diff --git a/src/components/DappBrowser/BrowserTab.tsx b/src/components/DappBrowser/BrowserTab.tsx
index a374f19839e..8e1e4ad2812 100644
--- a/src/components/DappBrowser/BrowserTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/DappBrowser/BrowserTab.tsx
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ export const BrowserTab = React.memo(function BrowserTab({ tabId, tabIndex, inje
   const isActiveTab = activeTabIndex === tabIndex;
   const multipleTabsOpen = tabStates?.length > 1;
   const isOnHomepage = tabUrl === RAINBOW_HOME;
+  const isEmptyState = !multipleTabsOpen && isOnHomepage;
   const isLogoUnset = tabStates[tabIndex]?.logoUrl === undefined;
 
   const screenshotData = useSharedValue<ScreenshotType | undefined>(findTabScreenshot(tabId, tabUrl) || undefined);
@@ -624,12 +625,15 @@ export const BrowserTab = React.memo(function BrowserTab({ tabId, tabIndex, inje
       gestureX.value = xDelta;
     },
     onEnd: (e, ctx: { startX?: number }) => {
-      if (!tabViewVisible?.value) return;
-
       const xDelta = e.absoluteX - (ctx.startX || 0);
       setNativeProps(scrollViewRef, { scrollEnabled: !!tabViewVisible?.value });
 
-      if ((xDelta < -(TAB_VIEW_COLUMN_WIDTH / 2 + 20) && e.velocityX <= 0) || e.velocityX < -500) {
+      const isBeyondDismissThreshold = xDelta < -(TAB_VIEW_COLUMN_WIDTH / 2 + 20) && e.velocityX <= 0;
+      const isFastLeftwardSwipe = e.velocityX < -500;
+
+      const shouldDismiss = !!tabViewVisible?.value && !isEmptyState && (isBeyondDismissThreshold || isFastLeftwardSwipe);
+
+      if (shouldDismiss) {
         const xDestination = -Math.min(Math.max(deviceWidth * 1.25, Math.abs(e.velocityX * 0.3)), 1000);
         gestureX.value = withTiming(xDestination, TIMING_CONFIGS.tabPressConfig, () => {
           runOnJS(closeTab)(tabId);
diff --git a/src/components/DappBrowser/CloseTabButton.tsx b/src/components/DappBrowser/CloseTabButton.tsx
index a6228c91c4d..2361b6cd5a9 100644
--- a/src/components/DappBrowser/CloseTabButton.tsx
+++ b/src/components/DappBrowser/CloseTabButton.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { Box, Cover, TextIcon, useColorMode } from '@/design-system';
 import { IS_IOS } from '@/env';
 import { deviceUtils } from '@/utils';
 import { AnimatedBlurView } from '@/__swaps__/screens/Swap/components/AnimatedBlurView';
-import { useBrowserContext } from './BrowserContext';
+import { RAINBOW_HOME, useBrowserContext } from './BrowserContext';
 import { TAB_VIEW_COLUMN_WIDTH } from './Dimensions';
 import { TIMING_CONFIGS } from '../animations/animationConfigs';
 
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ export const CloseTabButton = ({ onPress, tabIndex }: { onPress: () => void; tab
   const { animatedActiveTabIndex, tabStates, tabViewProgress, tabViewVisible } = useBrowserContext();
   const { isDarkMode } = useColorMode();
 
-  const multipleTabsOpen = React.useMemo(() => tabStates.length > 1, [tabStates.length]);
+  const multipleTabsOpen = tabStates.length > 1;
+  const tabUrl = tabStates[tabIndex]?.url;
+  const isOnHomepage = tabUrl === RAINBOW_HOME;
+  const isEmptyState = !multipleTabsOpen && isOnHomepage;
   const buttonSize = multipleTabsOpen ? SCALE_ADJUSTED_X_BUTTON_SIZE : SCALE_ADJUSTED_X_BUTTON_SIZE_SINGLE_TAB;
   const buttonPadding = multipleTabsOpen ? SCALE_ADJUSTED_X_BUTTON_PADDING : SCALE_ADJUSTED_X_BUTTON_PADDING_SINGLE_TAB;
 
@@ -40,13 +43,13 @@ export const CloseTabButton = ({ onPress, tabIndex }: { onPress: () => void; tab
     // entered. This is mainly to avoid showing the close button in the
     // active tab until the tab view animation is near complete.
     const interpolatedOpacity = interpolate(progress, [0, 80, 100], [isActiveTab ? 0 : 1, isActiveTab ? 0 : 1, 1]);
-    const opacity = tabViewVisible?.value || !isActiveTab ? interpolatedOpacity : withTiming(0, TIMING_CONFIGS.fastFadeConfig);
-
+    const opacity =
+      !isEmptyState && (tabViewVisible?.value || !isActiveTab) ? interpolatedOpacity : withTiming(0, TIMING_CONFIGS.fastFadeConfig);
     return { opacity };
   });
 
   const pointerEventsStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
-    const pointerEvents = tabViewVisible?.value ? 'auto' : 'none';
+    const pointerEvents = tabViewVisible?.value && !isEmptyState ? 'auto' : 'none';
     return { pointerEvents };
   });