diff --git a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/media/panel.css b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/media/panel.css
index 053dd183ff..f18afd9253 100644
--- a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/media/panel.css
+++ b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/media/panel.css
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ panel {
 
 .tabbedPanel .tabList .tab {
 	cursor: pointer;
+	margin: auto;
 }
 
 .tabbedPanel .tabList .tab .tabLabel {
@@ -43,6 +44,16 @@ panel {
 	padding-bottom: 4px;
 }
 
+.tabbedPanel .tabList .tab .tabLabel.icon {
+	background-repeat: no-repeat;
+	background-position: center 10px;
+	background-size: 25px;
+	line-height: 15px;
+	padding-top: 40px;
+	display: inline-block;
+	text-transform: none;
+}
+
 .tabbedPanel .tabList .tab-header {
 	padding-left: 10px;
 	padding-right: 10px;
diff --git a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/panel.component.ts b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/panel.component.ts
index 27562588a3..21e74bf4c7 100644
--- a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/panel.component.ts
+++ b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/panel.component.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export interface IPanelOptions {
 	 */
 	showTabsWhenOne?: boolean;
 	layout?: NavigationBarLayout;
+	showIcon?: boolean;
 }
 
 export enum NavigationBarLayout {
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ export enum NavigationBarLayout {
 
 const defaultOptions: IPanelOptions = {
 	showTabsWhenOne: true,
-	layout: NavigationBarLayout.horizontal
+	layout: NavigationBarLayout.horizontal,
+	showIcon: false
 };
 
 const verticalLayout = 'vertical';
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ let idPool = 0;
 			<div *ngIf="!options.showTabsWhenOne ? _tabs.length !== 1 : true" class="composite title" #titleContainer>
 				<div class="tabList" #tabList>
 					<div *ngFor="let tab of _tabs">
-						<tab-header [tab]="tab" (onSelectTab)='selectTab($event)' (onCloseTab)='closeTab($event)'> </tab-header>
+						<tab-header [tab]="tab" [showIcon]="options.showIcon" (onSelectTab)='selectTab($event)' (onCloseTab)='closeTab($event)'> </tab-header>
 					</div>
 				</div>
 				<div class="title-actions">
diff --git a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tab.component.ts b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tab.component.ts
index 4610c9da00..e19ae4b81b 100644
--- a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tab.component.ts
+++ b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tab.component.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export class TabComponent implements OnDestroy {
 	@Input() public title: string;
 	@Input() public canClose: boolean;
 	@Input() public actions: Array<Action>;
+	@Input() public iconClass: string;
 	public _active = false;
 	@Input() public identifier: string;
 	@Input() private visibilityType: 'if' | 'visibility' = 'if';
diff --git a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tabHeader.component.ts b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tabHeader.component.ts
index cbb4442095..b8502969e9 100644
--- a/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tabHeader.component.ts
+++ b/src/sql/base/browser/ui/panel/tabHeader.component.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { CloseTabAction } from './tabActions';
 	template: `
 		<div #actionHeader class="tab-header" style="display: flex; flex: 0 0; flex-direction: row;" [class.active]="tab.active" tabindex="0" (keyup)="onKey($event)">
 			<span class="tab" (click)="selectTab(tab)">
-				<a class="tabLabel" [class.active]="tab.active">
+				<a class="tabLabel" [class.active]="tab.active" #tabLabel>
 					{{tab.title}}
 				</a>
 			</span>
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import { CloseTabAction } from './tabActions';
 })
 export class TabHeaderComponent extends Disposable implements AfterContentInit, OnDestroy {
 	@Input() public tab: TabComponent;
+	@Input() public showIcon: boolean;
 	@Output() public onSelectTab: EventEmitter<TabComponent> = new EventEmitter<TabComponent>();
 	@Output() public onCloseTab: EventEmitter<TabComponent> = new EventEmitter<TabComponent>();
 
@@ -38,18 +39,29 @@ export class TabHeaderComponent extends Disposable implements AfterContentInit,
 
 	@ViewChild('actionHeader', { read: ElementRef }) private _actionHeaderRef: ElementRef;
 	@ViewChild('actionbar', { read: ElementRef }) private _actionbarRef: ElementRef;
+	@ViewChild('tabLabel', { read: ElementRef }) private _tabLabelRef: ElementRef;
 	constructor() {
 		super();
 	}
 
