diff --git a/.claude/skills/ui-architect/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/ui-architect/SKILL.md
index 4e4fa91448..2a6ed00a85 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/ui-architect/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/ui-architect/SKILL.md
@@ -1,64 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: ui-architect
-description: >-
-  Authoring guardrails for building ANY new frontend UI in the OpenObserve web
-  app (web/) — new views, pages, panels, dialogs, feature components, or edits
-  to existing ones. Enforce seven house rules the moment you write Vue/template
-  markup: (1) use OPageHeader for every page/module header, (2) build UI from
-  O2 library components in web/src/lib — never bare HTML controls when an O2
-  equivalent exists, (3) NEVER write px — always rem, including inside Tailwind class
-  arbitrary values ([320px] is banned; 1rem = 16px, so px/16 = rem and px/4 = the
-  Tailwind step). px is allowed ONLY where it is the genuinely correct unit —
-  hairlines, shadow/ring widths, query conditions, IntersectionObserver rootMargin,
-  zero inside calc()/clamp(), user-facing copy, canvas/email consumers — and there it
-  MUST carry an eslint-disable-next-line local/no-hardcoded-px with a `-- <reason>` at
-  the site, never a side-file exemption (in a <style> block the directive goes inside
-  the block as a CSS comment). The local/no-hardcoded-px rule runs in CI, so an
-  unannotated px fails the build and cannot reach main;
-  and corner radius uses only the two-tier scale rounded-default
-  (4px controls) / rounded-surface (12px surfaces) / rounded-full — never
-  rounded-[..] or the retired rounded-sm/md/lg/xl, (4) no scoped-CSS blocks and no
-  inline style="", (5) never hardcode colors/sizes and never reach a token by raw
-  var() in a component — use the modern registered --color-* design tokens through
-  their utility class (bg-x/text-x), register a new --color-* token if one is
-  missing; the legacy --o2-* token vocabulary is BANNED (never write var(--o2-*),
-  never define one, never add a .body--dark block — migrate any --o2-* you touch to
-  its --color-* equivalent); all of this is CI-enforced and fails the build,
-  (6) no hardcoded user-facing text — every label, title, placeholder, and
-  message comes from i18n (useI18nTyped t(), never useI18n from vue-i18n, which
-  is banned) with keys added to web/src/locales/languages/en-US.json; text-carrying
-  props/fields are typed I18nText and i18n keys stored as data are typed I18nKey,
-  and the ONLY opt-out for a genuinely non-translatable string is raw() — never an
-  eslint-disable, (7) every page is responsive — phones and tablets adapt through
-  max-md:/max-lg: variants and useBreakpoint() while the laptop (≥lg) view stays
-  identical; headers, toolbars and stat strips keep one row, filter toggles collapse
-  to dropdowns (mobile-dropdown), secondary header actions go to #actions-overflow,
-  side panels become drawers that open from their own row, row actions fold into a
-  kebab, and popups fit the viewport. It also settles the recurring
-  structural decisions: use OTable for any tabular data, cut text with
-  OTruncatedText (full text on hover only when cut; never for secrets or text
-  shown in full elsewhere; no title/OTooltip that repeats visible text), follow the
-  TanStack Query layering for server data (a declared queryOptions() per read
-  on its module's staleTime tier, mutationOptions() writes that invalidate,
-  refresh buttons that force every read on the view, no Vuex copies), choose the
-  right form container (ConfirmDialog vs ODialog vs ODrawer vs a full in-page
-  view) by the weight of the interaction, and build every validated form with
-  OForm + a colocated Zod schema (single-source-of-truth name-bound fields, no
-  v-model/ref mirrors, automatic submit/loading, correct field-array keys).
-  Trigger this whenever the user asks to create, add, build, scaffold, lay out,
-  validate, or restyle any screen, component, header, table, list, dialog,
-  drawer, form, field, or panel in the web frontend, asks to make any of them
-  work on mobile / phone / tablet / small screens (responsive), or asks where a
-  form/table/fetch should live, how to cache or refresh server data, how to validate a form, how to add a keyboard
-  shortcut, how to build a new reusable/common O2 component when nothing existing
-  fits (create one in web/src/lib instead of assembling divs and classes),
-  whether something belongs in a dialog or a drawer, or where a new page should be
-  listed in navigation — the left-rail menu, a Settings/IAM sub-menu, or a
-  hover-flyout — how to register its route, and how to gate it for cloud /
-  enterprise / RBAC — even if they don't mention
-  these rules by name. If you are
-  about to type <template>, a page title, a hex color, a px value, or
-  <style scoped>, this skill applies.
+description: ALWAYS use this skill for ANY change to the OpenObserve web UI (web/) — even a single-line UI modification.
 ---
 
