diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/fixtures/mockDashboardLayout.js b/superset-frontend/spec/fixtures/mockDashboardLayout.js
index bd1f4d186..90918d388 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/fixtures/mockDashboardLayout.js
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/fixtures/mockDashboardLayout.js
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const dashboardLayoutWithTabs = {
       parents: ['ROOT_ID', 'TABS_ID'],
       meta: {
         text: 'tab1',
+        defaultText: 'tab1',
       },
     },
 
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ export const dashboardLayoutWithTabs = {
       parents: ['ROOT_ID', 'TABS_ID'],
       meta: {
         text: 'tab2',
+        defaultText: 'tab2',
       },
     },
 
diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab_spec.jsx b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab_spec.jsx
index a5c35543c..6fb564337 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab_spec.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab_spec.jsx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('Tabs', () => {
       const title = wrapper.find(EditableTitle);
       expect(title).toHaveLength(1);
       expect(title.find('.editable-title')).toHaveText(
-        props.component.meta.text,
+        props.component.meta.defaultText,
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/components/EditableTitle.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/components/EditableTitle.tsx
index 024879358..3a3537009 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/components/EditableTitle.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/components/EditableTitle.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Tooltip } from 'src/common/components/Tooltip';
 
 interface EditableTitleProps {
   canEdit?: boolean;
+  editing?: boolean;
   emptyText?: string;
   extraClasses?: Array<string> | string;
   multiLine?: boolean;
@@ -30,21 +31,25 @@ interface EditableTitleProps {
   onSaveTitle: (arg0: string) => {};
   showTooltip?: boolean;
   style?: object;
-  title: string;
+  title?: string;
+  defaultTitle?: string;
+  placeholder?: string;
 }
 
 export default function EditableTitle({
   canEdit = false,
-  emptyText,
+  editing = false,
   extraClasses,
   multiLine = false,
   noPermitTooltip,
   onSaveTitle,
   showTooltip = true,
   style,
-  title,
+  title = '',
+  defaultTitle = '',
+  placeholder = '',
 }: EditableTitleProps) {
-  const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(false);
+  const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(editing);
   const [currentTitle, setCurrentTitle] = useState(title);
   const [lastTitle, setLastTitle] = useState(title);
   const [
@@ -62,6 +67,12 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
     }
   }, [title]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isEditing) {
+      contentRef.current.focus();
+    }
+  }, [isEditing]);
+
   function handleClick() {
     if (!canEdit || isEditing) {
       return;
@@ -110,6 +121,10 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
     if (event.key === ' ') {
       event.stopPropagation();
     }
+    if (event.key === 'Enter') {
+      event.preventDefault();
+      handleBlur();
+    }
   }
 
   function handleChange(ev: any) {
@@ -127,10 +142,9 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
   }
 
   let value: string | undefined;
-  if (currentTitle) {
-    value = currentTitle;
-  } else if (!isEditing) {
-    value = emptyText;
+  value = currentTitle;
+  if (!isEditing && !currentTitle) {
+    value = defaultTitle || title;
   }
 
   // Construct an inline style based on previously-saved height of the rendered label. Only
@@ -147,7 +161,6 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
       <textarea
         data-test="editable-title-input"
         ref={contentRef}
-        required
         value={value}
         className={!title ? 'text-muted' : undefined}
         onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
@@ -155,13 +168,13 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
         onBlur={handleBlur}
         onClick={handleClick}
         onKeyPress={handleKeyPress}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
         style={editStyle}
       />
     ) : (
       <input
         data-test="editable-title-input"
         ref={contentRef}
-        required
         type={isEditing ? 'text' : 'button'}
         value={value}
         className={!title ? 'text-muted' : undefined}
@@ -170,6 +183,7 @@ export default function EditableTitle({
         onBlur={handleBlur}
         onClick={handleClick}
         onKeyPress={handleKeyPress}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
       />
     );
   if (showTooltip && !isEditing) {
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab.jsx b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab.jsx
index cda808c02..73cdca34e 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tab.jsx
@@ -208,9 +208,12 @@ export default class Tab extends React.PureComponent {
           <div className="dragdroppable-tab" ref={dragSourceRef}>
             <EditableTitle
               title={component.meta.text}
+              defaultTitle={component.meta.defaultText}
+              placeholder={component.meta.placeholder}
               canEdit={editMode && isFocused}
               onSaveTitle={this.handleChangeText}
               showTooltip={false}
+              editing={editMode && isFocused}
             />
             {!editMode && (
               <AnchorLink
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tabs.jsx b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tabs.jsx
index e1bedbeab..ece5d944a 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tabs.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/components/gridComponents/Tabs.jsx
@@ -109,9 +109,12 @@ class Tabs extends React.PureComponent {
         directPathToChild: props.directPathToChild,
       }),
     );
+    const { children: tabIds } = props.component;
+    const activeKey = tabIds[tabIndex];
 
