diff --git a/docs/API_CONFIGURATION.md b/docs/API_CONFIGURATION.md
index 9e079b116..916d9a2c1 100644
--- a/docs/API_CONFIGURATION.md
+++ b/docs/API_CONFIGURATION.md
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ Actions.ROUTE_NAME({type: ActionConst.RESET});
 |-----------|--------|---------|--------------------------------------------|
 | tabs| `bool` | false | Defines 'TabBar' scene container, so child scenes will be displayed as 'tabs'. If no `component` is defined, built-in `TabBar` is used as renderer. All child scenes are wrapped into own navbar.
 | tabBarStyle | [`View style`](https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/view.html#style) |  | optional style override for the Tabs component |
+| tabBarBackgroundImage | [`Image source`](https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/image.html#source) |  | optional background image for the Tabs component |
 | tabBarIconContainerStyle | [`View style`](https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/view.html#style) |  | optional style override for the View that contains each tab icon |
 | hideTabBar | `bool` | false | hides tab bar for this scene and any following scenes until explicitly reversed (if built-in TabBar component is used as parent renderer)|
 | pressOpacity | `number` | 0.2 | the opacity when clicking on the tab |
diff --git a/src/TabBar.js b/src/TabBar.js
index d8c1d76a6..5fe10f51f 100644
--- a/src/TabBar.js
+++ b/src/TabBar.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import React, { Component, PropTypes } from 'react';
-import { View } from 'react-native';
+import {
+  Image,
+  View,
+} from 'react-native';
 import Tabs from 'react-native-tabs';
 import DefaultRenderer from './DefaultRenderer';
 import Actions from './Actions';
@@ -51,6 +54,21 @@ class TabBar extends Component {
       ? true
       : deepestExplicitValueForKey(state, 'hideTabBar');
 
+    const contents = (
+      <Tabs
+        style={state.tabBarStyle}
+        selectedIconStyle={state.tabBarSelectedItemStyle}
+        iconStyle={state.tabBarIconContainerStyle}
+        onSelect={this.onSelect} {...state}
+        selected={state.children[state.index].sceneKey}
+        pressOpacity={this.props.pressOpacity}
+      >
+        {state.children.filter(el => el.icon || this.props.tabIcon).map(el => {
+          const Icon = el.icon || this.props.tabIcon;
+          return <Icon {...this.props} {...el} />;
+        })}
+      </Tabs>
+    );
     return (
       <View
         style={{ flex: 1 }}
@@ -61,19 +79,11 @@ class TabBar extends Component {
           renderScene={this.renderScene}
         />
         {!hideTabBar && state.children.filter(el => el.icon).length > 0 &&
-          <Tabs
-            style={state.tabBarStyle}
-            selectedIconStyle={state.tabBarSelectedItemStyle}
-            iconStyle={state.tabBarIconContainerStyle}
-            onSelect={this.onSelect} {...state}
-            selected={state.children[state.index].sceneKey}
-            pressOpacity={this.props.pressOpacity}
-          >
-            {state.children.filter(el => el.icon || this.props.tabIcon).map(el => {
-              const Icon = el.icon || this.props.tabIcon;
-              return <Icon {...this.props} {...el} />;
-            })}
-          </Tabs>
+          (state.tabBarBackgroundImage ? (
+            <Image source={state.tabBarBackgroundImage}>
+              {contents}
+            </Image>
+          ) : contents)
         }
       </View>
     );