diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation-link.tsx b/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation-link.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b325e8b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation-link.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"use client";
+
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import Link from "next/link";
+import { usePathname } from "next/navigation";
+
+import { NavLink } from "@homarr/ui";
+
+export const CommonNavLink = (props: ClientNavigationLink) =>
+  "href" in props ? (
+    <NavLinkHref {...props} />
+  ) : (
+    <NavLinkWithItems {...props} />
+  );
+
+const NavLinkHref = (props: NavigationLinkHref) => {
+  const pathname = usePathname();
+  return props.external ? (
+    <NavLink
+      component="a"
+      label={props.label}
+      leftSection={props.icon}
+      href={props.href}
+      style={{
+        borderRadius: 5,
+      }}
+      target="_blank"
+    />
+  ) : (
+    <NavLink
+      component={Link}
+      label={props.label}
+      leftSection={props.icon}
+      href={props.href}
+      active={pathname === props.href}
+      style={{
+        borderRadius: 5,
+      }}
+    />
+  );
+};
+
+const NavLinkWithItems = (props: NavigationLinkWithItems) => (
+  <NavLink
+    style={{
+      borderRadius: 5,
+    }}
+    label={props.label}
+    leftSection={props.icon}
+  >
+    {props.items.map((item) => (
+      <NavLinkHref key={item.label} {...item} />
+    ))}
+  </NavLink>
+);
+
+interface CommonNavigationLinkProps {
+  label: string;
+  icon: ReactNode;
+}
+
+interface NavigationLinkHref extends CommonNavigationLinkProps {
+  href: string;
+  external?: boolean;
+}
+interface NavigationLinkWithItems extends CommonNavigationLinkProps {
+  items: NavigationLinkHref[];
+}
+
+export type ClientNavigationLink = NavigationLinkHref | NavigationLinkWithItems;
diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation.tsx b/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation.tsx
index 95dcc5ebe..e33830837 100644
--- a/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation.tsx
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/components/layout/navigation.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
-import Link from "next/link";
-
-import {
-  AppShellNavbar,
-  AppShellSection,
-  NavLink,
-  ScrollArea,
-} from "@homarr/ui";
 import type { TablerIconsProps } from "@homarr/ui";
+import { AppShellNavbar, AppShellSection, ScrollArea } from "@homarr/ui";
+
+import type { ClientNavigationLink } from "./navigation-link";
+import { CommonNavLink } from "./navigation-link";
 
 interface MainNavigationProps {
   headerSection?: JSX.Element;
@@ -28,51 +24,31 @@ export const MainNavigation = ({
         mb={footerSection ? "md" : undefined}
         component={ScrollArea}
       >
-        {links.map((link) => (
-          <CommonNavLink key={link.label} {...link} />
-        ))}
+        {links.map((link, index) => {
+          const { icon: TablerIcon, ...props } = link;
+          const Icon = <TablerIcon size={20} stroke={1.5} />;
+          let clientLink: ClientNavigationLink;
+          if ("items" in props) {
+            clientLink = {
+              ...props,
+              items: props.items.map((item) => {
+                return {
+                  ...item,
+                  icon: <item.icon size={20} stroke={1.5} />,
+                };
+              }),
+            } as ClientNavigationLink;
+          } else {
+            clientLink = props as ClientNavigationLink;
+          }
+          return <CommonNavLink key={index} {...clientLink} icon={Icon} />;
+        })}
       </AppShellSection>
       {footerSection && <AppShellSection>{footerSection}</AppShellSection>}
     </AppShellNavbar>
   );
 };
 
-const CommonNavLink = (props: NavigationLink) =>
-  "href" in props ? (
-    <NavLinkHref {...props} />
-  ) : (
-    <NavLinkWithItems {...props} />
-  );
-
-const NavLinkHref = (props: NavigationLinkHref) =>
-  props.external ? (
-    <NavLink
-      component="a"
-      label={props.label}
-      leftSection={<props.icon size={20} stroke={1.5} />}
-      href={props.href}
-      target="_blank"
-    />
-  ) : (
-    <NavLink
-      component={Link}
-      label={props.label}
-      leftSection={<props.icon size={20} stroke={1.5} />}
-      href={props.href}
-    />
-  );
-
-const NavLinkWithItems = (props: NavigationLinkWithItems) => (
-  <NavLink
-    label={props.label}
-    leftSection={<props.icon size={20} stroke={1.5} />}
-  >
-    {props.items.map((item) => (
-      <NavLinkHref key={item.label} {...item} />
-    ))}
-  </NavLink>
-);
-
 interface CommonNavigationLinkProps {
   label: string;
   icon: (props: TablerIconsProps) => JSX.Element;
@@ -85,4 +61,5 @@ interface NavigationLinkHref extends CommonNavigationLinkProps {
 interface NavigationLinkWithItems extends CommonNavigationLinkProps {
   items: NavigationLinkHref[];
 }
+
 export type NavigationLink = NavigationLinkHref | NavigationLinkWithItems;