diff --git a/instances/templates/instances/settings_tab.html b/instances/templates/instances/settings_tab.html
index c8e3b530..18edc643 100644
--- a/instances/templates/instances/settings_tab.html
+++ b/instances/templates/instances/settings_tab.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {% load operations %}
 <div class="tab-pane mt-3" id="settings" role="tabpanel">
     <!-- Nav tabs -->
-    <ul class="nav nav-tabs" role="tablist" aria-label="Instance settings">
+    <ul class="nav nav-tabs vm-settings-tabs" role="tablist" aria-label="Instance settings">
         {% if instance.guest_agent_ready %}
             <li class="nav-item" role="presentation">
                 <button class="px-1 nav-link" data-bs-toggle="tab" id="osinfo-tab" data-bs-target="#osinfo" type="button" role="tab" aria-controls="osinfo" aria-selected="false" onclick="get_osinfo();">
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
         {% endif %}
         {% if request.user.is_superuser %}
             <li class="nav-item" role="presentation">
-                <button class="px-1 nav-link" data-bs-toggle="tab" data-bs-target="#users" type="button" role="tab" aria-controls="users" aria-selected="false">
+                <button class="nav-link" data-bs-toggle="tab" data-bs-target="#users" type="button" role="tab" aria-controls="users" aria-selected="false">
                     {% trans "Users" %}
                 </button>
             </li>
diff --git a/static/css/webvirtcloud.css b/static/css/webvirtcloud.css
index cb45b7b8..b48c2502 100644
--- a/static/css/webvirtcloud.css
+++ b/static/css/webvirtcloud.css
@@ -102,3 +102,14 @@ th[aria-sort="ascending"]:not([data-sort-method="none"])::after {
 .host-nav .breadcrumb-item + .breadcrumb-item::before {
     padding-right: var(--bs-breadcrumb-item-padding-x);
 }
+
+/* a VM's settings tabs (instances/settings_tab.html) on one line in every
+   theme: the themes' tab font sizes and spacing differ by up to a tab */
+.vm-settings-tabs {
+    font-size: .875rem;
+}
+
+.vm-settings-tabs .nav-link {
+    padding-left: .75rem;
+    padding-right: .75rem;
+}