diff --git a/api-generator/components/tabmenu.js b/api-generator/components/tabmenu.js
index 8f3954a6e..c586f2fdd 100644
--- a/api-generator/components/tabmenu.js
+++ b/api-generator/components/tabmenu.js
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ const TabMenuSlots = [
     {
         name: 'item',
         description: 'Template of a menuitem.'
+    },
+    {
+        name: 'itemicon',
+        description: 'Custom item icon template.'
     }
 ];
 
diff --git a/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.d.ts b/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.d.ts
index f6e54f9c8..351197ec2 100755
--- a/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.d.ts
+++ b/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.d.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,20 @@ export interface TabMenuSlots {
          */
         item: MenuItem;
     }): VNode[];
+    /**
+     * Custom item icon template.
+     * @param {Object} scope - item icon slot's params.
+     */
+    itemicon(scope: {
+        /**
+         * Menuitem instance
+         */
+        item: MenuItem;
+        /**
+         * Style class of the item icon element.
+         */
+        class: any;
+    }): VNode[];
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.vue b/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.vue
index ad14ccb41..8e7945b7c 100755
--- a/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.vue
+++ b/components/lib/tabmenu/TabMenu.vue
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
                                 @click="onItemClick($event, item, i, navigate)"
                                 @keydown="onKeydownItem($event, item, i, navigate)"
                             >
-                                <span v-if="item.icon" :class="getItemIcon(item)"></span>
+                                <component :is="$slots.itemicon || (item.icon ? 'span' : undefined)" :item="item" :class="getItemIcon(item)" />
                                 <span class="p-menuitem-text">{{ label(item) }}</span>
                             </a>
                         </template>
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
                 <li v-else-if="visible(item)" ref="tab" :class="getItemClass(item, i)" role="presentation" @click="onItemClick($event, item, i)" @keydown="onKeydownItem($event, item, i)">
                     <template v-if="!$slots.item">
                         <a ref="tabLink" v-ripple role="menuitem" :href="item.url" class="p-menuitem-link" :target="item.target" :aria-label="label(item)" :aria-disabled="disabled(item)" :tabindex="setTabIndex(i)">
-                            <span v-if="item.icon" :class="getItemIcon(item)"></span>
+                            <component :is="$slots.itemicon || (item.icon ? 'span' : undefined)" :item="item" :class="getItemIcon(item)" />
                             <span class="p-menuitem-text">{{ label(item) }}</span>
                         </a>
                     </template>