diff --git a/packages/widgets/src/dockpanel.ts b/packages/widgets/src/dockpanel.ts
index 593000d81..6c6db69f9 100644
--- a/packages/widgets/src/dockpanel.ts
+++ b/packages/widgets/src/dockpanel.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
     if (options.tabsMovable !== undefined) {
       this._tabsMovable = options.tabsMovable;
     }
+    if(options.tabsConstrained !== undefined){
+      this._tabsConstrained = options.tabsConstrained;
+    }
 
     // Toggle the CSS mode attribute.
     this.dataset['mode'] = this._mode;
@@ -204,6 +207,7 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
   get tabsMovable(): boolean {
     return this._tabsMovable;
   }
+  
 
   /**
    * Enable / Disable draggable / movable tabs.
@@ -213,6 +217,20 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
     each(this.tabBars(), (tabbar) => { tabbar.tabsMovable = value });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether the tabs are constrained to their source dock panel
+   */
+  get tabsConstrained(): boolean{
+    return this._tabsConstrained;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constrain/Allow tabs to be dragged outside of this dock panel
+   */
+  set tabsConstrained(value:boolean) {
+    this._tabsConstrained = value;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Whether the dock panel is empty.
    */
@@ -516,7 +534,7 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
 
     // Show the drop indicator overlay and update the drop
     // action based on the drop target zone under the mouse.
-    if (this._showOverlay(event.clientX, event.clientY) === 'invalid') {
+    if ((this._tabsConstrained && event.source !== this) || this._showOverlay(event.clientX, event.clientY) === 'invalid') {
       event.dropAction = 'none';
     } else {
       event.dropAction = event.proposedAction;
@@ -970,6 +988,7 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
       mimeData, dragImage,
       proposedAction: 'move',
       supportedActions: 'move',
+      source: this
     });
 
     // Hide the tab node in the original tab.
@@ -996,6 +1015,7 @@ class DockPanel extends Widget {
   private _drag: Drag | null = null;
   private _renderer: DockPanel.IRenderer;
   private _tabsMovable: boolean = true;
+  private _tabsConstrained: boolean = false;
   private _pressData: Private.IPressData | null = null;
   private _layoutModified = new Signal<this, void>(this);
 }
@@ -1035,7 +1055,7 @@ namespace DockPanel {
     /**
      * The mode for the dock panel.
      *
-     * The deafult is `'multiple-document'`.
+     * The default is `'multiple-document'`.
      */
     mode?: DockPanel.Mode;
 
@@ -1051,6 +1071,13 @@ namespace DockPanel {
      * The default is `'true'`.
      */
     tabsMovable?: boolean;
+
+    /**
+     * Constrain tabs to this dock panel
+     * 
+     * The default is `'false'`.
+     */
+    tabsConstrained?: boolean;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/widgets/tests/src/dockpanel.spec.ts b/packages/widgets/tests/src/dockpanel.spec.ts
index c95cecc6b..c45ea5b5d 100644
--- a/packages/widgets/tests/src/dockpanel.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/widgets/tests/src/dockpanel.spec.ts
@@ -40,12 +40,18 @@ describe('@lumino/widgets', () => {
         let renderer = Object.create(TabBar.defaultRenderer);
         let panel = new DockPanel({
           tabsMovable: true,
-          renderer
+          renderer,
+          tabsConstrained:true
         });
         each(panel.tabBars(), (tabBar) => { expect(tabBar.tabsMovable).to.equal(true); });
         each(panel.tabBars(), (tabBar) => { expect(tabBar.renderer).to.equal(renderer); });
       });
 
+      it('should not have tabs constrained by default', ()=>{
+        let panel = new DockPanel();
+        expect(panel.tabsConstrained).to.equal(false);
+      })
+
       it('should add a `lm-DockPanel` class', () => {
         let panel = new DockPanel();
         expect(panel.hasClass('lm-DockPanel')).to.equal(true);
@@ -89,4 +95,4 @@ describe('@lumino/widgets', () => {
 
   });
 
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});