diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TabbedSqlEditors.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TabbedSqlEditors.jsx
index 776133204034e..bc828b718e6b1 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TabbedSqlEditors.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TabbedSqlEditors.jsx
@@ -101,7 +101,9 @@ class TabbedSqlEditors extends React.PureComponent {
     const activeQueryEditor = this.activeQueryEditor();
     const qe = {
       title: `Untitled Query ${queryCount}`,
-      dbId: (activeQueryEditor) ? activeQueryEditor.dbId : null,
+      dbId: (activeQueryEditor && activeQueryEditor.dbId) ?
+        activeQueryEditor.dbId :
+        this.props.defaultDbId,
       schema: (activeQueryEditor) ? activeQueryEditor.schema : null,
       autorun: false,
       sql: 'SELECT ...',
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
     tabHistory: state.tabHistory,
     networkOn: state.networkOn,
     tables: state.tables,
+    defaultDbId: state.defaultDbId,
   };
 }
 function mapDispatchToProps(dispatch) {
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/index.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/index.jsx
index e34186c7b07a4..13df75d80c4cf 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/index.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/index.jsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require('bootstrap');
 
 import React from 'react';
 import { render } from 'react-dom';
-import { initialState, sqlLabReducer } from './reducers';
+import { getInitialState, sqlLabReducer } from './reducers';
 import { enhancer } from '../reduxUtils';
 import { createStore, compose, applyMiddleware } from 'redux';
 import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ import App from './components/App';
 
 require('./main.css');
 
+const appContainer = document.getElementById('app');
+const bootstrapData = JSON.parse(appContainer.getAttribute('data-bootstrap'));
+const state = Object.assign({}, getInitialState(bootstrapData.defaultDbId), bootstrapData);
+
 let store = createStore(
-  sqlLabReducer, initialState, compose(applyMiddleware(thunkMiddleware), enhancer()));
+  sqlLabReducer, state, compose(applyMiddleware(thunkMiddleware), enhancer()));
 
 // jquery hack to highlight the navbar menu
 $('a:contains("SQL Lab")').parent().addClass('active');
@@ -25,5 +29,5 @@ render(
   <Provider store={store}>
     <App />
   </Provider>,
-  document.getElementById('app')
+  appContainer
 );
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
index 791a86a218011..8a2bbdf308530 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
@@ -4,27 +4,29 @@ import { now } from '../modules/dates';
 import { addToObject, alterInObject, alterInArr, removeFromArr, getFromArr, addToArr }
   from '../reduxUtils.js';
 
-export const defaultQueryEditor = {
-  id: shortid.generate(),
-  title: 'Untitled Query',
-  sql: 'SELECT *\nFROM\nWHERE',
-  selectedText: null,
-  latestQueryId: null,
-  autorun: false,
-  dbId: null,
-};
+export function getInitialState(defaultDbId) {
+  const defaultQueryEditor = {
+    id: shortid.generate(),
+    title: 'Untitled Query',
+    sql: 'SELECT *\nFROM\nWHERE',
+    selectedText: null,
+    latestQueryId: null,
+    autorun: false,
+    dbId: defaultDbId,
+  };
 
-export const initialState = {
-  alerts: [],
-  networkOn: true,
-  queries: {},
-  databases: {},
-  queryEditors: [defaultQueryEditor],
-  tabHistory: [defaultQueryEditor.id],
-  tables: [],
-  queriesLastUpdate: 0,
-  activeSouthPaneTab: 'Results',
-};
+  return {
+    alerts: [],
+    networkOn: true,
+    queries: {},
+    databases: {},
+    queryEditors: [defaultQueryEditor],
+    tabHistory: [defaultQueryEditor.id],
+    tables: [],
+    queriesLastUpdate: 0,
+    activeSouthPaneTab: 'Results',
+  };
+}
 
 export const sqlLabReducer = function (state, action) {
   const actionHandlers = {
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ export const sqlLabReducer = function (state, action) {
       return Object.assign({}, state, { queries: newQueries });
     },
     [actions.RESET_STATE]() {
-      return Object.assign({}, initialState);
+      return Object.assign({}, getInitialState());
     },
     [actions.MERGE_TABLE]() {
       const at = Object.assign({}, action.table);
diff --git a/superset/config.py b/superset/config.py
index bf5913253a68e..697eb5b7289cd 100644
--- a/superset/config.py
+++ b/superset/config.py
@@ -234,6 +234,9 @@ class CeleryConfig(object):
 # Timeout duration for SQL Lab synchronous queries
 SQLLAB_TIMEOUT = 30
 
+# SQLLAB_DEFAULT_DBID
+SQLLAB_DEFAULT_DBID = None
+
 # An instantiated derivative of werkzeug.contrib.cache.BaseCache
 # if enabled, it can be used to store the results of long-running queries
 # in SQL Lab by using the "Run Async" button/feature
diff --git a/superset/views.py b/superset/views.py
index 8369ce3ca9476..955ac0b13ff29 100755
--- a/superset/views.py
+++ b/superset/views.py
@@ -2702,8 +2702,13 @@ def profile(self, username):
     @expose("/sqllab")
     def sqllab(self):
         """SQL Editor"""
-        return self.render_template('superset/sqllab.html')
-
+        d = {
+            'defaultDbId': config.get('SQLLAB_DEFAULT_DBID'),
+        }
+        return self.render_template(
+            'superset/sqllab.html',
+            bootstrap_data=json.dumps(d, default=utils.json_iso_dttm_ser)
+        )
 appbuilder.add_view_no_menu(Superset)
 
 if config['DRUID_IS_ACTIVE']: