diff --git a/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/Messages.java b/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/Messages.java
index 1f56ddea77..2c5e4be163 100644
--- a/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/Messages.java
+++ b/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/Messages.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public class Messages
                          Confirm_BOTH,
                          Confirm_PUSH,
                          Confirm_RELEASE,
+                         DefaultTab,
                          DisplayMode,
                          EmbeddedDisplayWidget_GroupName,
                          EnableGradient,
diff --git a/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/widgets/TabsWidget.java b/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/widgets/TabsWidget.java
index 4c6c75a782..69944b2a79 100644
--- a/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/widgets/TabsWidget.java
+++ b/app/display/model/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/widgets/TabsWidget.java
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ public ChildrenProperty children()
     static final WidgetPropertyDescriptor<Integer> propTabHeight =
         CommonWidgetProperties.newIntegerPropertyDescriptor(WidgetPropertyCategory.DISPLAY, "tab_height", Messages.Tab_Height);
 
+    static final WidgetPropertyDescriptor<Integer> propDefaultTab =
+            CommonWidgetProperties.newIntegerPropertyDescriptor(WidgetPropertyCategory.DISPLAY, "default_tab", Messages.DefaultTab,
+                    -1, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+
     static final WidgetPropertyDescriptor<Integer> propActiveTab =
         CommonWidgetProperties.newIntegerPropertyDescriptor(WidgetPropertyCategory.DISPLAY, "active_tab", Messages.ActiveTab,
                                                             0, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
@@ -180,6 +184,7 @@ public boolean configureFromXML(final ModelReader model_reader, final Widget wid
 
     private volatile WidgetProperty<WidgetColor> background;
     private volatile WidgetProperty<WidgetFont> font;
+    private volatile WidgetProperty<Integer> default_tab;
     private volatile WidgetProperty<Integer> active;
     private volatile ArrayWidgetProperty<TabItemProperty> tabs;
     private volatile WidgetProperty<Direction> direction;
@@ -198,6 +203,7 @@ protected void defineProperties(final List<WidgetProperty<?>> properties)
         super.defineProperties(properties);
         properties.add(font = propFont.createProperty(this, WidgetFontService.get(NamedWidgetFonts.DEFAULT)));
         properties.add(background = propBackgroundColor.createProperty(this, WidgetColorService.getColor(NamedWidgetColors.BACKGROUND)));
+        properties.add(default_tab = propDefaultTab.createProperty(this, -1));
         properties.add(active = propActiveTab.createProperty(this, 0));
         properties.add(tabs = propTabs.createProperty(this, Arrays.asList(new TabItemProperty(this, 0),
                                                                              new TabItemProperty(this, 1))));
@@ -243,6 +249,12 @@ public WidgetProperty<WidgetFont> propFont()
         return font;
     }
 
+    /** @return 'default_tab' property */
+    public WidgetProperty<Integer> propDefaultTab()
+    {
+        return default_tab;
+    }
+
     /** @return 'active_tab' property */
     public WidgetProperty<Integer> propActiveTab()
     {
diff --git a/app/display/model/src/main/resources/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/messages.properties b/app/display/model/src/main/resources/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/messages.properties
index 278fcc4753..dac6fd2f9f 100644
--- a/app/display/model/src/main/resources/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/messages.properties
+++ b/app/display/model/src/main/resources/org/csstudio/display/builder/model/messages.properties
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Confirm_NONE=No
 Confirm_BOTH=On Both
 Confirm_PUSH=On Set
 Confirm_RELEASE=On Clear
+DefaultTab=Default Tab
 DisplayMode=Display Mode
 EmbeddedDisplayWidget_GroupName=Group name
 EnableGradient=Enable Gradient
diff --git a/app/display/representation-javafx/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/representation/javafx/widgets/TabsRepresentation.java b/app/display/representation-javafx/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/representation/javafx/widgets/TabsRepresentation.java
index 562c2f7c36..e35b79bab3 100644
--- a/app/display/representation-javafx/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/representation/javafx/widgets/TabsRepresentation.java
+++ b/app/display/representation-javafx/src/main/java/org/csstudio/display/builder/representation/javafx/widgets/TabsRepresentation.java
@@ -149,9 +149,15 @@ protected void registerListeners()
         model_widget.propTabs().addPropertyListener(tabsListener);
         model_widget.propDirection().addUntypedPropertyListener(layoutListener);
         model_widget.propTabHeight().addUntypedPropertyListener(layoutListener);
+        model_widget.propDefaultTab().addUntypedPropertyListener(layoutListener);
 
         // Select initial tab
-        track_active_model_tab.propertyChanged(model_widget.propActiveTab(), null, null);
+        // For backward compatibility, default tab property default value is -1
+        // In this case the initial tab is set according to the active tab property
+        if (model_widget.propDefaultTab().getValue() == -1)
+            track_active_model_tab.propertyChanged(model_widget.propActiveTab(), null, null);
+        else
+            track_active_model_tab.propertyChanged(model_widget.propDefaultTab(), null, null);
         model_widget.propActiveTab().addPropertyListener(track_active_model_tab);
 
         // Update model when UI selects a tab
@@ -179,6 +185,7 @@ protected void unregisterListeners()
         model_widget.propTabs().removePropertyListener(tabsListener);
         model_widget.propDirection().removePropertyListener(layoutListener);
         model_widget.propTabHeight().removePropertyListener(layoutListener);
+        model_widget.propDefaultTab().removePropertyListener(layoutListener);
         model_widget.propActiveTab().addPropertyListener(track_active_model_tab);
 
         super.unregisterListeners();