--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabsPanel.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/tabs/TabsPanel.java
@@ -2,16 +2,17 @@
 /* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
  * You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 package org.mozilla.gecko.tabs;
 
 import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.AppConstants.Versions;
+import org.mozilla.gecko.Experiments;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoApp;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoApplication;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoSharedPrefs;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.R;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.Telemetry;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.TelemetryContract;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.animation.PropertyAnimator;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.animation.ViewHelper;
@@ -37,16 +38,19 @@ import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.Menu;
 import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.Button;
 import android.widget.FrameLayout;
 import android.widget.ImageButton;
 import android.widget.LinearLayout;
 import android.widget.RelativeLayout;
+
+import com.keepsafe.switchboard.SwitchBoard;
+
 import org.mozilla.gecko.widget.themed.ThemedImageButton;
 
 public class TabsPanel extends LinearLayout
                        implements GeckoPopupMenu.OnMenuItemClickListener,
                                   LightweightTheme.OnChangeListener,
                                   IconTabWidget.OnTabChangedListener,
                                   SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener {
     private static final String LOGTAG = "Gecko" + TabsPanel.class.getSimpleName();
@@ -80,17 +84,18 @@ public class TabsPanel extends LinearLay
                 context.getResources().getConfiguration().orientation == Configuration.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE;
     }
 
     public static View createTabsLayout(final Context context, final AttributeSet attrs) {
         if (tabletOrLandscapeMode(context)) {
             return new AutoFitTabsGridLayout(context, attrs);
         } else {
             // Phone in portrait mode.
-            if (GeckoSharedPrefs.forApp(context).getBoolean(GeckoPreferences.PREFS_COMPACT_TABS, false)) {
+            if (GeckoSharedPrefs.forApp(context).getBoolean(GeckoPreferences.PREFS_COMPACT_TABS,
+                    SwitchBoard.isInExperiment(context, Experiments.COMPACT_TABS))) {
                 return new CompactTabsGridLayout(context, attrs);
             } else {
                 return new TabsListLayout(context, attrs);
             }
         }
     }
 
     private final Context mContext;