diff --git a/ui/action-bar/action-bar-common.ts b/ui/action-bar/action-bar-common.ts
index 2aa77517d..49f2a4524 100644
--- a/ui/action-bar/action-bar-common.ts
+++ b/ui/action-bar/action-bar-common.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,14 @@ export class ActionBar extends view.View implements dts.ActionBar {
     }
 
     get _childrenCount(): number {
-        return this.titleView ? 1 : 0;
+        let actionViewsCount = 0;
+        this._actionItems.getItems().forEach((actionItem) => {
+            if (actionItem.actionView) {
+                actionViewsCount++;
+            }
+        });
+
+        return actionViewsCount + (this.titleView ? 1 : 0);
     }
 
     constructor() {
@@ -157,6 +164,12 @@ export class ActionBar extends view.View implements dts.ActionBar {
         if (this.titleView) {
             callback(this.titleView);
         }
+
+        this.actionItems.getItems().forEach((actionItem) => {
+            if (actionItem.actionView) {
+                callback(actionItem.actionView);
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     public _isEmpty(): boolean {
@@ -263,7 +276,29 @@ export class ActionItem extends bindable.Bindable implements dts.ActionItem {
         "visibility", "ActionItem", new dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadata(enums.Visibility.visible, null, ActionItem.onItemChanged));
 
     private _actionBar: ActionBar;
+    private _actionView: view.View;
 
+    get actionView(): view.View {
+        return this._actionView;
+    }
+    set actionView(value: view.View) {
+        if (this._actionView !== value) {
+            ensureStyle();
+            if (this._actionView && this._actionBar) {
+                this._actionBar._removeView(this._actionView);
+                this._actionView.style._resetValue(style.horizontalAlignmentProperty, dependencyObservable.ValueSource.Inherited);
+                this._actionView.style._resetValue(style.verticalAlignmentProperty, dependencyObservable.ValueSource.Inherited);
+            }
+
+            this._actionView = value;
+
+            this._addActionViewToActionBar();
+            
+            if (this._actionBar) {
+                this._actionBar.update();
+            }
+        }
+    }
     get text(): string {
         return this._getValue(ActionItem.textProperty);
     }
@@ -297,6 +332,7 @@ export class ActionItem extends bindable.Bindable implements dts.ActionItem {
             this._actionBar = value;
             if (this._actionBar) {
                 this.bindingContext = this._actionBar.bindingContext;
+                this._addActionViewToActionBar();
             }
         }
     }
@@ -318,6 +354,19 @@ export class ActionItem extends bindable.Bindable implements dts.ActionItem {
             menuItem.actionBar.update();
         }
     }
+
+    private _addActionViewToActionBar() {
+        if (this._actionView && !this._actionView._isAddedToNativeVisualTree && this._actionBar) {
+            ensureStyle();
+            this._actionView.style._setValue(style.horizontalAlignmentProperty, enums.HorizontalAlignment.center, dependencyObservable.ValueSource.Inherited);
+            this._actionView.style._setValue(style.verticalAlignmentProperty, enums.VerticalAlignment.center, dependencyObservable.ValueSource.Inherited);
+            this._actionBar._addView(this._actionView);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public _addChildFromBuilder(name: string, value: any) {
+        this.actionView = value;
+    }
 }
 
 export function isVisible(item: dts.ActionItem) {
diff --git a/ui/action-bar/action-bar.android.ts b/ui/action-bar/action-bar.android.ts
index ab6ac0c08..b2d72298a 100644
--- a/ui/action-bar/action-bar.android.ts
+++ b/ui/action-bar/action-bar.android.ts
@@ -266,7 +266,17 @@ export class ActionBar extends common.ActionBar {
             var item = <ActionItem>items[i];
             var menuItem = menu.add(android.view.Menu.NONE, item._getItemId(), android.view.Menu.NONE, item.text + "");
 
-            if (item.android.systemIcon) {
+            if (item.actionView && item.actionView.android) {
+                menuItem.setActionView(item.actionView.android);
+                // Note: When using a custom action view the toolbar's MenuItemClickListener is not triggered!
+                menuItem.getActionView().setOnClickListener(new android.view.View.OnClickListener({
+                    onClick:
+                    function () {
+                        item._raiseTap();
+                    }
+                }));
+            }
+            else if (item.android.systemIcon) {
                 // Try to look in the system resources.
                 let systemResourceId = getSystemResourceId(item.android.systemIcon);
                 if (systemResourceId) {
diff --git a/ui/action-bar/action-bar.d.ts b/ui/action-bar/action-bar.d.ts
index 208267b61..3a559f7fb 100644
--- a/ui/action-bar/action-bar.d.ts
+++ b/ui/action-bar/action-bar.d.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ declare module "ui/action-bar" {
          * Gets or sets the icon of the action item.
          */
         icon: string;
+        
+        /**
+         * Gets or sets the custom action view of the action item.
+         */
+        actionView: view.View;
 
         /**
          * Gets or sets the visibility of the action item.