diff --git a/lisp/tab-bar.el b/lisp/tab-bar.el
index eb4cec48619..cabad9d7d5e 100644
--- a/lisp/tab-bar.el
+++ b/lisp/tab-bar.el
@@ -936,7 +936,10 @@ tab-bar-format-align-right
          (hpos (progn
                  (add-face-text-property 0 (length rest) 'tab-bar t rest)
                  (string-pixel-width rest)))
-         (str (propertize " " 'display `(space :align-to (- right (,hpos))))))
+         (str (propertize " " 'display
+                          (if window-system
+                              `(space :align-to (- right (,hpos)))
+                            `(space :align-to (,(- (frame-inner-width) hpos)))))))
     `((align-right menu-item ,str ignore))))
 
 (defun tab-bar-format-global ()