes = {
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-search.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-search.js
index 7d52a82874..75d01f0119 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-search.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-search.js
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ export default function SymbolPaletteSearch({ setInput, inputRef }) {
 SymbolPaletteSearch.propTypes = {
   setInput: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   inputRef: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-};
+}
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-tabs.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-tabs.js
index d53cd93ac0..80f0421f27 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-tabs.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/symbol-palette/components/symbol-palette-tabs.js
@@ -1,22 +1,76 @@
-import { TabList, Tab } from '@reach/tabs'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
+import { useState, useRef } from 'react'
+
+
+export default function SymbolPaletteTabs({
+  categories,
+  activeCategoryId,
+  setActiveCategoryId,
+}) {
+
+  const buttonRefs = useRef([])
+  const focusTab = (index) => {
+    setActiveCategoryId(categories[index].id)
+    buttonRefs.current[index]?.focus()
+  }
+
+  const handleKeyDown = (e, index) => {
+    switch (e.key) {
+      case 'ArrowRight':
+        focusTab((index + 1) % categories.length)
+        break
+      case 'ArrowLeft':
+        focusTab((index - 1 + categories.length) % categories.length)
+        break
+      case 'Home':
+      case 'PageUp':
+        focusTab(0)
+        break
+      case 'End':
+      case 'PageDown':
+        focusTab(categories.length - 1)
+        break
+      default:
+        break
+    }
+  }
 
-export default function SymbolPaletteTabs({ categories }) {
   return (
-    <TabList aria-label="Symbol Categories" className="symbol-palette-tab-list">
-      {categories.map(category => (
-        <Tab key={category.id} className="symbol-palette-tab">
-          {category.label}
-        </Tab>
-      ))}
-    </TabList>
+    <div
+      role="tablist"
+      aria-label="Symbol Categories"
+      className="symbol-palette-tab-list"
+            tabIndex={0}
+    >
+      {categories.map((category, index) => {
+        const selected = activeCategoryId === category.id
+        return (
+          <button
+            key={category.id}
+            role="tab"
+            type="button"
+            className="symbol-palette-tab"
+            id={`symbol-palette-tab-${category.id}`}
+            aria-controls={`symbol-palette-panel-${category.id}`}
+            aria-selected={selected}
+            tabIndex={selected ? 0 : -1}
+            ref={(el) => (buttonRefs.current[index] = el)}
+            onClick={() => setActiveCategoryId(category.id)}
+            onKeyDown={(e) => handleKeyDown(e, index)}
+          >
+            {category.label}
+          </button>
+        )
+      })}
+    </div>
   )
 }
+
 SymbolPaletteTabs.propTypes = {
-  categories: PropTypes.arrayOf(
-    PropTypes.shape({
-      id: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-      label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-    })
-  ).isRequired,
+  categories: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.shape({
+    id: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+  })).isRequired,
+  activeCategoryId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+  setActiveCategoryId: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 }
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/modules/symbol-palette.scss b/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/modules/symbol-palette.scss
index 2841b374e1..41d2c7de70 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/modules/symbol-palette.scss
+++ b/services/web/frontend/stylesheets/modules/symbol-palette.scss
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
 .symbol-palette-close-button-outer {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
-  margin-right: var(--spacing-01);
+  margin-right: var(--spacing-05);
 }
 
 .symbol-palette-close-button {
diff --git a/services/web/package.json b/services/web/package.json
index 2868ff76d3..6d6f1c939f 100644
--- a/services/web/package.json
+++ b/services/web/package.json
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@
     "@pollyjs/core": "^6.0.6",
     "@pollyjs/persister-fs": "^6.0.6",
     "@prettier/plugin-pug": "^3.4.0",
-    "@reach/tabs": "0.18.0",
     "@replit/codemirror-emacs": "overleaf/codemirror-emacs#4394c03858f27053f8768258e9493866e06e938e",
     "@replit/codemirror-indentation-markers": "overleaf/codemirror-indentation-markers#371ce3b56f453a392eb0d3b85ab019c185c68e1f",
     "@replit/codemirror-vim": "overleaf/codemirror-vim#1bef138382d948018f3f9b8a4d7a70ab61774e4b",