diff --git a/common/changes/feature-overflowTooltip2_2017-04-11-19-55.json b/common/changes/feature-overflowTooltip2_2017-04-11-19-55.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..617321b847150
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/feature-overflowTooltip2_2017-04-11-19-55.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "office-ui-fabric-react",
+      "comment": "TooltipHost: Allow showing tooltip only if there's overflow",
+      "type": "minor"
+    }
+  ],
+  "email": "cschleid@microsoft.com"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/Tooltip.scss b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/Tooltip.scss
index 8f7f07f20f5d7..d9cfceef9a672 100644
--- a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/Tooltip.scss
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/Tooltip.scss
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 @import '../../common/common';
+
 // Copyright (c) Microsoft. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT license. See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
 //
 // Office UI Fabric
@@ -21,9 +22,4 @@
   font-size: $ms-font-size-s;
   color: $ms-color-neutralPrimary;
   word-break: break-all;
-}
-
-.host {
-  display: inline;
-}
-
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.Props.ts b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.Props.ts
index 5b169c31b4f93..bbe34dc367139 100644
--- a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.Props.ts
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.Props.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ export interface ITooltipHost {
 
 }
 
+export enum TooltipOverflowMode {
+  /** Only show tooltip if parent DOM element is overflowing */
+  Parent,
+
+  /** Only show tooltip if tooltip host's content is overflowing */
+  Self
+}
+
 /**
  * Tooltip component props.
  */
@@ -39,4 +47,10 @@ export interface ITooltipHostProps extends React.HTMLProps<HTMLDivElement | Tool
    * @default DirectionalHint.topCenter
    */
   directionalHint?: DirectionalHint;
+
+  /**
+   * Only show if there is overflow. If set, the tooltip hosts observes  and only shows the tooltip if this element has overflow.
+   * It also uses the parent as target element for the tooltip.
+   */
+  overflowMode?: TooltipOverflowMode;
 }
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.scss b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..560b98d22bff4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+@import '../../common/common';
+
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT license. See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
+//
+// Office UI Fabric
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// TooltipHost styles
+
+.host {
+  display: inline;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.tsx b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.tsx
index 6fd94f080ff71..f612a8eb6296a 100644
--- a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.tsx
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipHost.tsx
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ import {
   css,
   divProperties,
   getNativeProps,
-  assign
+  assign,
+  hasOverflow
 } from '../../Utilities';
-import { ITooltipHostProps } from './TooltipHost.Props';
+import { ITooltipHostProps, TooltipOverflowMode } from './TooltipHost.Props';
 import { Tooltip } from './Tooltip';
 import { TooltipDelay } from './Tooltip.Props';
+
 import * as stylesImport from './Tooltip.scss';
 const styles: any = stylesImport;
 
@@ -20,7 +22,6 @@ export interface ITooltipHostState {
 }
 
 export class TooltipHost extends BaseComponent<ITooltipHostProps, ITooltipHostState> {
-
   public static defaultProps = {
     delay: TooltipDelay.medium
   };
@@ -33,14 +34,15 @@ export class TooltipHost extends BaseComponent<ITooltipHostProps, ITooltipHostSt
     super(props);
 
     this.state = {
-      isTooltipVisible: false,
+      isTooltipVisible: false
     };
   }
 
   // Render
   public render() {
-    let { calloutProps, content, children, directionalHint, delay } = this.props;
-    let { isTooltipVisible } = this.state;
+    const { calloutProps, content, children, directionalHint, delay } = this.props;
+    const { isTooltipVisible } = this.state;
+
     return (
       <div
         className={ css('ms-TooltipHost', styles.host) }
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ export class TooltipHost extends BaseComponent<ITooltipHostProps, ITooltipHostSt
           <Tooltip
             delay={ delay }
             content={ content }
-            targetElement={ this._tooltipHost }
+            targetElement={ this._getTargetElement() }
             directionalHint={ directionalHint }
             calloutProps={ assign(calloutProps, { onDismiss: this._onTooltipCallOutDismiss }) }
             { ...getNativeProps(this.props, divProperties) }
@@ -66,9 +68,36 @@ export class TooltipHost extends BaseComponent<ITooltipHostProps, ITooltipHostSt
     );
   }
 
