diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index f3edfbee3fc..433846e4e9a 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@ Lukasz Piliszczuk <lukasz@intheloup.io>
 Felix Schmidt <felix.free@gmx.de>
 Artur Rymarz <artur.rymarz@gmail.com>
 Stefan Mitev <mr.mitew@gmail.com>
+Jasper van Riet <jaspervanriet@gmail.com>
 Mattijs Fuijkschot <mattijs.fuijkschot@gmail.com>
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
index fc72709e089..ccc59c27a7e 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/tabs.dart
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ class TabBar extends StatefulWidget implements PreferredSizeWidget {
     this.labelPadding,
     this.unselectedLabelColor,
     this.unselectedLabelStyle,
+    this.onTap,
   }) : assert(tabs != null),
        assert(isScrollable != null),
        assert(indicator != null || (indicatorWeight != null && indicatorWeight > 0.0)),
@@ -660,6 +661,17 @@ class TabBar extends StatefulWidget implements PreferredSizeWidget {
   /// is null then the text style of the theme's body2 definition is used.
   final TextStyle unselectedLabelStyle;
 
+  /// An optional callback that's called when the [TabBar] is tapped.
+  ///
+  /// The callback is applied to the index of the tab where the tap occurred.
+  ///
+  /// This callback has no effect on the default handling of taps. It's for
+  /// applications that want to do a little extra work when a tab is tapped,
+  /// even if the tap doesn't change the TabController's index. TabBar [onTap]
+  /// callbacks should not make changes to the TabController since that would
+  /// interfere with the default tap handler.
+  final ValueChanged<int> onTap;
+
   /// A size whose height depends on if the tabs have both icons and text.
   ///
   /// [AppBar] uses this this size to compute its own preferred size.
@@ -883,6 +895,9 @@ class _TabBarState extends State<TabBar> {
   void _handleTap(int index) {
     assert(index >= 0 && index < widget.tabs.length);
     _controller.animateTo(index);
+    if (widget.onTap != null) {
+      widget.onTap(index);
+    }
   }
 
   Widget _buildStyledTab(Widget child, bool selected, Animation<double> animation) {
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/material/tabs_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/material/tabs_test.dart
index 6dd33a17db8..9e4a8c324be 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/material/tabs_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/material/tabs_test.dart
@@ -1760,6 +1760,87 @@ void main() {
     semantics.dispose();
   });
 
+  testWidgets('can be notified of TabBar onTap behavior', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    int tabIndex = -1;
+
+    Widget buildFrame({
+      TabController controller,
+      List<String> tabs,
+    }) {
+      return boilerplate(
+        child: Container(
+          child: TabBar(
+            controller: controller,
+            tabs: tabs.map<Widget>((String tab) => Tab(text: tab)).toList(),
+            onTap: (int index) {
+              tabIndex = index;
+            },
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+    }
+
+    final List<String> tabs = <String>['A', 'B', 'C'];
+    final TabController controller = TabController(
+      vsync: const TestVSync(),
+      length: tabs.length,
+      initialIndex: tabs.indexOf('C'),
+    );
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(buildFrame(tabs: tabs, controller: controller));
+    expect(find.text('A'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(find.text('B'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(find.text('C'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(controller, isNotNull);
+    expect(controller.index, 2);
+    expect(tabIndex, -1); // no tap so far so tabIndex should reflect that
+
+    // Verify whether the [onTap] notification works when the [TabBar] animates.
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(buildFrame(tabs: tabs, controller: controller));
+    await tester.tap(find.text('B'));
+    await tester.pump();
+    expect(controller.indexIsChanging, true);
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+    expect(controller.index, 1);
+    expect(controller.previousIndex, 2);
+    expect(controller.indexIsChanging, false);
+    expect(tabIndex, controller.index);
+
+    tabIndex = -1;
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(buildFrame(tabs: tabs, controller: controller));
+    await tester.tap(find.text('C'));
+    await tester.pump();
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+    expect(controller.index, 2);
+    expect(controller.previousIndex, 1);
+    expect(tabIndex, controller.index);
+
+    tabIndex = -1;
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(buildFrame(tabs: tabs, controller: controller));
+    await tester.tap(find.text('A'));
+    await tester.pump();
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+    expect(controller.index, 0);
+    expect(controller.previousIndex, 2);
+    expect(tabIndex, controller.index);
+
+    tabIndex = -1;
+
+    // Verify whether [onTap] is called even when the [TabController] does
+    // not change.
+
+    final int currentControllerIndex = controller.index;
+    await tester.pumpWidget(buildFrame(tabs: tabs, controller: controller));
+    await tester.tap(find.text('A'));
+    await tester.pump();
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+    expect(controller.index, currentControllerIndex); // controller has not changed
+    expect(tabIndex, 0);
+  });
+
   test('illegal constructor combinations', () {
     expect(() => Tab(icon: nonconst(null)), throwsAssertionError);
     expect(() => Tab(icon: Container(), text: 'foo', child: Container()), throwsAssertionError);