diff --git a/src/plugins/run/annotations.ts b/src/plugins/run/annotations.ts
index a103904..b4a021f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/run/annotations.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/run/annotations.ts
@@ -98,18 +98,24 @@ export const smdAnnotations: unified.Attacher = function () {
         }
       }
 
+      let root = processed;
+
       if (inTab) {
         // if we're in a tab, push this node as a child of the last tab
         const size = tabPlaceholder.children.length;
         if (tabPlaceholder.children[size - 1]) {
-          (tabPlaceholder.children[size - 1].children as MDAST.Content[]).push(processNode(node, anno));
+          root = tabPlaceholder.children[size - 1].children as MDAST.Content[];
+        } else {
+          continue;
         }
-      } else if (Object.keys(anno).length > 0 && next) {
+      }
+
+      if (Object.keys(anno).length > 0 && next) {
         // annotations apply to next node, process next node now and skip next iteration
-        processed.push(processNode(next, anno));
+        root.push(processNode(next, anno));
         entries.next();
       } else {
-        processed.push(processNode(node));
+        root.push(processNode(node));
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/reader/__tests__/fixtures/tabs-with-images.md b/src/reader/__tests__/fixtures/tabs-with-images.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f10f65c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/reader/__tests__/fixtures/tabs-with-images.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Article with tabs containing embedded annotations
+
+<!--
+type: tab
+title: My Tab
+-->
+
+The contents of tab 1.
+
+<!-- focus: center -->
+
+![https://i.imgur.com/YCb6MWI.png](https://i.imgur.com/YCb6MWI.png)
+
+<!-- type: tab-end -->
diff --git a/src/reader/__tests__/reader.spec.ts b/src/reader/__tests__/reader.spec.ts
index acf4f0a..1894e96 100644
--- a/src/reader/__tests__/reader.spec.ts
+++ b/src/reader/__tests__/reader.spec.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ import { Reader } from '../reader';
 
 const prettier = require('prettier');
 
-const prettyStringify = (input: MDAST.Root) => {
+const prettyStringify = (input: MDAST.Root, parser: 'babel' | 'html' = 'babel') => {
   const processor = unified().use([html]);
-  return prettier.format(`<>${processor.stringify(processor.runSync(input))}</>`, { parser: 'babel' });
+  const output = processor.stringify(processor.runSync(input));
+  return prettier.format(parser === 'babel' ? `<>${output}</>` : output, { parser });
 };
 
 describe('Reader', () => {
@@ -264,6 +265,27 @@ var x = true;
       `);
     });
 
+    it('should support annotations placed within tabs', () => {
+      const input = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/tabs-with-images.md'), 'utf8');
+
+      const mdastTree = mdReader.fromLang(input);
+
+      expect(prettyStringify(mdastTree, 'html')).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+"<h1 id=\\"article-with-tabs-containing-embedded-annotations\\">
+  Article with tabs containing embedded annotations
+</h1>
+<tabs
+  ><tab type=\\"tab\\" title=\\"My Tab\\"
+    ><p>The contents of tab 1.</p>
+    <img
+      src=\\"https://i.imgur.com/YCb6MWI.png\\"
+      alt=\\"https://i.imgur.com/YCb6MWI.png\\"
+      focus=\\"center\\" /></tab
+></tabs>
+"
+`);
+    });
+
     it('should support kitchen sink smd', () => {
       const input = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/smd.md'), 'utf8');