 	ngAfterContentInit(): void {
-		this._actionbar = new ActionBar(this._actionbarRef.nativeElement);
-		if (this.tab.actions) {
-			this._actionbar.push(this.tab.actions, { icon: true, label: false });
+		if (this.tab.canClose || this.tab.actions) {
+			this._actionbar = new ActionBar(this._actionbarRef.nativeElement);
+			if (this.tab.actions) {
+				this._actionbar.push(this.tab.actions, { icon: true, label: false });
+			}
+			if (this.tab.canClose) {
+				let closeAction = this._register(new CloseTabAction(this.closeTab, this));
+				this._actionbar.push(closeAction, { icon: true, label: false });
+			}
 		}
-		if (this.tab.canClose) {
-			let closeAction = this._register(new CloseTabAction(this.closeTab, this));
-			this._actionbar.push(closeAction, { icon: true, label: false });
+
+		let tabLabelcontainer = this._tabLabelRef.nativeElement as HTMLElement;
+		if (this.showIcon && this.tab.iconClass) {
+			tabLabelcontainer.className = 'tabLabel icon';
+			tabLabelcontainer.classList.add(this.tab.iconClass);
+		} else {
+			tabLabelcontainer.className = 'tabLabel';
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardTab.contribution.ts b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardTab.contribution.ts
index f43a6805b0..a22a77fa25 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardTab.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardTab.contribution.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import * as types from 'vs/base/common/types';
 
 import { registerTab } from 'sql/platform/dashboard/common/dashboardRegistry';
 import { generateContainerTypeSchemaProperties } from 'sql/platform/dashboard/common/dashboardContainerRegistry';
-import { NAV_SECTION, validateNavSectionContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution';
+import { NAV_SECTION, validateNavSectionContributionAndRegisterIcon } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution';
 import { WIDGETS_CONTAINER, validateWidgetContainerContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardWidgetContainer.contribution';
 import { GRID_CONTAINER, validateGridContainerContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardGridContainer.contribution';
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ ExtensionsRegistry.registerExtensionPoint<IDashboardTabContrib | IDashboardTabCo
 				result = validateGridContainerContribution(extension, containerValue);
 				break;
 			case NAV_SECTION:
-				result = validateNavSectionContribution(extension, containerValue);
+				result = validateNavSectionContributionAndRegisterIcon(extension, containerValue);
 				break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget.ts b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget.ts
index 4e0f51dd17..e51719b3df 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget.ts
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export interface TabConfig extends IDashboardTab {
 	editable: boolean;
 	canClose: boolean;
 	actions?: Array<Action>;
+	iconClass?: string;
 }
 
 export type IUserFriendlyIcon = string | { light: string; dark: string; };
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ export type IUserFriendlyIcon = string | { light: string; dark: string; };
 export interface NavSectionConfig {
 	id: string;
 	title: string;
+	iconClass?: string;
 	icon?: IUserFriendlyIcon;
 	container: object;
 }
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardContainer.contribution.ts b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardContainer.contribution.ts
index 187bcfaa3c..922d13fb9c 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardContainer.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardContainer.contribution.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { createCSSRule } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import URI from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 
 import { registerContainer, generateContainerTypeSchemaProperties } from 'sql/platform/dashboard/common/dashboardContainerRegistry';
-import { NAV_SECTION, validateNavSectionContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution';
+import { NAV_SECTION, validateNavSectionContributionAndRegisterIcon } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution';
 import { WIDGETS_CONTAINER, validateWidgetContainerContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardWidgetContainer.contribution';
 import { GRID_CONTAINER, validateGridContainerContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardGridContainer.contribution';
 import { WEBVIEW_CONTAINER } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardWebviewContainer.contribution';
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ ExtensionsRegistry.registerExtensionPoint<IDashboardContainerContrib | IDashboar
 				result = validateGridContainerContribution(extension, containerValue);
 				break;
 			case NAV_SECTION:
-				result = validateNavSectionContribution(extension, containerValue);
+				result = validateNavSectionContributionAndRegisterIcon(extension, containerValue);
 				break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.html b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.html
index 24fa90e766..388919cf87 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.html
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.html
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 -->
 <panel [options]="panelOpt" style="flex: 1 1 auto;" class="dashboard-panel" (onTabChange)="handleTabChange($event)">
-	<tab [visibilityType]="'visibility'" *ngFor="let tab of tabs" [title]="tab.title" class="fullsize" [identifier]="tab.id" [canClose]="tab.canClose" [actions]="tab.actions">
+	<tab [visibilityType]="'visibility'" *ngFor="let tab of tabs" [title]="tab.title" class="fullsize"
+	[identifier]="tab.id" [canClose]="tab.canClose" [actions]="tab.actions" [iconClass]="tab.iconClass">
 		<dashboard-webview-container *ngIf="getContentType(tab) === 'webview-container'" [tab]="tab">
 		</dashboard-webview-container>
 		<dashboard-widget-container *ngIf="getContentType(tab) === 'widgets-container'" [tab]="tab">
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.ts b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.ts
index 1a8478957c..b15eabd238 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.ts
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.component.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,13 @@ export class DashboardNavSection extends DashboardTab implements OnDestroy, OnCh
 		let navSectionContainers: NavSectionConfig[] = [];
 		if (this.tab.container) {
 			navSectionContainers = Object.values(this.tab.container)[0];
+			let hasIcon = true;
+			navSectionContainers.forEach(navSection => {
+				if (!navSection.iconClass) {
+					hasIcon = false;
+				}
+			});
+			this.panelOpt.showIcon = hasIcon;
 			this.loadNewTabs(navSectionContainers);
 		}
 	}
@@ -101,13 +108,13 @@ export class DashboardNavSection extends DashboardTab implements OnDestroy, OnCh
 						configs = cb.apply(this, [configs]);
 					});
 					if (key === WIDGETS_CONTAINER) {
-						return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: { 'widgets-container': configs } };
+						return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: { 'widgets-container': configs }, iconClass: v.iconClass };
 