 # UI Architect — Frontend UI Guardrails (OpenObserve `web/`)
diff --git a/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.spec.ts b/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.spec.ts
index f407ed3e97..0986f6c175 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.spec.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.spec.ts
@@ -527,9 +527,8 @@ describe("RenderDashboardCharts", () => {
       expect(wrapper.exists()).toBe(true);
     });
 
-    // Variables scope the ACTIVE tab, so rendering them above the strip made them
-    // read as page chrome and moved the tab bar whenever their height changed.
-    it("renders the global variables strip BELOW the tab list, not above it", () => {
+    // Global variables apply dashboard-wide, so the strip sits above the tab bar.
+    it("renders the global variables strip ABOVE the tab list, not below it", () => {
       wrapper = createWrapper({
         showTabs: true,
         dashboardData: {
@@ -547,7 +546,7 @@ describe("RenderDashboardCharts", () => {
 
       expect(tabsAt).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
       expect(varsAt).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
-      expect(tabsAt).toBeLessThan(varsAt);
+      expect(varsAt).toBeLessThan(tabsAt);
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.vue b/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.vue
index 030cc0a114..746294ed52 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.vue
+++ b/web/src/views/Dashboards/RenderDashboardCharts.vue
@@ -33,16 +33,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
       >
       </span>
 
-      <!-- Tab List -->
-      <TabList
-        v-if="showTabs && selectedTabId !== null"
-        class="mt-2"
-        :dashboardData="dashboardData"
-        :viewOnly="viewOnly"
-        @refresh="refreshDashboard"
-      />
-
-      <!-- Below the tabs: these scope the ACTIVE tab, and above them the strip both read as page chrome and shifted the tab bar as its height changed per tab. -->
+      <!-- Global variables sit above the tab bar: they apply dashboard-wide, not to the active tab. -->
       <VariablesValueSelector
         v-if="globalVariables.length > 0 || dashboardData?.variables?.showDynamicFilters"
         :scope="'global'"
@@ -55,6 +46,15 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
         data-test="global-variables-selector"
       />
 
+      <!-- Tab List -->
+      <TabList
+        v-if="showTabs && selectedTabId !== null"
+        class="mt-2"
+        :dashboardData="dashboardData"
+        :viewOnly="viewOnly"
+        @refresh="refreshDashboard"
+      />
+
       <!-- Tab-scoped Variables (for active tab, if using manager) -->
       <VariablesValueSelector
         v-if="variablesManager && currentTabVariables.length > 0 && selectedTabId"
diff --git a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.spec.ts b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.spec.ts
index ff701d0b1d..48542353ad 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.spec.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.spec.ts
@@ -1549,6 +1549,11 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
       (variables[0] as any).options = [{ label: "common-dev", value: "common-dev" }];
       (variables[0] as any).value = ["common-dev"];
       (variables[1] as any).value = ["argocd"];
+      // Tab-scoped, as buildVariable emits them.
+      for (const variable of variables as any[]) {
+        variable.scope = "tabs";
+        variable.tabs = ["workloads"];
+      }
       // The REAL chain edge buildVariable emits — the graph is built from this
       // `$cluster` reference, so a fixture without it resets no children.
       (variables[1] as any).query_data = {
@@ -1570,13 +1575,16 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
         .vm.$emit("variablesManagerReady", manager);
       await flushPromises();
 
-      manager.updateVariableValue("cluster", "global", undefined, undefined, []);
+      manager.updateVariableValue("cluster", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, []);
       manager.commitAll();
       await flushPromises();
 
-      expect(router.currentRoute.value.query["var-cluster"]).toBeUndefined();
+      const query = router.currentRoute.value.query;
+      expect(query["var-cluster"]).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(query["var-cluster.t.workloads"]).toBeUndefined();
       // The chain: a namespace picked under the cleared cluster must not keep filtering.
-      expect(router.currentRoute.value.query["var-namespace"]).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(query["var-namespace"]).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(query["var-namespace.t.workloads"]).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
     it("finding 23b: an omitted cluster picker with ONE resolvable value renders the name as static text", async () => {
@@ -1741,7 +1749,8 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
             label: "K8s Namespace",
             type: "query_values",
             multiSelect: true,
-            scope: "global",
+            scope: "tabs",
+            tabs: ["workloads"],
             value: [],
             options: [
               { label: "argocd", value: "argocd" },
@@ -1800,11 +1809,11 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
         .vm.$emit("variablesManagerReady", manager);
       await flushPromises();
 
