--- a/browser/components/extensions/ext-browserAction.js
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/ext-browserAction.js
@@ -33,17 +33,24 @@ function isAncestorOrSelf(target, node) 
     if (node === target) {
       return true;
     }
   }
   return false;
 }
 
 // WeakMap[Extension -> BrowserAction]
-var browserActionMap = new WeakMap();
+const browserActionMap = new WeakMap();
+
+const browserAreas = {
+  "navbar": CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR,
+  "menupanel": CustomizableUI.AREA_PANEL,
+  "tabstrip": CustomizableUI.AREA_TABSTRIP,
+  "personaltoolbar": CustomizableUI.AREA_BOOKMARKS,
+};
 
 // Responsible for the browser_action section of the manifest as well
 // as the associated popup.
 function BrowserAction(options, extension) {
   this.extension = extension;
 
   let widgetId = makeWidgetId(extension.id);
   this.id = `${widgetId}-browser-action`;
@@ -57,16 +64,17 @@ function BrowserAction(options, extensio
 
   this.defaults = {
     enabled: true,
     title: options.default_title || extension.name,
     badgeText: "",
     badgeBackgroundColor: null,
     icon: IconDetails.normalize({path: options.default_icon}, extension),
     popup: options.default_popup || "",
+    area: browserAreas[options.default_area || "navbar"],
   };
 
   this.browserStyle = options.browser_style || false;
   if (options.browser_style === null) {
     this.extension.logger.warn("Please specify whether you want browser_style " +
                                "or not in your browser_action options.");
   }
 
@@ -80,17 +88,17 @@ BrowserAction.prototype = {
   build() {
     let widget = CustomizableUI.createWidget({
       id: this.id,
       viewId: this.viewId,
       type: "view",
       removable: true,
       label: this.defaults.title || this.extension.name,
       tooltiptext: this.defaults.title || "",
-      defaultArea: CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR,
+      defaultArea: this.defaults.area,
 
       onBeforeCreated: document => {
         let view = document.createElementNS(XUL_NS, "panelview");
         view.id = this.viewId;
         view.setAttribute("flex", "1");
 
         document.getElementById("PanelUI-multiView").appendChild(view);
         document.addEventListener("popupshowing", this);

--- a/browser/components/extensions/schemas/browser_action.json
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/schemas/browser_action.json
@@ -26,16 +26,22 @@
                 "type": "string",
                 "format": "relativeUrl",
                 "optional": true,
                 "preprocess": "localize"
               },
               "browser_style": {
                 "type": "boolean",
                 "optional": true
+              },
+              "default_area": {
+                "description": "Defines the location the browserAction will appear by default.  The default location is navbar.",
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": ["navbar", "menupanel", "tabstrip", "personaltoolbar"],
+                "optional": true
               }
             },
             "optional": true
           }
         }
       }
     ]
   },

--- a/browser/components/extensions/test/browser/browser-common.ini
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/test/browser/browser-common.ini
@@ -19,16 +19,17 @@ support-files =
   file_dummy.html
   file_inspectedwindow_reload_target.sjs
   file_serviceWorker.html
   serviceWorker.js
   searchSuggestionEngine.xml
   searchSuggestionEngine.sjs
   ../../../../../toolkit/components/extensions/test/mochitest/head_webrequest.js
 
+[browser_ext_browserAction_area.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_context.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_disabled.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_pageAction_icon.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_pageAction_icon_permissions.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_popup.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_popup_preload.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_popup_resize.js]
 [browser_ext_browserAction_simple.js]

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/test/browser/browser_ext_browserAction_area.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/* -*- Mode: indent-tabs-mode: nil; js-indent-level: 2 -*- */
+/* vim: set sts=2 sw=2 et tw=80: */
+"use strict";
+
+var browserAreas = {
+  "navbar": CustomizableUI.AREA_NAVBAR,
+  "menupanel": CustomizableUI.AREA_PANEL,
+  "tabstrip": CustomizableUI.AREA_TABSTRIP,
+  "personaltoolbar": CustomizableUI.AREA_BOOKMARKS,
+};
+
+function* testInArea(area) {
+  let manifest = {
+    "browser_action": {
+      "browser_style": true,
+    },
+  };
+  if (area) {
+    manifest.browser_action.default_area = area;
+  }
+  let extension = ExtensionTestUtils.loadExtension({
+    manifest,
+  });
+  yield extension.startup();
+  let widget = getBrowserActionWidget(extension);
+  let placement = CustomizableUI.getPlacementOfWidget(widget.id);
+  is(placement && placement.area, browserAreas[area || "navbar"], `widget located in correct area`);
+  yield extension.unload();
+}
+
+add_task(function* testBrowserActionDefaultArea() {
+  yield testInArea();
+});
+
+add_task(function* testBrowserActionInToolbar() {
+  yield testInArea("navbar");
+});
+
+add_task(function* testBrowserActionInMenuPanel() {
+  yield testInArea("menupanel");
+});
+
+add_task(function* testBrowserActionInTabStrip() {
+  yield testInArea("tabstrip");
+});
+
+add_task(function* testBrowserActionInPersonalToolbar() {
+  yield testInArea("personaltoolbar");
+});