diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/components/ListView/ListView_spec.jsx b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/components/ListView/ListView_spec.jsx
index fee729e11..a60f5ed4e 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/components/ListView/ListView_spec.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/components/ListView/ListView_spec.jsx
@@ -292,13 +292,13 @@ describe('ListView', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('disable card view based on prop', async () => {
+  it('disables card view based on prop', async () => {
     expect(wrapper.find(CardCollection).exists()).toBe(false);
     expect(wrapper.find(CardSortSelect).exists()).toBe(false);
     expect(wrapper.find(TableCollection).exists()).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('enable card view based on prop', async () => {
+  it('enables card view based on prop', async () => {
     const wrapper2 = factory({
       ...mockedProps,
       renderCard: jest.fn(),
@@ -310,6 +310,26 @@ describe('ListView', () => {
     expect(wrapper2.find(TableCollection).exists()).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it('allows setting the default view mode', async () => {
+    const wrapper2 = factory({
+      ...mockedProps,
+      renderCard: jest.fn(),
+      defaultViewMode: 'card',
+      initialSort: [{ id: 'something' }],
+    });
+    await waitForComponentToPaint(wrapper2);
+    expect(wrapper2.find(CardCollection).exists()).toBe(true);
+
+    const wrapper3 = factory({
+      ...mockedProps,
+      renderCard: jest.fn(),
+      defaultViewMode: 'table',
+      initialSort: [{ id: 'something' }],
+    });
+    await waitForComponentToPaint(wrapper3);
+    expect(wrapper3.find(TableCollection).exists()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('Throws an exception if filter missing in columns', () => {
     expect.assertions(1);
     const props = {
diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList_spec.jsx b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList_spec.jsx
index 73dd9eea3..14366a444 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList_spec.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList_spec.jsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import thunk from 'redux-thunk';
 import configureStore from 'redux-mock-store';
 import fetchMock from 'fetch-mock';
+import * as featureFlags from 'src/featureFlags';
 
 import waitForComponentToPaint from 'spec/helpers/waitForComponentToPaint';
 import { styledMount as mount } from 'spec/helpers/theming';
@@ -75,6 +76,13 @@ global.URL.createObjectURL = jest.fn();
 fetchMock.get('/thumbnail', { body: new Blob(), sendAsJson: false });
 
 describe('ChartList', () => {
+  const isFeatureEnabledMock = jest
+    .spyOn(featureFlags, 'isFeatureEnabled')
+    .mockImplementation(feature => feature === 'THUMBNAILS');
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    isFeatureEnabledMock.restore();
+  });
   const mockedProps = {};
   const wrapper = mount(<ChartList {...mockedProps} />, {
     context: { store },
diff --git a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList_spec.jsx b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList_spec.jsx
index fd824147f..f5c18d3a3 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList_spec.jsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/spec/javascripts/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList_spec.jsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import thunk from 'redux-thunk';
 import configureStore from 'redux-mock-store';
 import fetchMock from 'fetch-mock';
+import * as featureFlags from 'src/featureFlags';
 
 import waitForComponentToPaint from 'spec/helpers/waitForComponentToPaint';
 import { styledMount as mount } from 'spec/helpers/theming';
@@ -67,6 +68,14 @@ global.URL.createObjectURL = jest.fn();
 fetchMock.get('/thumbnail', { body: new Blob(), sendAsJson: false });
 
 describe('DashboardList', () => {
+  const isFeatureEnabledMock = jest
+    .spyOn(featureFlags, 'isFeatureEnabled')
+    .mockImplementation(feature => feature === 'THUMBNAILS');
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    isFeatureEnabledMock.restore();
+  });
+
   const mockedProps = {};
   const wrapper = mount(<DashboardList {...mockedProps} />, {
     context: { store },
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/components/ListView/ListView.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/components/ListView/ListView.tsx
index 9e92c7797..f825753a0 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/components/ListView/ListView.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/components/ListView/ListView.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 import { t } from '@superset-ui/translation';
-import React, { FunctionComponent, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { Alert } from 'react-bootstrap';
 import styled from '@superset-ui/style';
 import cx from 'classnames';
@@ -174,7 +174,9 @@ const ViewModeToggle = ({
     </ViewModeContainer>
   );
 };
-export interface ListViewProps<T = any> {
+
+type ViewModeType = 'card' | 'table';
+export interface ListViewProps<T extends object = any> {
   columns: any[];
   data: T[];
   count: number;
@@ -193,11 +195,12 @@ export interface ListViewProps<T = any> {
   bulkSelectEnabled?: boolean;
   disableBulkSelect?: () => void;
   renderBulkSelectCopy?: (selects: any[]) => React.ReactNode;
-  renderCard?: (row: T) => React.ReactNode;
+  renderCard?: (row: T & { loading: boolean }) => React.ReactNode;
   cardSortSelectOptions?: Array<CardSortSelectOption>;
+  defaultViewMode?: ViewModeType;
 }
 
