diff --git a/src/SharpIDE.Godot/Features/CodeEditor/CodeEditorPanel.cs b/src/SharpIDE.Godot/Features/CodeEditor/CodeEditorPanel.cs
index ab345c6..7591e24 100644
--- a/src/SharpIDE.Godot/Features/CodeEditor/CodeEditorPanel.cs
+++ b/src/SharpIDE.Godot/Features/CodeEditor/CodeEditorPanel.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public partial class CodeEditorPanel : MarginContainer
     public override void _Ready()
     {
         _tabContainer = GetNode<TabContainer>("TabContainer");
-        _tabContainer.RemoveChild(_tabContainer.GetChild(0)); // Remove the default tab
+        _tabContainer.RemoveChildAndQueueFree(_tabContainer.GetChild(0)); // Remove the default tab
         _tabContainer.TabClicked += OnTabClicked;
         var tabBar = _tabContainer.GetTabBar();
         tabBar.TabCloseDisplayPolicy = TabBar.CloseButtonDisplayPolicy.ShowAlways;
diff --git a/src/SharpIDE.Godot/NodeExtensions.cs b/src/SharpIDE.Godot/NodeExtensions.cs
index 2bf96d7..59df6f1 100644
--- a/src/SharpIDE.Godot/NodeExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/SharpIDE.Godot/NodeExtensions.cs
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ public static class NodeExtensions
                 child.QueueFree();
             }
         }
+        public void RemoveChildAndQueueFree(Node child)
+        {
+            node.RemoveChild(child);
+            child.QueueFree();
+        }
         public Task<T> InvokeAsync<T>(Func<T> workItem)
         {
             var taskCompletionSource = new TaskCompletionSource<T>(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);