diff --git a/notebook/static/base/images/favicon-busy.ico b/notebook/static/base/images/favicon-busy.ico
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85f9995a47
Binary files /dev/null and b/notebook/static/base/images/favicon-busy.ico differ
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/notificationarea.js b/notebook/static/notebook/js/notificationarea.js
index 36b3dd60d0..092f478437 100644
--- a/notebook/static/notebook/js/notificationarea.js
+++ b/notebook/static/notebook/js/notificationarea.js
@@ -242,27 +242,42 @@ define([
             $kernel_ind_icon.attr('class','kernel_dead_icon').attr('title','Kernel Dead');
             knw.danger(short, undefined, showMsg);
         });
+        
+        var change_favicon = function (src) {
+            var link = document.createElement('link'),
+                oldLink = document.getElementById('favicon');
+            link.id = 'favicon';
+            link.type = 'image/x-icon';
+            link.rel = 'shortcut icon';
+            link.href = src;
+            if (oldLink) document.head.removeChild(oldLink);
+            document.head.appendChild(link);
+        };
 
         this.events.on('kernel_starting.Kernel kernel_created.Session', function () {
-            window.document.title='(Starting) '+window.document.title;
+            // window.document.title='(Starting) '+window.document.title;
             $kernel_ind_icon.attr('class','kernel_busy_icon').attr('title','Kernel Busy');
             knw.set_message("Kernel starting, please wait...");
+            change_favicon('/static/base/images/favicon-busy.ico');
         });
 
         this.events.on('kernel_ready.Kernel', function () {
-            that.save_widget.update_document_title();
+            // that.save_widget.update_document_title();
             $kernel_ind_icon.attr('class','kernel_idle_icon').attr('title','Kernel Idle');
             knw.info("Kernel ready", 500);
+            change_favicon('/static/base/images/favicon.ico');
         });
 
         this.events.on('kernel_idle.Kernel', function () {
-            that.save_widget.update_document_title();
+            // that.save_widget.update_document_title();
             $kernel_ind_icon.attr('class','kernel_idle_icon').attr('title','Kernel Idle');
+            change_favicon('/static/base/images/favicon.ico');
         });
 
         this.events.on('kernel_busy.Kernel', function () {
-            window.document.title='(Busy) '+window.document.title;
+            // window.document.title='(Busy) '+window.document.title;
             $kernel_ind_icon.attr('class','kernel_busy_icon').attr('title','Kernel Busy');
+            change_favicon('/static/base/images/favicon-busy.ico');
         });
 
         this.events.on('spec_match_found.Kernel', function (evt, data) {
diff --git a/notebook/templates/page.html b/notebook/templates/page.html
index 5860517e02..e96aac2279 100644
--- a/notebook/templates/page.html
+++ b/notebook/templates/page.html
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <meta charset="utf-8">
 
     <title>{% block title %}Jupyter Notebook{% endblock %}</title>
-    {% block favicon %}<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="{{static_url("base/images/favicon.ico") }}">{% endblock %}
+    {% block favicon %}<link id="favicon" rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="{{static_url("base/images/favicon.ico") }}">{% endblock %}
     <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{static_url("components/jquery-ui/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.min.css") }}" type="text/css" />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{static_url("components/jquery-typeahead/dist/jquery.typeahead.min.css") }}" type="text/css" />