-const ListView: FunctionComponent<ListViewProps> = ({
+function ListView<T extends object = any>({
   columns,
   data,
   count,
@@ -213,7 +216,8 @@ const ListView: FunctionComponent<ListViewProps> = ({
   renderBulkSelectCopy = selected => t('%s Selected', selected.length),
   renderCard,
   cardSortSelectOptions,
-}) => {
+  defaultViewMode = 'card',
+}: ListViewProps<T>) {
   const {
     getTableProps,
     getTableBodyProps,
@@ -253,8 +257,8 @@ const ListView: FunctionComponent<ListViewProps> = ({
   }
 
   const cardViewEnabled = Boolean(renderCard);
-  const [viewingMode, setViewingMode] = useState<'table' | 'card'>(
-    cardViewEnabled ? 'card' : 'table',
+  const [viewingMode, setViewingMode] = useState<ViewModeType>(
+    cardViewEnabled ? defaultViewMode : 'table',
   );
 
   return (
@@ -365,6 +369,6 @@ const ListView: FunctionComponent<ListViewProps> = ({
       </div>
     </ListViewStyles>
   );
-};
+}
 
 export default ListView;
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/featureFlags.ts b/superset-frontend/src/featureFlags.ts
index 08535787d..35817c74b 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/featureFlags.ts
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/featureFlags.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export enum FeatureFlag {
   ESTIMATE_QUERY_COST = 'ESTIMATE_QUERY_COST',
   SHARE_QUERIES_VIA_KV_STORE = 'SHARE_QUERIES_VIA_KV_STORE',
   SQLLAB_BACKEND_PERSISTENCE = 'SQLLAB_BACKEND_PERSISTENCE',
+  THUMBNAILS = 'THUMBNAILS',
 }
 
 export type FeatureFlagMap = {
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList.tsx
index 514a93a70..bf2fded8b 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/chart/ChartList.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { getChartMetadataRegistry } from '@superset-ui/chart';
 import React, { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
 import rison from 'rison';
 import { uniqBy } from 'lodash';
+import { isFeatureEnabled, FeatureFlag } from 'src/featureFlags';
 import { createFetchRelated, createErrorHandler } from 'src/views/CRUD/utils';
 import { useListViewResource, useFavoriteStatus } from 'src/views/CRUD/hooks';
 import ConfirmStatusChange from 'src/components/ConfirmStatusChange';
@@ -502,7 +503,7 @@ function ChartList(props: ChartListProps) {
             : [];
 
           return (
-            <ListView
+            <ListView<Chart>
               bulkActions={bulkActions}
               bulkSelectEnabled={bulkSelectEnabled}
               cardSortSelectOptions={sortTypes}
@@ -517,6 +518,9 @@ function ChartList(props: ChartListProps) {
               loading={loading}
               pageSize={PAGE_SIZE}
               renderCard={renderCard}
+              defaultViewMode={
+                isFeatureEnabled(FeatureFlag.THUMBNAILS) ? 'card' : 'table'
+              }
             />
           );
         }}
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList.tsx
index fded93a1b..29f40b3e5 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/dashboard/DashboardList.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { SupersetClient } from '@superset-ui/connection';
 import { t } from '@superset-ui/translation';
 import React, { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
 import rison from 'rison';
+import { isFeatureEnabled, FeatureFlag } from 'src/featureFlags';
 import { createFetchRelated, createErrorHandler } from 'src/views/CRUD/utils';
 import { useListViewResource, useFavoriteStatus } from 'src/views/CRUD/hooks';
 import ConfirmStatusChange from 'src/components/ConfirmStatusChange';
@@ -510,7 +511,7 @@ function DashboardList(props: DashboardListProps) {
                   onSubmit={handleDashboardEdit}
                 />
               )}
-              <ListView
+              <ListView<Dashboard>
                 bulkActions={bulkActions}
                 bulkSelectEnabled={bulkSelectEnabled}
                 cardSortSelectOptions={sortTypes}
@@ -525,6 +526,9 @@ function DashboardList(props: DashboardListProps) {
                 loading={loading}
                 pageSize={PAGE_SIZE}
                 renderCard={renderCard}
+                defaultViewMode={
+                  isFeatureEnabled(FeatureFlag.THUMBNAILS) ? 'card' : 'table'
+                }
               />
             </>
           );
diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/dataset/DatasetList.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/dataset/DatasetList.tsx
index 668739c5f..c11bac5c9 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/dataset/DatasetList.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/dataset/DatasetList.tsx
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ const DatasetList: FunctionComponent<DatasetListProps> = ({
             : [];
 
           return (
-            <ListView
+            <ListView<Dataset>
               className="dataset-list-view"
               columns={columns}
               data={datasets}