diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b84000c6b4..8997f2903d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -659,6 +659,36 @@
 					"default": false,
 					"description": "%githubPullRequests.showPullRequestNumberInTree.description%"
 				},
+				"githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode": {
+					"type": "string",
+					"enum": [
+						"author",
+						"state",
+						"generic"
+					],
+					"enumDescriptions": [
+						"%githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.author%",
+						"%githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.state%",
+						"%githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.generic%"
+					],
+					"default": "author",
+					"description": "%githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.description%"
+				},
+				"githubIssues.treeViewIconMode": {
+					"type": "string",
+					"enum": [
+						"author",
+						"state",
+						"generic"
+					],
+					"enumDescriptions": [
+						"%githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.author%",
+						"%githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.state%",
+						"%githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.generic%"
+					],
+					"default": "author",
+					"description": "%githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.description%"
+				},
 				"githubIssues.alwaysPromptForNewIssueRepo": {
 					"type": "boolean",
 					"default": false,
diff --git a/package.nls.json b/package.nls.json
index 74385798dd..1ab86dec72 100644
--- a/package.nls.json
+++ b/package.nls.json
@@ -142,6 +142,14 @@
 	"githubPullRequests.showPullRequestNumberInTree.description": "Shows the pull request number in the tree view.",
 	"githubPullRequests.labelCreated.description": "Group of labels that you want to add to the pull request automatically. Labels that don't exist in the repository won't be added.",
 	"githubPullRequests.labelCreated.label.description": "Each string element is value of label that you want to add",
+	"githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.description": "Which icon to use in the pull request tree view",
+	"githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.author": "Show the pull request author avatar",
+	"githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.state": "Show the pull request type (draft or not) and state (open/closed/merged) as a colored icon",
+	"githubPullRequests.treeViewIconMode.generic": "Show a GitHub icon",
+	"githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.description": "Which icon to use in the issues tree view",
+	"githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.author": "Show the issue author avatar",
+	"githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.state": "Show the issue state (open/closed) as a colored icon",
+	"githubIssues.treeViewIconMode.generic": "Show an issues icon regardless of state",
 	"githubIssues.alwaysPromptForNewIssueRepo.description": "Enabling will always prompt which repository to create an issue in instead of basing off the current open file.",
 	"view.github.pull.requests.name": "GitHub",
 	"view.github.pull.request.name": "GitHub Pull Request",
diff --git a/src/common/settingKeys.ts b/src/common/settingKeys.ts
index 712312812d..8bf6f8592c 100644
--- a/src/common/settingKeys.ts
+++ b/src/common/settingKeys.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ export const EXPERIMENTAL_NOTIFICATIONS = 'experimental.notificationsView';
 export const EXPERIMENTAL_NOTIFICATIONS_PAGE_SIZE = 'experimental.notificationsViewPageSize';
 export const EXPERIMENTAL_NOTIFICATIONS_SCORE = 'experimental.notificationsScore';
 
+export const TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE = 'treeViewIconMode';
+export type TreeViewIconMode = 'author' | 'state' | 'generic';
+
 // git
 export const GIT = 'git';
 export const PULL_BEFORE_CHECKOUT = 'pullBeforeCheckout';
diff --git a/src/issues/issuesView.ts b/src/issues/issuesView.ts
index 41dec7c4cf..dccca8edf0 100644
--- a/src/issues/issuesView.ts
+++ b/src/issues/issuesView.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { commands, contexts } from '../common/executeCommands';
+import { ISSUES_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE, TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE, TreeViewIconMode } from '../common/settingKeys';
 import { DataUri } from '../common/uri';
 import { groupBy } from '../common/utils';
 import { FolderRepositoryManager, ReposManagerState } from '../github/folderRepositoryManager';
@@ -59,6 +60,14 @@ export class IssuesTreeData
 				this._onDidChangeTreeData.fire();
 			}),
 		);
+
+		context.subscriptions.push(
+			vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration((e) => {
+				if (e.affectsConfiguration(`${ISSUES_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE}.${TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE}`)) {
+					this._onDidChangeTreeData.fire();
+				}
+			}),
+		);
 	}
 
 	private getFolderRepoItem(element: FolderRepositoryManager): vscode.TreeItem {
@@ -77,10 +86,22 @@ export class IssuesTreeData
 
 	private async getIssueTreeItem(element: IssueItem): Promise<vscode.TreeItem> {
 		const treeItem = new vscode.TreeItem(element.title, vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None);
-		treeItem.iconPath = (await DataUri.avatarCirclesAsImageDataUris(this.context, [element.author], 16, 16))[0] ??
-			(element.isOpen
-				? new vscode.ThemeIcon('issues', new vscode.ThemeColor('issues.open'))
-				: new vscode.ThemeIcon('issue-closed', new vscode.ThemeColor('issues.closed')));
+
+		const iconMode = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration(ISSUES_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE).get<TreeViewIconMode>(TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE, 'author');
+		let iconPath: vscode.Uri | vscode.ThemeIcon = element.isOpen
+			? new vscode.ThemeIcon('issues', new vscode.ThemeColor('issues.open'))
+			: new vscode.ThemeIcon('issue-closed', new vscode.ThemeColor('issues.closed'));
+
+		if (iconMode === 'author') {
+			const authorAvatar = (await DataUri.avatarCirclesAsImageDataUris(this.context, [element.author], 16, 16))[0];
+			if (authorAvatar) {
+				iconPath = authorAvatar;
+			}
+		} else if (iconMode === 'generic') {
+			iconPath = new vscode.ThemeIcon('issues');
+		}
+
+		treeItem.iconPath = iconPath;
 
