remember which bootstrap tab was active while navigating. This is a very cheap cookie trick and it requires jquery-cookie.

bootstrap_tabs.js

// behavior for tabs
// FIXME can create unexpected behavior with multiple tabs on one page, also with multiple browser tabs/windows
$(document).on('click', '[data-toggle="tab"], [data-toggle="pill"]', function(event) {
    var hash = $.prop(this, "hash");
    $.cookie('active-tab', hash, { path: '/' });
});
$(window).on('popstate hashchange ready load', function() {
    var cookieTab = $.cookie('active-tab');
    var tab = cookieTab || null;

    if (tab !== null) {
        $('a[href="' + tab + '"]').tab('show');
    }
});

// if any tab has an errornous form type display it
$(window).on('ready load', function() {
    var $tabs = $('.tab-content');
    $tabs.on('invalid.tabs', '.tab-pane[id]', function () {
        $('a[href="#' + this.id + '"]').tab('show');
    });
    // trigger invalid on the first error
    $tabs.find('.has-error:first').trigger('invalid.tabs');
});