diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
index bae73fff57..c01eaed855 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/nav/nav.tsx
@@ -223,6 +223,11 @@ export class NavControllerBase implements NavOutlet {
     return null;
   }
 
+  @Method()
+  markVisible() {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+
   @Method()
   getContentElement(): HTMLElement {
     const active = this.getActive();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/nav/readme.md b/packages/core/src/components/nav/readme.md
index e93d32fb64..764ff09032 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/nav/readme.md
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/nav/readme.md
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ Return a view controller
 #### insertPages()
 
 
+#### markVisible()
+
+
 #### pop()
 
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts b/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
index 58811dfa1a..32f42bdff2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/dom.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ export function writeNavState(root: HTMLElement, chain: RouteChain, index: numbe
       }
       const nextEl = node.getContentElement();
       if (nextEl) {
-        return writeNavState(nextEl, chain, index + 1, direction);
+        return writeNavState(nextEl, chain, index + 1, direction)
+          .then(() => node.markVisible());
+      } else {
+        return node.markVisible();
       }
-      return null;
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/interfaces.ts b/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/interfaces.ts
index 27ff638cc5..a53d676113 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/interfaces.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/router/utils/interfaces.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 
 export interface NavOutlet {
   setRouteId(id: any, data: any, direction: number): Promise<boolean>;
+  markVisible(): Promise<void>;
   getRouteId(): string;
+
   getContentElement(): HTMLElement | null;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tab/tab.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/tab/tab.tsx
index 8b8c877d04..3d8659570a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tab/tab.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tab/tab.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { asyncRaf } from '../../utils/helpers';
 export class Tab {
 
   private loaded = false;
-  @Element() el: HTMLElement;
+  @Element() el: HTMLIonTabElement;
 
   @State() init = false;
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export class Tab {
   }
 
   @Method()
-  setActive(): Promise<any> {
+  setActive(): Promise<HTMLIonTabElement> {
     return this.prepareLazyLoaded().then(() => this.showTab());
   }
 
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ export class Tab {
     return Promise.resolve();
   }
 
-  private showTab(): Promise<any|void> {
+  private showTab(): Promise<HTMLIonTabElement> {
     this.active = true;
-    return Promise.resolve();
+    return Promise.resolve(this.el);
   }
 
   hostData() {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tabs/readme.md b/packages/core/src/components/tabs/readme.md
index 6fbb10994c..c3424fd3f4 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tabs/readme.md
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tabs/readme.md
@@ -240,6 +240,9 @@ Emitted when the tab changes.
 #### getTabs()
 
 
+#### markVisible()
+
+
 #### select()
 
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
index d195063eb2..28439114aa 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { Config, NavOutlet } from '../../index';
 export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
   private ids = -1;
   private transitioning = false;
+  private routingView: HTMLIonTabElement;
+
   private tabsId: number = (++tabIds);
 
   @Element() el: HTMLElement;
@@ -73,10 +75,7 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
   }
 
   componentDidLoad() {
-    return this.initTabs().then(() => {
-      const useRouter = !!document.querySelector('ion-router');
-      return useRouter ? this.initSelect() : Promise.resolve();
-    });
+    return this.initTabs().then(() => this.initSelect());
   }
 
   componentDidUnload() {
@@ -95,37 +94,8 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
    */
   @Method()
   select(tabOrIndex: number | HTMLIonTabElement): Promise<boolean> {
-    if (this.transitioning) {
-      return Promise.resolve(false);
-    }
-    const selectedTab = (typeof tabOrIndex === 'number' ? this.getByIndex(tabOrIndex) : tabOrIndex);
-    if (!selectedTab) {
-      return Promise.resolve(false);
-    }
-
-    // Reset rest of tabs
-    for (const tab of this.tabs) {
-      if (selectedTab !== tab) {
-        tab.selected = false;
-      }
-    }
-
-    const leavingTab = this.selectedTab;
-    this.transitioning = true;
-    return selectedTab.setActive().then(() => {
-      this.transitioning = false;
-      selectedTab.selected = true;
-      if (leavingTab !== selectedTab) {
-        if (leavingTab) {
-          leavingTab.active = false;
-        }
-        this.selectedTab = selectedTab;
-        this.ionChange.emit(selectedTab);
-        this.ionNavChanged.emit({isPop: false});
-        return true;
-      }
-      return false;
-    });
+    return this.setActive(tabOrIndex)
+      .then(selectedTab => this.tabSwitch(selectedTab));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -161,9 +131,18 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
       return Promise.resolve(false);
     }
     const tab = this.tabs.find(t => id === t.getRouteId());
-    return this.select(tab).then(() => true);
+    return this.setActive(tab).then(() => {
+      this.routingView = tab;
+      return true;
+    });
   }
 
+  @Method()
+  markVisible(): Promise<void> {
+    this.tabSwitch(this.routingView);
+    this.routingView = null;
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
 
   @Method()
   getRouteId(): string|null {
@@ -176,7 +155,7 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
 
   @Method()
   getContentElement(): HTMLElement {
-    return this.selectedTab;
+    return this.routingView || this.selectedTab;
   }
 
   private initTabs() {
@@ -191,7 +170,7 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
     return Promise.all(tabPromises);
   }
 
-  private initSelect() {
+  private initSelect(): Promise<void> {
     if (document.querySelector('ion-router')) {
       return Promise.resolve();
     }
@@ -205,7 +184,7 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
         tab.selected = false;
       }
     }
-    const promise = selectedTab ? selectedTab.setActive() : Promise.resolve();
+    const promise = selectedTab ? selectedTab.setActive() : Promise.resolve(null);
     return promise.then(() => {
       this.selectedTab = selectedTab;
       if (selectedTab) {
@@ -222,6 +201,45 @@ export class Tabs implements NavOutlet {
     }
   }
 
+  private setActive(tabOrIndex: number | HTMLIonTabElement): Promise<HTMLIonTabElement|null> {
+    if (this.transitioning) {
+      return Promise.resolve(null);
+    }
+    const selectedTab = (typeof tabOrIndex === 'number' ? this.getByIndex(tabOrIndex) : tabOrIndex);
+    if (!selectedTab) {
+      return Promise.resolve(null);
+    }
+
+    // Reset rest of tabs
+    for (const tab of this.tabs) {
+      if (selectedTab !== tab) {
+        tab.selected = false;
+      }
+    }
+
+    this.transitioning = true;
+    return selectedTab.setActive();
+  }
+
+  private tabSwitch(selectedTab: HTMLIonTabElement | null): boolean {
+    this.transitioning = false;
+    if (!selectedTab) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const leavingTab = this.selectedTab;
+    selectedTab.selected = true;
+    if (leavingTab !== selectedTab) {
+      if (leavingTab) {
+        leavingTab.active = false;
+      }
+      this.selectedTab = selectedTab;
+      this.ionChange.emit(selectedTab);
+      this.ionNavChanged.emit({isPop: false});
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
   render() {
     const dom = [
       <div class='tabs-inner'>