How do I prevent Safari from switching to GMail automatically?

Hi all,

When I load Safari, I typically do one of two things:

1. Open a new tab to run a search while previously opened GMail loads.

2. Open GMail, then quickly open another tab to visit a site.

In short, I like to let GMail load while I perform an immediate task that prompted me to open the browser in the first place. This has never been a problem until the past few weeks, when I began seeing my tabs automatically switched back to GMail. This typically happens when GMail reaches a point in the loading process (about 30% in) and speeds up quickly.

I'm not sure if this is prompted by GMail or Safari, but I thought someone here might know what to do. Again, this only happens when GMail is logging in. It's new behavior to me: I'd never experienced it before the past month, and my browsing routine is the same.

Thoughts on how I might fix this? I'd appreciate it.

John