 		treeItem.command = {
 			command: 'issue.openDescription',
diff --git a/src/view/treeNodes/pullRequestNode.ts b/src/view/treeNodes/pullRequestNode.ts
index ff5d50fbad..9d27d2d9be 100644
--- a/src/view/treeNodes/pullRequestNode.ts
+++ b/src/view/treeNodes/pullRequestNode.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ import { Repository } from '../../api/api';
 import { getCommentingRanges } from '../../common/commentingRanges';
 import { InMemFileChange, SlimFileChange } from '../../common/file';
 import Logger from '../../common/logger';
-import { FILE_LIST_LAYOUT, PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE, SHOW_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER_IN_TREE } from '../../common/settingKeys';
+import { FILE_LIST_LAYOUT, PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE, SHOW_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER_IN_TREE, TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE, TreeViewIconMode } from '../../common/settingKeys';
 import { createPRNodeUri, DataUri, fromPRUri, Schemes } from '../../common/uri';
 import { FolderRepositoryManager } from '../../github/folderRepositoryManager';
+import { GithubItemStateEnum } from '../../github/interface';
 import { NotificationProvider } from '../../github/notifications';
 import { IResolvedPullRequestModel, PullRequestModel } from '../../github/pullRequestModel';
 import { InMemFileChangeModel, RemoteFileChangeModel } from '../fileChangeModel';
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ export class PRNode extends TreeNode implements vscode.CommentingRangeProvider2
 
 	protected registerConfigurationChange() {
 		this._register(vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(e => {
-			if (e.affectsConfiguration(`${PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE}.${SHOW_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER_IN_TREE}`)) {
+			if (e.affectsConfiguration(`${PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE}.${SHOW_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER_IN_TREE}`) || e.affectsConfiguration(`${PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE}.${TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE}`)) {
 				this.refresh();
 			}
 		}));
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ export class PRNode extends TreeNode implements vscode.CommentingRangeProvider2
 	async getTreeItem(): Promise<vscode.TreeItem> {
 		const currentBranchIsForThisPR = this.pullRequestModel.equals(this._folderReposManager.activePullRequest);
 
-		const { title, number, author, isDraft, html_url } = this.pullRequestModel;
+		const { title, number, author, isDraft, html_url, state } = this.pullRequestModel;
 		const labelTitle = this.pullRequestModel.title.length > 50 ? `${this.pullRequestModel.title.substring(0, 50)}...` : this.pullRequestModel.title;
 		const { login } = author;
 
@@ -279,7 +280,9 @@ export class PRNode extends TreeNode implements vscode.CommentingRangeProvider2
 			labelPrefix += `#${formattedPRNumber}: `;
 		}
 
-		const label = `${labelPrefix}${isDraft ? '[DRAFT] ' : ''}${labelTitle}`;
+		const iconMode = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration(PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE).get<TreeViewIconMode>(TREE_VIEW_ICON_MODE, 'author');
+
+		const label = `${labelPrefix}${isDraft && iconMode !== 'state' ? '[DRAFT] ' : ''}${labelTitle}`;
 		const description = `by @${login}`;
 		const command = {
 			title: vscode.l10n.t('View Pull Request Description'),
@@ -287,6 +290,26 @@ export class PRNode extends TreeNode implements vscode.CommentingRangeProvider2
 			arguments: [this],
 		};
 
+		let iconPath: vscode.Uri | vscode.ThemeIcon = new vscode.ThemeIcon('github');
+		if (iconMode === 'author') {
+			const authorAvatar = (await DataUri.avatarCirclesAsImageDataUris(this._folderReposManager.context, [this.pullRequestModel.author], 16, 16))[0];
+			if (authorAvatar) {
+				iconPath = authorAvatar;
+			}
+		} else if (iconMode === 'state') {
+			iconPath = new vscode.ThemeIcon(
+				state === GithubItemStateEnum.Closed ? 'git-pull-request-closed'
+					: state === GithubItemStateEnum.Merged ? 'git-merge'
+						: isDraft ? 'git-pull-request-draft'
+							: 'git-pull-request',
+				new vscode.ThemeColor(
+					state === GithubItemStateEnum.Closed ? 'pullRequests.closed'
+						: state === GithubItemStateEnum.Merged ? 'pullRequests.merged'
+							: isDraft ? 'pullRequests.draft'
+								: 'pullRequests.open'
+				));
+		}
+
 		return {
 			label,
 			id: `${this.parent instanceof TreeNode ? (this.parent.id ?? this.parent.label) : ''}${html_url}${this._isLocal ? this.pullRequestModel.localBranchName : ''}`, // unique id stable across checkout status
@@ -298,8 +321,7 @@ export class PRNode extends TreeNode implements vscode.CommentingRangeProvider2
 				(currentBranchIsForThisPR ? ':active' : ':nonactive') +
 				(hasNotification ? ':notification' : '') +
 				(((this.pullRequestModel.item.isRemoteHeadDeleted && !this._isLocal) || !this._folderReposManager.isPullRequestAssociatedWithOpenRepository(this.pullRequestModel)) ? '' : ':hasHeadRef'),
-			iconPath: (await DataUri.avatarCirclesAsImageDataUris(this._folderReposManager.context, [this.pullRequestModel.author], 16, 16))[0]
-				?? new vscode.ThemeIcon('github'),
+			iconPath,
 			accessibilityInformation: {
 				label: `${isDraft ? 'Draft ' : ''}Pull request number ${formattedPRNumber}: ${title} by ${login}`
 			},