diff --git a/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/palette.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/palette.spec.ts
index c4ed6574..98a6b7f9 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/palette.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/palette.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
+import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
+
 import type { BadgeVariant } from '@/components/ui/badge';
 
 import { badgeVariants } from '@/components/ui/badge';
 import { buttonVariants } from '@/components/ui/button';
+import { routes } from '@/lib/routes';
 
 import { expect, test } from '../../fixtures/test.ts';
 import { ROUTE_MANIFEST } from '../../routes.ts';
@@ -36,12 +39,32 @@ const SANCTIONED = new Set(
 const PALETTE_UTILITY =
     /^(?:[a-z-]+:)*(?:bg|text|border|ring|from|via|to|fill|stroke|shadow|outline|decoration|divide|accent|caret|placeholder)-(?:\[[^\]]*\]|(?:slate|gray|zinc|neutral|stone|red|orange|amber|yellow|lime|green|emerald|teal|cyan|sky|blue|indigo|violet|purple|fuchsia|pink|rose)-\d{2,3}(?:\/\d{1,3})?)$/;
 
-/** Off-palette colours already on the page, by route. Exact strings: they waive one node, not a rule. */
+/**
+ * Off-palette colours already on the page, keyed by scan surface. A route's default view is keyed by
+ * its path; a tab panel by `${path} [${tab}]`. Exact strings: they waive one node, not a rule.
+ */
 const ACCEPTED: Record<string, string[]> = {
     // file-manager.tsx expand-all control; changing it moves pixels, so it goes with the design pass.
+    // Same control renders in the flow Files tab, so it is waived there under the same rationale.
     '/resources': ['button: hover:text-blue-400'],
+    [`${routes.flow('5')} [Files]`]: ['button: hover:text-blue-400'],
 };
 
+const scanOffenders = (page: Page) =>
+    page.evaluate(
+        ({ pattern, sanctioned }) => {
+            const palette = new RegExp(pattern);
+            const allowed = new Set(sanctioned);
+
+            return [...document.querySelectorAll('[data-slot="badge"],[data-slot="button"]')].flatMap((element) =>
+                [...element.classList]
+                    .filter((token) => palette.test(token) && !allowed.has(token))
+                    .map((token) => `${element.getAttribute('data-slot')}: ${token}`),
+            );
+        },
+        { pattern: PALETTE_UTILITY.source, sanctioned: [...SANCTIONED] },
+    );
+
 test.describe('palette compliance', { tag: '@cross' }, () => {
     for (const entry of ROUTE_MANIFEST) {
         test.describe(entry.path, () => {
@@ -51,25 +74,27 @@ test.describe('palette compliance', { tag: '@cross' }, () => {
                 await page.goto(entry.path);
                 await expect(entry.ready(page)).toBeVisible();
 
-                const offenders = await page.evaluate(
-                    ({ pattern, sanctioned }) => {
-                        const palette = new RegExp(pattern);
-                        const allowed = new Set(sanctioned);
+                const offenders = await scanOffenders(page);
 
-                        return [...document.querySelectorAll('[data-slot="badge"],[data-slot="button"]')].flatMap(
-                            (element) =>
-                                [...element.classList]
-                                    .filter((token) => palette.test(token) && !allowed.has(token))
-                                    .map((token) => `${element.getAttribute('data-slot')}: ${token}`),
-                        );
-                    },
-                    { pattern: PALETTE_UTILITY.source, sanctioned: [...SANCTIONED] },
+                expect([...new Set(offenders)], `off-palette colours on ${entry.path}`).toEqual(
+                    ACCEPTED[entry.path] ?? [],
                 );
-
-                const accepted = ACCEPTED[entry.path] ?? [];
-
-                expect([...new Set(offenders)], `off-palette colours on ${entry.path}`).toEqual(accepted);
             });
+
+            // Tabs mount their panels lazily (Radix unmounts inactive ones), so the default-view scan
+            // above never sees them — sweep each panel like the a11y gate does.
+            for (const tab of entry.tabs ?? []) {
+                test(`tab "${tab}" carries no off-palette colour`, async ({ page }) => {
+                    await page.goto(entry.path);
+                    await expect(entry.ready(page)).toBeVisible();
+                    await page.getByRole('tab', { name: tab }).click();
+
+                    const offenders = await scanOffenders(page);
+                    const key = `${entry.path} [${tab}]`;
+
+                    expect([...new Set(offenders)], `off-palette colours on ${key}`).toEqual(ACCEPTED[key] ?? []);
+                });
+            }
         });
     }
 });