diff --git a/ReferenceTests/src/tests/figures_and_makielayout.jl b/ReferenceTests/src/tests/figures_and_makielayout.jl
index 3193f51829b..98728d18ecb 100644
--- a/ReferenceTests/src/tests/figures_and_makielayout.jl
+++ b/ReferenceTests/src/tests/figures_and_makielayout.jl
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ end
         rticklabelstrokewidth = 1, rticklabelstrokecolor = :white,
         thetaticklabelsize = 18, thetaticklabelcolor = :blue,
         thetaticklabelstrokewidth = 1, thetaticklabelstrokecolor = :white,
+        thetaticks = ([0, π/2, π, 3π/2], ["A", "B", "C", rich("D", color = :orange)]), # https://github.com/MakieOrg/Makie.jl/issues/3583
     )
     f
 end
diff --git a/src/makielayout/blocks/polaraxis.jl b/src/makielayout/blocks/polaraxis.jl
index 40dbcb9db5f..34eed35ab2d 100644
--- a/src/makielayout/blocks/polaraxis.jl
+++ b/src/makielayout/blocks/polaraxis.jl
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ function draw_axis!(po::PolarAxis)
     end
 
 
-    thetatick_pos_lbl = Observable{Vector{<:Tuple{AbstractString, Point2f}}}()
+    thetatick_pos_lbl = Observable{Vector{<:Tuple{Any, Point2f}}}()
     thetatick_align = Observable(Point2f[])
     thetatick_offset = Observable(Point2f[])
     thetagridpoints = Observable{Vector{Point2f}}()