diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css b/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
index 5fd8ce1e2f904..cdfdb60f934de 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
@@ -281,3 +281,11 @@
   line-height: 22px;
   opacity: 0.7;
 }
+
+.theia-notebook-drag-ghost-image {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: -99999px;
+  left: -99999px;
+  height: 500px;
+  width: 500px;
+}
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-cell-list-view.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-cell-list-view.tsx
index 88a6416b2333d..065a2a19a2edb 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-cell-list-view.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-cell-list-view.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { NotebookCellActionContribution } from '../contributions/notebook-cell-a
 
 export interface CellRenderer {
     render(notebookData: NotebookModel, cell: NotebookCellModel, index: number): React.ReactNode
+    renderDragImage(cell: NotebookCellModel): HTMLElement
 }
 
 interface CellListProps {
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ export class NotebookCellListView extends React.Component<CellListProps, Noteboo
 
     protected toDispose = new DisposableCollection();
 
+    protected dragGhost: HTMLElement | undefined;
+
     constructor(props: CellListProps) {
         super(props);
         this.state = { selectedCell: props.notebookModel.selectedCell, dragOverIndicator: undefined };
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ export class NotebookCellListView extends React.Component<CellListProps, Noteboo
                                 this.setState({ ...this.state, selectedCell: cell });
                                 this.props.notebookModel.setSelectedCell(cell);
                             }}
-                            onDragStart={e => this.onDragStart(e, index)}
+                            onDragStart={e => this.onDragStart(e, index, cell)}
                             onDragOver={e => this.onDragOver(e, cell)}
                             onDrop={e => this.onDrop(e, index)}
                             draggable={true}
@@ -114,12 +117,22 @@ export class NotebookCellListView extends React.Component<CellListProps, Noteboo
         return renderer.render(this.props.notebookModel, cell, index);
     }
 
-    protected onDragStart(event: React.DragEvent<HTMLLIElement>, index: number): void {
+    protected onDragStart(event: React.DragEvent<HTMLLIElement>, index: number, cell: NotebookCellModel): void {
         event.stopPropagation();
         if (!this.isEnabled()) {
             event.preventDefault();
             return;
         }
+
+        if (this.dragGhost) {
+            this.dragGhost.remove();
+        }
+        this.dragGhost = document.createElement('div');
+        this.dragGhost.classList.add('theia-notebook-drag-ghost-image');
+        this.dragGhost.appendChild(this.props.renderers.get(cell.cellKind)?.renderDragImage(cell) ?? document.createElement('div'));
+        document.body.appendChild(this.dragGhost);
+        event.dataTransfer.setDragImage(this.dragGhost, -10, 0);
+
         event.dataTransfer.setData('text/theia-notebook-cell-index', index.toString());
         event.dataTransfer.setData('text/plain', this.props.notebookModel.cells[index].source);
     }
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
index 11f5ac626baf3..596cc22af4c26 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@ export class NotebookCodeCellRenderer implements CellRenderer {
         </div >;
     }
 
+    renderDragImage(cell: NotebookCellModel): HTMLElement {
+        const dragImage = document.createElement('div');
+        dragImage.className = 'theia-notebook-drag-image';
+        dragImage.textContent = nls.localize('theia/notebook/dragGhostImage/codeText', 'Code cell selected');
+        return dragImage;
+    }
+
     protected getOrCreateMonacoFontInfo(): BareFontInfo {
         if (!this.fontInfo) {
             this.fontInfo = this.createFontInfo();
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
index e02c82c11db4d..1b5cd348dde63 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ export class NotebookMarkdownCellRenderer implements CellRenderer {
             cell={cell} notebookModel={notebookModel} notebookContextManager={this.notebookContextManager} />;
     }
 
+    renderDragImage(cell: NotebookCellModel): HTMLElement {
+        const dragImage = document.createElement('div');
+        dragImage.className = 'theia-notebook-drag-image';
+        dragImage.textContent = nls.localize('theia/notebook/dragGhostImage/markdownText', 'Mardown cell selected');
+        return dragImage;
+    }
 }
 
 interface MarkdownCellProps {