 					} else {
-						return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: { 'grid-container': configs } };
+						return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: { 'grid-container': configs }, iconClass: v.iconClass };
 					}
 				}
-				return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: containerResult.container };
+				return { id: v.id, title: v.title, container: containerResult.container, iconClass: v.iconClass };
 			}).map(v => {
 				let config = v as TabConfig;
 				config.context = this.tab.context;
diff --git a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution.ts b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution.ts
index 736b8645bc..0fb9de3552 100644
--- a/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardNavSection.contribution.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@
 import { IExtensionPointUser } from 'vs/platform/extensions/common/extensionsRegistry';
 import { IJSONSchema } from 'vs/base/common/jsonSchema';
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
+import { join } from 'path';
+import { createCSSRule } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
+import URI from 'vs/base/common/uri';
+import { IdGenerator } from 'vs/base/common/idGenerator';
 
-import { NavSectionConfig } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget';
+import { NavSectionConfig, IUserFriendlyIcon } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/common/dashboardWidget';
 import { registerContainerType, generateNavSectionContainerTypeSchemaProperties } from 'sql/platform/dashboard/common/dashboardContainerRegistry';
 import { WIDGETS_CONTAINER, validateWidgetContainerContribution } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardWidgetContainer.contribution';
 import { WEBVIEW_CONTAINER } from 'sql/parts/dashboard/containers/dashboardWebviewContainer.contribution';
@@ -60,7 +64,39 @@ let NavSectionSchema: IJSONSchema = {
 
 registerContainerType(NAV_SECTION, NavSectionSchema);
 
-export function validateNavSectionContribution(extension: IExtensionPointUser<any>, navSectionConfigs: NavSectionConfig[]): boolean {
+function isValidIcon(icon: IUserFriendlyIcon, extension: IExtensionPointUser<any>): boolean {
+	if (typeof icon === 'undefined') {
+		return false;
+	}
+	if (typeof icon === 'string') {
+		return true;
+	} else if (typeof icon.dark === 'string' && typeof icon.light === 'string') {
+		return true;
+	}
+	extension.collector.error(nls.localize('opticon', "property `icon` can be omitted or must be either a string or a literal like `{dark, light}`"));
+	return false;
+}
+
+const ids = new IdGenerator('contrib-dashboardNavSection-icon-');
+
+function createCSSRuleForIcon(icon: IUserFriendlyIcon, extension: IExtensionPointUser<any>): string {
+	let iconClass: string;
+	if (icon) {
+		iconClass = ids.nextId();
+		if (typeof icon === 'string') {
+			const path = join(extension.description.extensionFolderPath, icon);
+			createCSSRule(`.icon.${iconClass}`, `background-image: url("${URI.file(path).toString()}")`);
+		} else {
+			const light = join(extension.description.extensionFolderPath, icon.light);
+			const dark = join(extension.description.extensionFolderPath, icon.dark);
+			createCSSRule(`.icon.${iconClass}`, `background-image: url("${URI.file(light).toString()}")`);
+			createCSSRule(`.vs-dark .icon.${iconClass}, .hc-black .icon.${iconClass}`, `background-image: url("${URI.file(dark).toString()}")`);
+		}
+	}
+	return iconClass;
+}
+
+export function validateNavSectionContributionAndRegisterIcon(extension: IExtensionPointUser<any>, navSectionConfigs: NavSectionConfig[]): boolean {
 	let result = true;
 	navSectionConfigs.forEach(section => {
 		if (!section.title) {
@@ -78,6 +114,10 @@ export function validateNavSectionContribution(extension: IExtensionPointUser<an
 			extension.collector.error(nls.localize('navSection.moreThanOneDashboardContainersError', 'Exactly 1 dashboard container must be defined per space.'));
 		}
 
+		if (isValidIcon(section.icon, extension)) {
+			section.iconClass = createCSSRuleForIcon(section.icon, extension);
+		}
+
 		let containerKey = Object.keys(section.container)[0];
 		let containerValue = Object.values(section.container)[0];
 
@@ -93,6 +133,7 @@ export function validateNavSectionContribution(extension: IExtensionPointUser<an
 				extension.collector.error(nls.localize('navSection.invalidContainer_error', 'NAV_SECTION within NAV_SECTION is an invalid container for extension.'));
 				break;
 		}
+
 	});
 	return result;
 }
\ No newline at end of file