diff --git a/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducer.js b/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducer.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..23a1a00b2d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+ * You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+'use strict'
+
+const appConstants = require('../../../js/constants/appConstants')
+const {makeImmutable} = require('../../common/state/immutableUtil')
+
+const aboutWelcomeReducer = (state, action, immutableAction) => {
+  action = immutableAction || makeImmutable(action)
+  switch (action.get('actionType')) {
+    case appConstants.APP_ACTIVATE_WELCOME_SCREEN:
+      state = state.setIn(['about', 'welcome', 'showOnLoad'], action.get('activateWelcomeScreen'))
+      break
+  }
+  return state
+}
+
+module.exports = aboutWelcomeReducer
diff --git a/app/browser/tabs.js b/app/browser/tabs.js
index d0002e7b030..75b9fc65609 100644
--- a/app/browser/tabs.js
+++ b/app/browser/tabs.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const {cleanupWebContents, currentWebContents, getWebContents, updateWebContents
 const {FilterOptions} = require('ad-block')
 const {isResourceEnabled} = require('../filtering')
 const autofill = require('../autofill')
+const l10n = require('../../js/l10n')
 
 let currentPartitionNumber = 0
 const incrementPartitionNumber = () => ++currentPartitionNumber
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@ const updateAboutDetails = (tab, tabValue) => {
   const autofillAddresses = appState.getIn(['autofill', 'addresses'])
   const versionInformation = appState.getIn(['about', 'brave', 'versionInformation'])
   const aboutDetails = tabValue.get('aboutDetails')
+
   // TODO(bridiver) - convert this to an action
   if (url === 'about:preferences#payments') {
     tab.on('destroyed', () => {
@@ -656,7 +658,10 @@ const api = {
     return true
   },
 
-  create: (createProperties, cb = null, isRestore = false) => {
+  create: (createProperties, cb = null, isRestore = false, skipIfTest = true) => {
+    const appState = appStore.getState()
+    let shouldShowWelcomeScreen = appState.getIn(['about', 'welcome', 'showOnLoad'])
+
     setImmediate(() => {
       const {safeBrowsingInstance} = require('../adBlock')
       createProperties = makeImmutable(createProperties).toJS()
@@ -673,6 +678,19 @@ const api = {
       }
       if (!createProperties.url) {
         createProperties.url = newFrameUrl()
+        // don't open welcome screen for general tests
+        if (skipIfTest && process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test') {
+          shouldShowWelcomeScreen = false
+        }
+        if (shouldShowWelcomeScreen !== false) {
+          appActions.createTabRequested({
+            url: 'about:welcome',
+            // avoid chrome-extension title
+            // while page's title is not fetch
+            title: l10n.translation('aboutWelcome')
+          })
+          appActions.activateWelcomeScreen(false)
+        }
       }
       createProperties.url = normalizeUrl(createProperties.url)
       // TODO(bridiver) - this should be in filtering
diff --git a/app/sessionStore.js b/app/sessionStore.js
index e3748ab1f46..8f020c74943 100644
--- a/app/sessionStore.js
+++ b/app/sessionStore.js
@@ -656,6 +656,9 @@ module.exports.defaultAppState = () => {
         sites: topSites,
         ignoredTopSites: [],
         pinnedTopSites: pinnedTopSites
+      },
+      welcome: {
+        showOnLoad: true
       }
     },
     trackingProtection: {
diff --git a/docs/appActions.md b/docs/appActions.md
index d5822a2acaf..543ff93beb7 100644
--- a/docs/appActions.md
+++ b/docs/appActions.md
@@ -1130,6 +1130,17 @@ Clear temp setting for clear browsing data
 
 
 
+### activateWelcomeScreen(shouldShowWelcomeScreen) 
+
+Dispatches a message to the store to show the welcome screen.
+
+**Parameters**
+
+**shouldShowWelcomeScreen**: `Boolean`, true if a new tab
+with the welcome screen should be show
+
+
+
 