-      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "global", undefined, undefined, ["argocd"]);
+      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, ["argocd"]);
       await flushPromises();
       const afterFirst = committedValue(manager, "namespace");
 
-      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "global", undefined, undefined, ["argocd"]);
+      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, ["argocd"]);
       await flushPromises();
 
       expect(committedValue(manager, "namespace")).toEqual(afterFirst);
@@ -1824,11 +1833,11 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
       expect(committedValue(manager, "namespace")).toEqual([]);
 
       // Exactly what VariablesValueSelector does on a user pick.
-      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "global", undefined, undefined, ["argocd"]);
+      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, ["argocd"]);
       await flushPromises();
 
       // Live state moved...
-      expect(manager.getVariable("namespace", "global")?.value).toEqual(["argocd"]);
+      expect(manager.getVariable("namespace", "tabs", "workloads")?.value).toEqual(["argocd"]);
       // ...and the page must have pushed it through to what panels read.
       expect(committedValue(manager, "namespace")).toEqual(["argocd"]);
     });
@@ -1848,7 +1857,8 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
               label: "Cluster",
               type: "query_values",
               multiSelect: false,
-              scope: "global",
+              scope: "tabs",
+              tabs: ["workloads"],
               value: "prod-eu",
               options: [
                 { label: "prod-eu", value: "prod-eu" },
@@ -1873,7 +1883,7 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
         .vm.$emit("variablesManagerReady", manager);
       await flushPromises();
 
-      manager.updateVariableValue("cluster", "global", undefined, undefined, "prod-us");
+      manager.updateVariableValue("cluster", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, "prod-us");
       await flushPromises();
 
       const render = wrapper.findComponent({ name: "RenderDashboardCharts" });
@@ -1882,7 +1892,7 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
       await flushPromises();
 
       expect(router.currentRoute.value.query.tab).toBe(dashboardData.tabs[1].tabId);
-      expect(manager.getVariable("cluster", "global")?.value).toBe("prod-us");
+      expect(manager.getVariable("cluster", "tabs", "workloads")?.value).toBe("prod-us");
     });
 
     it("a picker change does NOT re-resolve — only the selection moved", async () => {
@@ -1900,7 +1910,7 @@ describe("CuratedPageView", () => {
       refreshSpy.mockClear();
       const identityBefore = captured.dashboardData;
 
-      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "global", undefined, undefined, ["ziox"]);
+      manager.updateVariableValue("namespace", "tabs", "workloads", undefined, ["ziox"]);
       await flushPromises();
 
       expect(refreshSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.vue b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.vue
index 93adfc6d6e..7191e29fb5 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.vue
+++ b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/CuratedPageView.vue
@@ -550,7 +550,10 @@ const onVariablesManagerReady = (manager: VariablesManager) => {
   stopCommitWatch?.();
   // Values ONLY: options and loading flags churn per fetch and would re-run panels for an untouched picker.
   stopCommitWatch = watch(
-    () => manager.variablesData.global.map((variable) => variable.value),
+    () =>
+      Object.values(manager.variablesData.tabs).flatMap((variables) =>
+        variables.map((variable) => variable.value),
+      ),
     () => {
       manager.commitAll();
       syncPickerUrl(manager);
@@ -595,12 +598,16 @@ watch(
     const manager = variablesManager.value;
     if (!manager) return;
     // loadFromUrl only APPLIES the keys it finds, so a Back that drops var-cluster would strand the drilled-in value.
-    const cluster = manager.getVariable("cluster", "global");
-    if (cluster && query["var-cluster"] === undefined) {
+    for (const [tabId, variables] of Object.entries(manager.variablesData.tabs)) {
+      const cluster = variables.find((variable) => variable.name === "cluster");
+      if (!cluster) continue;
+      if (query["var-cluster"] !== undefined || query[`var-cluster.t.${tabId}`] !== undefined) {
+        continue;
+      }
       manager.updateVariableValue(
         "cluster",
-        "global",
-        undefined,
+        "tabs",
+        tabId,
         undefined,
         cluster.multiSelect ? [] : (cluster.options?.[0]?.value ?? null),
       );
diff --git a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.spec.ts b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.spec.ts
index c4574ad39c..1baae52731 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.spec.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.spec.ts
@@ -1352,7 +1352,7 @@ describe("§5.5 buildDashboard", () => {
     expect(namespace.type).toBe("query_values");
     expect(namespace.multiSelect).toBe(true);
     expect(namespace.selectAllValueForMultiSelect).toBe("all");
-    expect(namespace.scope).toBe("global");
+    expect(namespace.scope).toBe("tabs");
     expect(namespace.query_data).toEqual(
       expect.objectContaining({
         stream_type: "metrics",
@@ -2062,6 +2062,8 @@ describe("§8.2 golden parity — hosts pack vs the frozen buildHostDashboard ou
 
