diff --git a/ui/src/dashboards/components/DashboardHeader.js b/ui/src/dashboards/components/DashboardHeader.js
index 0d2b936a9f..945fd584cd 100644
--- a/ui/src/dashboards/components/DashboardHeader.js
+++ b/ui/src/dashboards/components/DashboardHeader.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import React, {PropTypes} from 'react'
+import classnames from 'classnames'
 
 import AutoRefreshDropdown from 'shared/components/AutoRefreshDropdown'
 import TimeRangeDropdown from 'shared/components/TimeRangeDropdown'
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ const DashboardHeader = ({
   onAddCell,
   onEditDashboard,
   onToggleTempVarControls,
+  isTempVarsControlsOpen,
 }) =>
   isHidden
     ? null
@@ -62,7 +64,9 @@ const DashboardHeader = ({
               : null}
             {dashboard
               ? <div
-                  className="btn btn-info btn-sm"
+                  className={classnames('btn btn-info btn-sm', {
+                    active: isTempVarsControlsOpen,
+                  })}
                   onClick={onToggleTempVarControls}
                 >
                   <span className="icon cube" />Template Variables
@@ -105,6 +109,7 @@ DashboardHeader.propTypes = {
   onAddCell: func,
   onEditDashboard: func,
   onToggleTempVarControls: func,
+  isTempVarsControlsOpen: bool,
 }
 
 export default DashboardHeader
diff --git a/ui/src/dashboards/containers/DashboardPage.js b/ui/src/dashboards/containers/DashboardPage.js
index 3b466443de..b16ab6be95 100644
--- a/ui/src/dashboards/containers/DashboardPage.js
+++ b/ui/src/dashboards/containers/DashboardPage.js
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ class DashboardPage extends Component {
               onAddCell={this.handleAddCell}
               onEditDashboard={this.handleEditDashboard}
               onToggleTempVarControls={this.handleTempVarsControlsToggle}
+              isTempVarsControlsOpen={isTempVarsControlsOpen}
             >
               {dashboards
                 ? dashboards.map((d, i) => (
diff --git a/ui/src/style/theme/theme-dark.scss b/ui/src/style/theme/theme-dark.scss
index 31509c31b6..5124149a41 100644
--- a/ui/src/style/theme/theme-dark.scss
+++ b/ui/src/style/theme/theme-dark.scss
@@ -165,6 +165,14 @@ button.btn.btn-sm > span.icon {
   }
 }
 
+/* Active state for buttons */
+.btn-info.active {
+  &, &:hover, &:active, &:focus {
+    background-color: $g7-graphite;
+    color: $g20-white;
+  }
+}
+
 
 
 /*