+  private _getTargetElement(): HTMLElement {
+    const { overflowMode } = this.props;
+
+    // Select target element based on overflow mode. For parent mode, you want to position the tooltip relative
+    // to the parent element, otherwise it might look off.
+    if (overflowMode !== undefined) {
+      switch (overflowMode) {
+        case TooltipOverflowMode.Parent:
+          return this._tooltipHost.parentElement;
+
+        case TooltipOverflowMode.Self:
+          return this._tooltipHost;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return this._tooltipHost;
+  }
+
   // Show Tooltip
   @autobind
   private _onTooltipMouseEnter(ev: any) {
+    const { overflowMode } = this.props;
+
+    if (overflowMode !== undefined) {
+      const overflowElement = this._getTargetElement();
+      if (overflowElement && !hasOverflow(overflowElement)) {
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     this.setState({
       isTooltipVisible: true
     });
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipPage.tsx b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipPage.tsx
index 308f261f6faba..5130433dcdc00 100644
--- a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipPage.tsx
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/TooltipPage.tsx
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@ import {
 } from '@uifabric/example-app-base';
 import { TooltipBottomExample } from './examples/Tooltip.Bottom.Example';
 import { TooltipBasicExample } from './examples/Tooltip.Basic.Example';
+import { TooltipOverflowExample } from './examples/Tooltip.Overflow.Example';
 
 import './TooltipPage.scss';
 
 const TooltipBasicExampleCode = require('!raw-loader!office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Basic.Example.tsx') as string;
 const TooltipBottomExampleCode = require('!raw-loader!office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Bottom.Example.tsx') as string;
+const TooltipOverflowExampleCode = require('!raw-loader!office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Overflow.Example.tsx') as string;
 
 export class TooltipPage extends React.Component<any, any> {
   public render() {
@@ -29,6 +31,10 @@ export class TooltipPage extends React.Component<any, any> {
             <ExampleCard title='Tooltip Bottom Direction. No delay' code={ TooltipBottomExampleCode }>
               <TooltipBottomExample />
             </ExampleCard>
+
+            <ExampleCard title='Tooltip only on overflow' code={ TooltipOverflowExampleCode }>
+              <TooltipOverflowExample />
+            </ExampleCard>
           </LayerHost>
         }
         propertiesTables={
diff --git a/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Overflow.Example.tsx b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Overflow.Example.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..938e809175fdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/office-ui-fabric-react/src/components/Tooltip/examples/Tooltip.Overflow.Example.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/* tslint:disable:no-unused-variable */
+import * as React from 'react';
+/* tslint:enable:no-unused-variable */
+import { BaseComponent, css } from 'office-ui-fabric-react/lib/Utilities';
+import { Button } from 'office-ui-fabric-react/lib/Button';
+import {
+  TooltipHost,
+  TooltipOverflowMode
+} from 'office-ui-fabric-react/lib/Tooltip';
+
+export class TooltipOverflowExample extends BaseComponent<any, any> {
+  constructor(props: any) {
+    super(props);
+
+    this.state = {
+      overflow: false
+    };
+  }
+
+  public render() {
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <Button onClick={ () => this.setState({ overflow: !this.state.overflow }) }>Toggle showing overflow</Button>
+
+        <div style={ {
+          marginTop: '40px'
+        } }>
+          <div style={ {
+            overflow: 'hidden',
+            textOverflow: 'ellipsis',
+            whiteSpace: this.state.overflow && 'nowrap',
+            width: this.state.overflow && '200px',
+            border: '1px solid black'
+          } }>
+            <TooltipHost content='This is the tooltip' id='myID' overflowMode={ TooltipOverflowMode.Parent }>
+              <span aria-describedby='myID'>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec volutpat lectus ut magna sodales, sit amet accumsan arcu accumsan. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.</span>
+            </TooltipHost>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file