     this.state = {
       tabIndex,
+      activeKey,
     };
     this.handleClickTab = this.handleClickTab.bind(this);
     this.handleDeleteComponent = this.handleDeleteComponent.bind(this);
@@ -121,10 +124,25 @@ class Tabs extends React.PureComponent {
 
   UNSAFE_componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
     const maxIndex = Math.max(0, nextProps.component.children.length - 1);
+    const currTabsIds = this.props.component.children;
+    const nextTabsIds = nextProps.component.children;
+
     if (this.state.tabIndex > maxIndex) {
       this.setState(() => ({ tabIndex: maxIndex }));
     }
 
+    if (nextTabsIds.length) {
+      const lastTabId = nextTabsIds[nextTabsIds.length - 1];
+      // if a new tab is added focus on it immediately
+      if (nextTabsIds.length > currTabsIds.length) {
+        this.setState(() => ({ activeKey: lastTabId }));
+      }
+      // if a tab is removed focus on the first
+      if (nextTabsIds.length < currTabsIds.length) {
+        this.setState(() => ({ activeKey: nextTabsIds[0] }));
+      }
+    }
+
     if (nextProps.isComponentVisible) {
       const nextFocusComponent = getLeafComponentIdFromPath(
         nextProps.directPathToChild,
@@ -191,6 +209,7 @@ class Tabs extends React.PureComponent {
 
   handleClickTab(tabIndex) {
     const { component } = this.props;
+    const { children: tabIds } = component;
 
     if (tabIndex !== this.state.tabIndex) {
       const pathToTabIndex = getDirectPathToTabIndex(component, tabIndex);
@@ -202,6 +221,7 @@ class Tabs extends React.PureComponent {
 
       this.props.onChangeTab({ pathToTabIndex });
     }
+    this.setState(() => ({ activeKey: tabIds[tabIndex] }));
   }
 
   handleDeleteComponent() {
@@ -250,10 +270,8 @@ class Tabs extends React.PureComponent {
       editMode,
     } = this.props;
 
-    const { tabIndex: selectedTabIndex } = this.state;
     const { children: tabIds } = tabsComponent;
-
-    const activeKey = tabIds[selectedTabIndex];
+    const { tabIndex: selectedTabIndex, activeKey } = this.state;
 
     return (
       <DragDroppable
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/util/newComponentFactory.js b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/util/newComponentFactory.js
index d3f3a828f..04dc71c32 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/util/newComponentFactory.js
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/dashboard/util/newComponentFactory.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 import shortid from 'shortid';
+import { t } from '@superset-ui/core';
 
 import {
   CHART_TYPE,
@@ -50,7 +51,11 @@ const typeToDefaultMetaData = {
   [MARKDOWN_TYPE]: { width: GRID_DEFAULT_CHART_WIDTH, height: 50 },
   [ROW_TYPE]: { background: BACKGROUND_TRANSPARENT },
   [TABS_TYPE]: null,
-  [TAB_TYPE]: { text: 'New tab' },
+  [TAB_TYPE]: {
+    text: '',
+    defaultText: t('Tab title'),
+    placeholder: t('Tab title'),
+  },
 };
 
 function uuid(type) {