diff --git a/sc/qa/unit/data/xlsx/tdf122945_TabColorProtectedSheet.xlsx b/sc/qa/unit/data/xlsx/tdf122945_TabColorProtectedSheet.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..09558ae59710
Binary files /dev/null and b/sc/qa/unit/data/xlsx/tdf122945_TabColorProtectedSheet.xlsx differ
diff --git a/sc/qa/unit/subsequent_filters_test2.cxx b/sc/qa/unit/subsequent_filters_test2.cxx
index bfee79ae8332..139708add9ef 100644
--- a/sc/qa/unit/subsequent_filters_test2.cxx
+++ b/sc/qa/unit/subsequent_filters_test2.cxx
@@ -1814,6 +1814,32 @@ CPPUNIT_TEST_FIXTURE(ScFiltersTest2, testTdf66377)
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(Color(COL_TRANSPARENT), rColor);*/
 }
 
+CPPUNIT_TEST_FIXTURE(ScFiltersTest2, testTdf122945TabColorProtectedSheet)
+{
+    createScDoc("xlsx/tdf122945_TabColorProtectedSheet.xlsx");
+
+    ScDocument* pDoc = getScDoc();
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(pDoc->IsTabProtected(0));
+
+    // Without the fix in place, this test would have failed with
+    // - Expected: rgba[ff0000ff] (RED)
+    // - Actual  : rgba[ffffff00] (COL_AUTO)
+    // i.e. the sheet protection prevented the import of the tab color
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(Color(0xFF0000), pDoc->GetTabBgColor(0));
+
+    saveAndReload(TestFilter::XLSX);
+
+    // check that the tab color was exported correctly
+    xmlDocUniquePtr pSheet = parseExport(u"xl/worksheets/sheet1.xml"_ustr);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(pSheet);
+    assertXPath(pSheet, "/x:worksheet/x:sheetPr/x:tabColor", "rgb", u"FFFF0000");
+
+    // check that sheet protection and tab color are still present after save and reload
+    pDoc = getScDoc();
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(pDoc->IsTabProtected(0));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(Color(0xFF0000), pDoc->GetTabBgColor(0));
+}
+
 CPPUNIT_PLUGIN_IMPLEMENT();
 
 /* vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab: */
diff --git a/sc/source/filter/oox/worksheetsettings.cxx b/sc/source/filter/oox/worksheetsettings.cxx
index ab079b2bface..d23c81f19ca3 100644
--- a/sc/source/filter/oox/worksheetsettings.cxx
+++ b/sc/source/filter/oox/worksheetsettings.cxx
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ void WorksheetSettings::finalizeImport()
     if( !maSheetSettings.maTabColor.isAuto() )
     {
         ::Color nColor = maSheetSettings.maTabColor.getColor( getBaseFilter().getGraphicHelper() );
-        xSheet->setPropertyValue( u"TabColor"_ustr, Any(nColor) );
+        // tdf#122945 - set the color directly to avoid sheet protection preventing the import
+        getScDocument().SetTabBgColor(getSheetIndex(), nColor);
     }
 
     // Summary data below or above the contents