diff --git a/webadmin/src/theme.scss b/webadmin/src/theme.scss
index 92e6d1f47..6e6cda6d2 100644
--- a/webadmin/src/theme.scss
+++ b/webadmin/src/theme.scss
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ html {
 }
 
 .highlight {
-    transition: background-color 500ms;
 }
 
 .highlight:hover {
@@ -147,6 +146,12 @@ html {
     cursor: pointer;
 }
 
+.appstore-item-content-testing {
+    background-color: rgb(201, 201, 201);
+    background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15) 50%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent);
+    background-size: 64px 64px;
+}
+
 .appstore-item-content-title {
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
     white-space: nowrap;
diff --git a/webadmin/src/views/appstore.html b/webadmin/src/views/appstore.html
index 29634c681..90bdf5ae3 100644
--- a/webadmin/src/views/appstore.html
+++ b/webadmin/src/views/appstore.html
@@ -94,11 +94,13 @@
             <a href="" class="appstore-category-link" ng-click="showCategory($event);" ng-class="{'category-active': category === 'sync' }" category="sync">Media Sync</a>
             <a href="" class="appstore-category-link" ng-click="showCategory($event);" ng-class="{'category-active': category === 'git' }" category="git">Code Hosting</a>
             <a href="" class="appstore-category-link" ng-click="showCategory($event);" ng-class="{'category-active': category === 'wiki' }" category="wiki">Wiki</a>
+            <br/>
+            <a href="" class="appstore-category-link" ng-click="showCategory($event);" ng-class="{'category-active': category === 'testing' }" category="testing" ng-show="config.developerMode">Testing</a>
         </div>
         <div class="col-md-10" ng-show="ready && apps.length">
             <div class="row-no-margin">
                 <div class="col-sm-1 appstore-item" ng-repeat="app in apps">
-                    <div class="appstore-item-content highlight" ng-click="showInstall(app)">
+                    <div class="appstore-item-content highlight" ng-click="showInstall(app)" ng-class="{ 'appstore-item-content-testing': app.publishState === 'testing' }">
                         <div class="appstore-item-content-icon col-same-height">
                             <img ng-src="{{app.iconUrl}}" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src='img/appicon_fallback.png'" class="app-icon"/>
                         </div>
diff --git a/webadmin/src/views/appstore.js b/webadmin/src/views/appstore.js
index 8a4204c02..d9a00402a 100644
--- a/webadmin/src/views/appstore.js
+++ b/webadmin/src/views/appstore.js
@@ -20,6 +20,25 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('AppStoreController', ['$scope', '$loca
         mediaLinks: []
     };
 
+
+    function getAppList(callback) {
+        AppStore.getApps(function (error, apps) {
+            if (error) return callback(error);
+
+            Client.getNonApprovedApps(function (error, result) {
+                if (error) return callback(error);
+
+                // add testing tag to the manifest for UI and search reasons
+                result.forEach(function (app) {
+                    app.manifest.tags.push('testing');
+                });
+
+                callback(null, apps.concat(result));
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    // TODO does not support testing apps in search
     $scope.search = function () {
         if (!$scope.searchString) return $scope.showCategory(null, $scope.cachedCategory);
 
@@ -49,7 +68,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('AppStoreController', ['$scope', '$loca
 
         $scope.ready = false;
 
-        AppStore.getApps(function (error, apps) {
+        getAppList(function (error, apps) {
             if (error) return $timeout($scope.showCategory.bind(null, event), 1000);
 
             if (!$scope.category) {
@@ -156,28 +175,21 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('AppStoreController', ['$scope', '$loca
     function refresh() {
         $scope.ready = false;
 
-        AppStore.getApps(function (error, apps) {
+        getAppList(function (error, apps) {
             if (error) {
                 console.error(error);
                 return $timeout(refresh, 1000);
             }
 
-            Client.getNonApprovedApps(function (error, result) {
-                if (error) {
-                    console.error(error);
-                    return $timeout(refresh, 1000);
-                }
+            $scope.apps = apps;
 
-                $scope.apps = apps.concat(result);
+            // show install app dialog immediately if an app id was passed in the query
+            if ($routeParams.appId) {
+                var found = apps.filter(function (app) { return (app.id === $routeParams.appId); });
+                if (found.length) $scope.showInstall(found[0]);
+            }
 
-                // show install app dialog immediately if an app id was passed in the query
-                if ($routeParams.appId) {
-                    var found = apps.filter(function (app) { return (app.id === $routeParams.appId); });
-                    if (found.length) $scope.showInstall(found[0]);
-                }
-
-                $scope.ready = true;
-            });
+            $scope.ready = true;
         });
     }