diff --git a/docs/admin/engines/settings.rst b/docs/admin/engines/settings.rst
index cf561a5ab..2d8288ddd 100644
--- a/docs/admin/engines/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/admin/engines/settings.rst
@@ -228,16 +228,16 @@ Categories not listed here can still be searched with the :ref:`search-syntax`.
 .. code-block:: yaml
 
   categories_as_tabs:
-    - general
-    - images
-    - videos
-    - news
-    - map
-    - music
-    - it
-    - science
-    - files
-    - social media
+    general:
+    images:
+    videos:
+    news:
+    map:
+    music:
+    it:
+    science:
+    files:
+    social media:
 
 .. _settings engine:
 
diff --git a/searx/preferences.py b/searx/preferences.py
index 918a7a300..b550e1ebd 100644
--- a/searx/preferences.py
+++ b/searx/preferences.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class EnginesSetting(SwitchableSetting):
         transformed_choices = []
         for engine_name, engine in self.choices.items():  # pylint: disable=no-member,access-member-before-definition
             for category in engine.categories:
-                if not category in settings['categories_as_tabs'] + [OTHER_CATEGORY]:
+                if not category in list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys()) + [OTHER_CATEGORY]:
                     continue
                 transformed_choice = {}
                 transformed_choice['default_on'] = not engine.disabled
diff --git a/searx/settings.yml b/searx/settings.yml
index ee39b7b29..0aa7b99b0 100644
--- a/searx/settings.yml
+++ b/searx/settings.yml
@@ -228,16 +228,16 @@ checker:
           - has_infobox
 
 categories_as_tabs:
-  - general
-  - images
-  - videos
-  - news
-  - map
-  - music
-  - it
-  - science
-  - files
-  - social media
+  general:
+  images:
+  videos:
+  news:
+  map:
+  music:
+  it:
+  science:
+  files:
+  social media:
 
 engines:
   - name: apk mirror
diff --git a/searx/settings_defaults.py b/searx/settings_defaults.py
index d8e3ec693..c1154f7ff 100644
--- a/searx/settings_defaults.py
+++ b/searx/settings_defaults.py
@@ -20,18 +20,18 @@ OUTPUT_FORMATS = ['html', 'csv', 'json', 'rss']
 LANGUAGE_CODES = ['all'] + list(l[0] for l in languages)
 OSCAR_STYLE = ('logicodev', 'logicodev-dark', 'pointhi')
 SIMPLE_STYLE = ('auto', 'light', 'dark')
-CATEGORIES_AS_TABS = [
-    'general',
-    'images',
-    'videos',
-    'news',
-    'map',
-    'music',
-    'it',
-    'science',
-    'files',
-    'social media',
-]
+CATEGORIES_AS_TABS = {
+    'general': {},
+    'images': {},
+    'videos': {},
+    'news': {},
+    'map': {},
+    'music': {},
+    'it': {},
+    'science': {},
+    'files': {},
+    'social media': {},
+}
 STR_TO_BOOL = {
     '0': False,
     'false': False,
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ SCHEMA = {
     'checker': {
         'off_when_debug': SettingsValue(bool, True),
     },
-    'categories_as_tabs': SettingsValue(list, CATEGORIES_AS_TABS),
+    'categories_as_tabs': SettingsValue(dict, CATEGORIES_AS_TABS),
     'engines': SettingsValue(list, []),
     'doi_resolvers': {},
 }
diff --git a/searx/webapp.py b/searx/webapp.py
index b40aa912e..f2957a944 100755
--- a/searx/webapp.py
+++ b/searx/webapp.py
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ def render(template_name, override_theme=None, **kwargs):
     kwargs['query_in_title'] = request.preferences.get_value('query_in_title')
     kwargs['safesearch'] = str(request.preferences.get_value('safesearch'))
     kwargs['theme'] = get_current_theme_name(override=override_theme)
-    kwargs['categories_as_tabs'] = settings['categories_as_tabs']
+    kwargs['categories_as_tabs'] = list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys())
     kwargs['categories'] = _get_enable_categories(categories.keys())
     kwargs['OTHER_CATEGORY'] = OTHER_CATEGORY
 
diff --git a/searx/webutils.py b/searx/webutils.py
index 4c3073aac..0c0854dfc 100644
--- a/searx/webutils.py
+++ b/searx/webutils.py
@@ -146,7 +146,9 @@ def group_engines_in_tab(engines: Iterable[Engine]) -> List[Tuple[str, Iterable[
     """Groups an Iterable of engines by their first non tab category"""
 
     def get_group(eng):
-        non_tab_categories = [c for c in eng.categories if c not in settings['categories_as_tabs'] + [OTHER_CATEGORY]]
+        non_tab_categories = [
+            c for c in eng.categories if c not in list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys()) + [OTHER_CATEGORY]
+        ]
         return non_tab_categories[0] if len(non_tab_categories) > 0 else DEFAULT_GROUP_NAME
 
     groups = itertools.groupby(sorted(engines, key=get_group), get_group)
diff --git a/tests/robot/settings_robot.yml b/tests/robot/settings_robot.yml
index 438ccf9a0..db22cce14 100644
--- a/tests/robot/settings_robot.yml
+++ b/tests/robot/settings_robot.yml
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ outgoing:
   useragent_suffix: ""
 
 categories_as_tabs:
-  - general
-  - dummy
+  general:
+  dummy:
 
 engines:
   - name: general dummy