 * * *
 
diff --git a/js/actions/appActions.js b/js/actions/appActions.js
index 75ac5154976..835563f08a4 100644
--- a/js/actions/appActions.js
+++ b/js/actions/appActions.js
@@ -1442,6 +1442,19 @@ const appActions = {
     dispatch({
       actionType: appConstants.APP_ON_CANCEL_BROWSING_DATA
     })
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * Dispatches a message to the store to show the welcome screen.
+   *
+   * @param {Boolean} shouldShowWelcomeScreen - true if a new tab
+   * with the welcome screen should be show
+   */
+  activateWelcomeScreen: function (activateWelcomeScreen) {
+    dispatch({
+      actionType: appConstants.APP_ACTIVATE_WELCOME_SCREEN,
+      activateWelcomeScreen
+    })
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/js/constants/appConstants.js b/js/constants/appConstants.js
index 03d69035d51..84a377d3dcc 100644
--- a/js/constants/appConstants.js
+++ b/js/constants/appConstants.js
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ const appConstants = {
   APP_ON_GO_TO_INDEX: _,
   APP_ON_GO_BACK_LONG: _,
   APP_ON_GO_FORWARD_LONG: _,
+  APP_ACTIVATE_WELCOME_SCREEN: _,
   APP_AUTOPLAY_BLOCKED: _,
   APP_SAVE_PASSWORD: _,
   APP_UPDATE_PASSWORD: _,
diff --git a/js/stores/appStore.js b/js/stores/appStore.js
index d07dd906886..91858e9813f 100644
--- a/js/stores/appStore.js
+++ b/js/stores/appStore.js
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ const handleAppAction = (action) => {
       require('../../app/browser/reducers/extensionsReducer'),
       require('../../app/browser/reducers/shareReducer'),
       require('../../app/browser/reducers/updatesReducer'),
+      require('../../app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducer'),
       require('../../app/ledger').doAction
     ]
     initialized = true
diff --git a/test/unit/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducerTest.js b/test/unit/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducerTest.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..39ebe40eeb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducerTest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/* global describe, it, before, after */
+const mockery = require('mockery')
+const Immutable = require('immutable')
+const assert = require('assert')
+const appConstants = require('../../../../../js/constants/appConstants')
+const fakeElectron = require('../../../lib/fakeElectron')
+
+require('../../../braveUnit')
+
+describe('aboutWelcomeReducer', function () {
+  let aboutWelcomeReducer
+
+  before(function () {
+    mockery.enable({
+      warnOnReplace: false,
+      warnOnUnregistered: false,
+      useCleanCache: true
+    })
+    mockery.registerMock('electron', fakeElectron)
+    aboutWelcomeReducer = require('../../../../../app/browser/reducers/aboutWelcomeReducer')
+  })
+
+  after(function () {
+    mockery.disable()
+  })
+
+  describe('APP_ACTIVATE_WELCOME_SCREEN', function () {
+    before(function () {
+      this.newState = aboutWelcomeReducer(Immutable.Map(), {
+        actionType: appConstants.APP_ACTIVATE_WELCOME_SCREEN,
+        activateWelcomeScreen: false
+      })
+    })
+    it('can set visibility state to false', function () {
+      assert.equal(this.newState.getIn(['about', 'welcome', 'showOnLoad']), false)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/unit/app/browser/tabsTest.js b/test/unit/app/browser/tabsTest.js
index c36fbe99623..70a7a4a558d 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/browser/tabsTest.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/browser/tabsTest.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const fakeAdBlock = require('../../lib/fakeAdBlock')
 
 require('../../braveUnit')
 
-describe('tabs API', function () {
+describe('tabs API unit tests', function () {
   let tabs, appActions
   before(function () {
     mockery.enable({
@@ -59,9 +59,28 @@ describe('tabs API', function () {
       }]
     })
 
+    this.appState = {
+      about: {
+        welcome: {
+          showOnLoad: true
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    this.appStore = {
+      getState: () => Immutable.fromJS(this.appState)
+    }
+
     mockery.registerMock('electron', fakeElectron)
     mockery.registerMock('ad-block', fakeAdBlock)
     mockery.registerMock('leveldown', {})
+    mockery.registerMock('../../js/stores/appStore', this.appStore)
+    mockery.registerMock('../../js/l10n', {
+      translation: (word) => word
+    })
+    mockery.registerMock('../filtering', {
+      isResourceEnabled: (resourceName, url, isPrivate) => false
+    })
 
     mockery.registerMock('./webContentsCache', {
       getWebContents: (tabId) => {
@@ -90,25 +109,17 @@ describe('tabs API', function () {
     appActions = require('../../../../js/actions/appActions')
   })
 
-  beforeEach(function () {
-    this.newWindowSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'newWindow')
-    this.newWebContentsAddedSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'newWebContentsAdded')
-  })
-
   after(function () {
     mockery.disable()
   })
 
