diff --git a/src/app/ui/main_window.cpp b/src/app/ui/main_window.cpp
index 1d70c359d6..d242ee55dc 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/main_window.cpp
+++ b/src/app/ui/main_window.cpp
@@ -430,6 +430,34 @@ void MainWindow::onContextMenuTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView)
     view->onTabPopup(m_workspace);
 }
 
+void MainWindow::onTabsContainerDoubleClicked(Tabs* tabs)
+{
+  WorkspacePanel* mainPanel = m_workspace->mainPanel();
+  WorkspaceView* oldActiveView = mainPanel->activeView();
+  app::Document* oldDoc = static_cast<app::Document*>(UIContext::instance()->activeDocument());
+
+  Command* command = CommandsModule::instance()->getCommandByName(CommandId::NewFile);
+  UIContext::instance()->executeCommand(command);
+
+  app::Document* newDoc = static_cast<app::Document*>(UIContext::instance()->activeDocument());
+  if (newDoc != oldDoc) {
+    WorkspacePanel* doubleClickedPanel =
+      static_cast<WorkspaceTabs*>(tabs)->panel();
+
+    // TODO move this code to workspace?
+    // Put the new sprite in the double-clicked tabs control
+    if (doubleClickedPanel != mainPanel) {
+      WorkspaceView* newView = m_workspace->activeView();
+      m_workspace->removeView(newView);
+      m_workspace->addViewToPanel(doubleClickedPanel, newView, false, -1);
+
+      // Re-activate the old view in the main panel
+      mainPanel->setActiveView(oldActiveView);
+      doubleClickedPanel->setActiveView(newView);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void MainWindow::onMouseOverTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView)
 {
   // Note: tabView can be NULL
diff --git a/src/app/ui/main_window.h b/src/app/ui/main_window.h
index 53838e0564..ebbf424d42 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/main_window.h
+++ b/src/app/ui/main_window.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ namespace app {
     void onCloseTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) override;
     void onCloneTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView, int pos) override;
     void onContextMenuTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) override;
+    void onTabsContainerDoubleClicked(Tabs* tabs) override;
     void onMouseOverTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) override;
     DropViewPreviewResult onFloatingTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView, const gfx::Point& pos) override;
     void onDockingTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) override;
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tabs.cpp b/src/app/ui/tabs.cpp
index 65feb7b810..72e4fa5edc 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tabs.cpp
+++ b/src/app/ui/tabs.cpp
@@ -440,6 +440,13 @@ bool Tabs::onProcessMessage(Message* msg)
       updateMouseCursor();
       return true;
 
+    case kDoubleClickMessage:
+      // When we double-click outside tabs (!m_hot), we trigger the
+      // double-click in tabs container to show the "New Sprite" dialog.
+      if (!m_hot && m_delegate)
+        m_delegate->onTabsContainerDoubleClicked(this);
+      return true;
+
   }
 
   return Widget::onProcessMessage(msg);
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tabs.h b/src/app/ui/tabs.h
index 95c107378f..a3f2883b42 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tabs.h
+++ b/src/app/ui/tabs.h
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ namespace app {
     // When the right-click is pressed in the tab.
     virtual void onContextMenuTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) = 0;
 
+    // When the tab bar background is double-clicked.
+    virtual void onTabsContainerDoubleClicked(Tabs* tabs) = 0;
+
     // Called when the mouse is over a tab (the data can be null if the
     // mouse just leave all tabs)
     virtual void onMouseOverTab(Tabs* tabs, TabView* tabView) = 0;
diff --git a/src/app/ui/workspace.h b/src/app/ui/workspace.h
index 8db8bffb3d..dbf5128be5 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/workspace.h
+++ b/src/app/ui/workspace.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Aseprite
-// Copyright (C) 2001-2016  David Capello
+// Copyright (C) 2001-2017  David Capello
 //
 // This program is distributed under the terms of
 // the End-User License Agreement for Aseprite.
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ namespace app {
     bool onClear(Context* ctx) override;
     void onCancel(Context* ctx) override;
 
+    WorkspacePanel* mainPanel() { return &m_mainPanel; }
+
     obs::signal<void()> ActiveViewChanged;
 
   protected: