diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.ios.scss b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.ios.scss
index dcbb6cc424..bc15ebebe5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.ios.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.ios.scss
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 @each $color-name, $color-base, $color-contrast in get-colors($colors-ios) {
 
   .icon-ios-#{$color-name} {
-    color: $color-base;
+    fill: $color-base;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.md.scss b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.md.scss
index f83aa482d8..01b9b3df5d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.md.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.md.scss
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 @each $color-name, $color-base, $color-contrast in get-colors($colors-md) {
 
   .icon-md-#{$color-name} {
-    color: $color-base;
+    fill: $color-base;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.scss b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.scss
index e8b88dbb5b..8cdf3a307d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.scss
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ ion-icon {
   display: inline-block;
 
   font-size: 1.2em;
+
+  svg {
+    width: 1.2em;
+    height: 1.2em;
+  }
 }
 
 ion-icon[small] {
@@ -16,3 +21,4 @@ ion-icon[small] {
 
   font-size: 1.1em;
 }
+
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.tsx
index 3cf5407541..19ee3b6e32 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/icon/icon.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import { Component, h, Prop, State, VNodeData, Ionic } from '@stencil/core';
-import { CssClassObject } from '../../utils/interfaces';
+import { Component, h, Prop, State, VNodeData } from '@stencil/core';
+
+export declare const publicPath: string;
+
 
 @Component({
   tag: 'ion-icon',
@@ -15,18 +17,11 @@ import { CssClassObject } from '../../utils/interfaces';
 export class Icon {
   mode: string;
 
-  @Prop() color: string;
-
   /**
    * @input {string} Specifies the label to use for accessibility. Defaults to the icon name.
    */
   @State() label: string = '';
 
-  /**
-   * @input {string} Specifies the mode to use for the icon.
-   */
-  @State() iconMode: string = '';
-
   /**
    * @input {string} Specifies which icon to use. The appropriate icon will be used based on the mode.
    * For more information, see [Ionicons](/docs/ionicons/).
@@ -43,86 +38,183 @@ export class Icon {
    */
   @Prop() md: string = '';
 
-  /**
-   * @input {boolean} If true, the icon is styled with an "active" appearance.
-   * An active icon is filled in, and an inactive icon is the outline of the icon.
-   * The `isActive` property is largely used by the tabbar. Only affects `ios` icons.
-   */
-  @Prop() isActive: boolean = null;
-
   /**
    * @input {boolean} If true, the icon is hidden.
    */
   @Prop() hidden: boolean = false;
 
-  getElementClass(): string {
+
+  @State() svgContent: string = null;
+
+
+  getSvgUrl() {
+    const iconName = this.iconName;
+    if (iconName !== null) {
+      return `${publicPath}svg/${iconName}.svg`;
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+
+  get iconName() {
     let iconName: string;
 
-    // If no name was passed set iconName to null
+    // if no name was passed set iconName to null
     if (!this.name) {
-      iconName = null;
-    } else if (!(/^md-|^ios-|^logo-/.test(this.name))) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    if (!(/^md-|^ios-|^logo-/.test(this.name))) {
       // this does not have one of the defaults
       // so lets auto add in the mode prefix for them
-      iconName = this.iconMode + '-' + this.name;
+      iconName = this.mode + '-' + this.name;
+
     } else if (this.name) {
+      // this icon already has a prefix
       iconName = this.name;
     }
 
-    // If an icon was passed in using the ios or md attributes
+    // if an icon was passed in using the ios or md attributes
     // set the iconName to whatever was passed in
-    if (this.ios && this.iconMode === 'ios') {
+    if (this.ios && this.mode === 'ios') {
       iconName = this.ios;
-    } else if (this.md && this.iconMode === 'md') {
+
+    } else if (this.md && this.mode === 'md') {
       iconName = this.md;
     }
 
-    if ((iconName === null) || (this.hidden === true)) {
-      console.warn('Icon is hidden.');
-      return 'hide';
-    }
-
-    let iconMode = iconName.split('-', 2)[0];
-    if (
-      iconMode === 'ios' &&
-      this.isActive === false &&
-      iconName.indexOf('logo-') < 0 &&
-      iconName.indexOf('-outline') < 0) {
-      iconName += '-outline';
-    }
-
-    let label = iconName
-      .replace('ios-', '')
-      .replace('md-', '')
-      .replace('-', ' ');
-    this.label = label;
-
-    return `ion-${iconName}`;
+    return iconName;
   }
 
-  hostData(): VNodeData {
-    // TODO set the right iconMode based on the config
-    let iconMode = this.mode === 'md' ? 'md' : 'ios';
-    this.iconMode = iconMode || Ionic.config.get('iconMode');
 
-    const iconClasses: CssClassObject = []
-      .concat(
-        this.getElementClass(),
-      )
-      .reduce((prevValue, cssClass) => {
-        prevValue[cssClass] = true;
-        return prevValue;
-       }, {});
+  hostData(): VNodeData {
+    const attrs: {[attrName: string]: string} = {
+      'role': 'img'
+    };
+
+    if (this.hidden) {
+      // adds the hidden attribute
+      attrs['hidden'] = '';
+    }
+
+    if (this.label) {
+      // user provided label
+      attrs['aria-label'] = this.label;
+
+    } else {
+      // come up with the label based on the icon name
+      const iconName = this.iconName;
+      if (iconName) {
+        attrs['aria-label'] = iconName
+                                .replace('ios-', '')
+                                .replace('md-', '')
+                                .replace('-', ' ');
+      }
+    }
 
     return {
-      class: iconClasses,
-      attrs: {
-        'role': 'img'
-      }
+      attrs
     };
   }
 
-  render() {
-    return <slot></slot>;
+
+  static loadSvgContent(svgUrl: string, callback: {(loadedSvgContent: string): void}) {
+    // static since all IonIcons use this same function and pointing at global/shared data
+    // passed in callback will have instance info
+
+    // add to the list of callbacks to fiure when this url is finished loading
+    IonIcon.loadCallbacks[svgUrl] = IonIcon.loadCallbacks[svgUrl] || [];
+    IonIcon.loadCallbacks[svgUrl].push(callback);
+
+    if (IonIcon.activeRequests[svgUrl]) {
+      // already requesting this url, don't bother again kicking off another
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // add this url to our list of active requests
+    IonIcon.activeRequests[svgUrl] = true;
+
+    const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+    xhr.addEventListener('load', function() {
+      // awesome, we've finished loading the svg file
+
+      // remove this url from the active requests
+      delete IonIcon.activeRequests[svgUrl];
+
+      if (this.status >= 400) {
+        // ok, not awesome, something is up
+        console.error('Icon could not be loaded:', svgUrl);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // this response is the content of the svg file we're looking for
+      // cache it in the global IonIcon constant
+      IonIcon.svgContents[svgUrl] = this.responseText;
+
+      // find any callbacks waiting on this url
+      const svgLoadCallbacks = IonIcon.loadCallbacks[svgUrl];
+      if (svgLoadCallbacks) {
+        // loop through all the callbacks that are waiting on the svg content
+        for (var i = 0; i < svgLoadCallbacks.length; i++) {
+          // fire off this callback which
+          svgLoadCallbacks[i](this.responseText);
+        }
+        delete IonIcon.loadCallbacks[svgUrl];
+      }
+    });
+
+    xhr.addEventListener('error', function () {
+      // umm, idk
+      console.error('Icon could not be loaded:', svgUrl);
+    });
+
+    // let's do this!
+    xhr.open('GET', svgUrl, true);
+    xhr.send();
   }
+
+
+  render() {
+    const svgUrl = this.getSvgUrl();
+    if (!svgUrl) {
+      // we don't have good data
+      return(<div class="missing-svg"></div>);
+    }
+
+    const svgContent = IonIcon.svgContents[svgUrl];
+    if (svgContent === this.svgContent) {
+      // we've already loaded up this svg at one point
+      // and the svg content we've loaded and assigned checks out
+      // render this svg!!
+      return(
+        <div innerHTML={svgContent}></div>
+      );
+    }
+
+    // haven't loaded this svg yet
+    // start the request
+    Icon.loadSvgContent(svgUrl, loadedSvgContent => {
+      // we're finished loading the svg content!
+      // set to this.svgContent so we do another render
+      this.svgContent = loadedSvgContent;
+    });
+
+    // actively requesting the svg, so let's just render a div for now
+    return(<div class="loading-svg"></div>);
+  }
+
 }
+
+
+const IonIcon: GlobalIonIcon = {
+  activeRequests: {},
+  loadCallbacks: [] as any,
+  svgContents: {}
+};
+
+interface GlobalIonIcon {
+  activeRequests: {[url: string]: boolean};
+  loadCallbacks: {[url: string]: {(loadedSvgContent: string): void}[]};
+  svgContents: {[url: string]: string};
+}
\ No newline at end of file