diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/HtmlNavbarItem.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/HtmlNavbarItem.tsx
index d1b47036c908..58dfd36d8e59 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/HtmlNavbarItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/HtmlNavbarItem.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ export default function HtmlNavbarItem({
   mobile = false,
   isDropdownItem = false,
 }: Props): ReactNode {
-  const Comp = isDropdownItem ? 'li' : 'div';
+  const Comp = mobile || isDropdownItem ? 'li' : 'div';
+
   return (
     <Comp
       className={clsx(
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/__tests__/HtmlNavbarItem.test.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/__tests__/HtmlNavbarItem.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..878d9cee0851
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/NavbarItem/__tests__/HtmlNavbarItem.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import {describe, expect, it} from 'vitest';
+import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react';
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest';
+
+import HtmlNavbarItem from '../HtmlNavbarItem';
+
+describe('HtmlNavbarItem', () => {
+  it('renders a mobile HTML navbar item as a list item', () => {
+    const {container} = render(
+      <HtmlNavbarItem mobile value="<a href='/docs'>Docs</a>" />,
+    );
+
+    expect(container.firstElementChild?.tagName).toBe('LI');
+    expect(screen.getByRole('link', {name: 'Docs'})).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('renders a regular desktop HTML navbar item as a div', () => {
+    const {container} = render(
+      <HtmlNavbarItem value="<a href='/docs'>Docs</a>" />,
+    );
+
+    expect(container.firstElementChild?.tagName).toBe('DIV');
+  });
+
+  it('renders a dropdown HTML navbar item as a list item', () => {
+    const {container} = render(
+      <HtmlNavbarItem isDropdownItem value="<a href='/docs'>Docs</a>" />,
+    );
+
+    expect(container.firstElementChild?.tagName).toBe('LI');
+  });
+});