       const manager = useVariablesManager(((key: string) => key) as never);
       await manager.initialize(built.variables.list, built);
+      // Tab-scoped pickers are marked pending when their tab becomes visible.
+      manager.setTabVisibility("workloads", true);
       const managed = manager.getAllVisibleVariables("workloads") as any[];
       expect(managed.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
 
@@ -2142,7 +2144,8 @@ describe("§8.2 golden parity — hosts pack vs the frozen buildHostDashboard ou
         }
         expect(ours.queryDataKeys).toEqual(theirs.queryDataKeys);
         expect(ours.type).toBe(theirs.type);
-        expect(ours.scope).toBe(theirs.scope);
+        // Tab-scoped so each picker renders below the tab bar on the sections it scopes.
+        expect(ours.scope).toBe("tabs");
         expect(ours.multiSelect).toBe(theirs.multiSelect);
         // The sentinel VALUE is a deliberate per-picker choice, not a shape contract:
         // `cluster` opts into "first" so the page opens on one cluster rather than a
@@ -2473,9 +2476,7 @@ describe("the built dashboard does not depend on the selected tab", () => {
   // and would never fetch its options at all).
   it("each built picker declares the sections that scope it", () => {
     const dashboard: any = build(resolve({}));
-    const byName = Object.fromEntries(
-      dashboard.variables.list.map((v: any) => [v.name, v.curatedTabs]),
-    );
+    const byName = Object.fromEntries(dashboard.variables.list.map((v: any) => [v.name, v.tabs]));
     // Cluster renders on ALL THREE tabs: a Workloads without it answered a
     // per-cluster question with every cluster's pods, silently.
     expect(byName.cluster).toEqual(["inventory", "health", "utilization", "nodes", "workloads"]);
@@ -2528,7 +2529,7 @@ describe("the built dashboard does not depend on the selected tab", () => {
       const expected = kubernetesPage.sections
         .filter((section) => (section.scopedBy ?? []).includes(variable.name))
         .map((section) => section.id);
-      expect(variable.curatedTabs, variable.name).toEqual(expected);
+      expect(variable.tabs, variable.name).toEqual(expected);
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.ts b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.ts
index 519bf93b44..bd088860c2 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/Infrastructure/curated/resolve.ts
@@ -1214,17 +1214,13 @@ function buildVariable(
     return resolved ? [{ name, resolved }] : [];
   });
 
-  // The sections this picker applies to, declared on the variable the way the
-  // dashboards model declares `tabs` — read as a reactive filter at render time
-  // so switching tabs never rebuilds this object. Scope stays "global": an
-  // all-sentinel variable at tab scope is skipped by setTabVisibility and would
-  // never fetch its options at all.
-  const curatedTabs = manifest.sections
+  // Tab-scoped on the sections that declare it, so the picker renders below the tab
+  // bar and each tab keeps its own selection.
+  const tabs = manifest.sections
     .filter((section) => (section.scopedBy ?? []).includes(def.name))
     .map((section) => section.id);
 
   return {
-    curatedTabs,
     curatedPickerLabel: picker.label,
     name: def.name,
     label: def.labelKey ? "" : picker.label,
@@ -1236,7 +1232,8 @@ function buildVariable(
     ...(def.multiSelect
       ? { selectAllValueForMultiSelect: def.defaultFirstValue ? "first" : "all" }
       : {}),
-    scope: "global",
+    scope: "tabs",
+    tabs,
     omitWhenValuesEmpty: def.omitWhenValuesEmpty === true,
     // Consumed by VariablesValueSelector; stored dashboards never carry them, so they stay invisible outside curated pages.
     curatedOmitWhenValuesEmpty: def.omitWhenValuesEmpty === true,