-  afterEach(function () {
-    this.tabWithDevToolsClosed.openDevTools.reset()
-    this.tabWithDevToolsClosed.closeDevTools.reset()
-    this.tabWithDevToolsOpened.openDevTools.reset()
-    this.tabWithDevToolsOpened.closeDevTools.reset()
-    this.newWindowSpy.restore()
-    this.newWebContentsAddedSpy.restore()
-  })
-
   describe('toggleDevTools', function () {
+    afterEach(function () {
+      this.tabWithDevToolsClosed.openDevTools.reset()
+      this.tabWithDevToolsClosed.closeDevTools.reset()
+      this.tabWithDevToolsOpened.openDevTools.reset()
+      this.tabWithDevToolsOpened.closeDevTools.reset()
+    })
     it('opens dev tools if closed', function () {
       tabs.toggleDevTools(1)
       assert(this.tabWithDevToolsClosed.openDevTools.calledOnce)
@@ -130,6 +141,7 @@ describe('tabs API', function () {
       assert(this.tabWithDevToolsOpenedAndFocused.closeDevTools.notCalled)
     })
   })
+
   describe('isDevToolsFocused', function () {
     it('returns false if devtools are opened but not focused', function () {
       assert.equal(tabs.isDevToolsFocused(1), false)
@@ -141,12 +153,21 @@ describe('tabs API', function () {
       assert.equal(tabs.isDevToolsFocused(3), true)
     })
   })
+
   describe('moveTo', function () {
     before(function () {
       this.browserOpts = {
         positionByMouseCursor: true
       }
     })
+    beforeEach(function () {
+      this.newWindowSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'newWindow')
+      this.newWebContentsAddedSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'newWebContentsAdded')
+    })
+    afterEach(function () {
+      this.newWindowSpy.restore()
+      this.newWebContentsAddedSpy.restore()
+    })
     it('moves tab to a new window', function () {
       const state = this.state.set('dragData', Immutable.fromJS({
         windowId: 1,
@@ -318,8 +339,49 @@ describe('tabs API', function () {
     })
   })
 
-  describe.skip('create', function () {
-    it('todo', function () {
+  describe('create', function () {
+    before(function () {
+      this.clock = sinon.useFakeTimers()
+      this.createTabRequestedSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'createTabRequested')
+      this.activateWelcomeScreenSpy = sinon.spy(appActions, 'activateWelcomeScreen')
+      this.extensionsCreateTabSpy = sinon.spy(fakeElectron.extensions, 'createTab')
+    })
+
+    after(function () {
+      this.clock.restore()
+      this.createTabRequestedSpy.restore()
+      this.activateWelcomeScreenSpy.restore()
+      this.extensionsCreateTabSpy.restore()
+    })
+
+    const createProperties = Immutable.fromJS({})
+    const cb = null
+    const isRestore = false
+    const skipIfTest = false
+
+    describe('when createProperties.url is not set', function () {
+      it('calls appActions.createTabRequested', function () {
+        this.createTabRequestedSpy.reset()
+        tabs.create(createProperties, cb, isRestore, skipIfTest)
+        this.clock.tick(1510)
+        assert.equal(this.createTabRequestedSpy.calledOnce, true)
+      })
+
+      describe('when welcome screen has not shown yet', function () {
+        it('calls appActions.activateWelcomeScreen if state is true', function () {
+          this.activateWelcomeScreenSpy.reset()
+          tabs.create(createProperties, cb, isRestore, skipIfTest)
+          this.clock.tick(1510)
+          assert.equal(this.activateWelcomeScreenSpy.calledOnce, true)
+        })
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('calls electron.extensions.createTab', function () {
+      this.extensionsCreateTabSpy.reset()
+      tabs.create(createProperties, cb, isRestore, skipIfTest)
+      this.clock.tick(1510)
+      assert.equal(this.extensionsCreateTabSpy.calledOnce, true)
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/test/unit/app/sessionStoreTest.js b/test/unit/app/sessionStoreTest.js
index 19fd92e789b..e99c3ccd431 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/sessionStoreTest.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/sessionStoreTest.js
@@ -854,6 +854,10 @@ describe('sessionStore unit tests', function () {
   })
 
   describe('defaultAppState', function () {
+    it('sets showOnLoad to true (which triggers about:welcome)', function () {
+      const defaultAppState = sessionStore.defaultAppState()
+      assert.equal(defaultAppState.about.welcome.showOnLoad, true)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('isProtocolHandled', function () {
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/fakeElectron.js b/test/unit/lib/fakeElectron.js
index 19ba7489c58..f77c09e3ed7 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/fakeElectron.js
+++ b/test/unit/lib/fakeElectron.js
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ const fakeElectron = {
     defaultSession: {
       partition: 'default'
     }
+  },
+  extensions: {
+    createTab: function () {}
   }
 }