diff --git a/packages/Avalonia/Avalonia.csproj b/packages/Avalonia/Avalonia.csproj
index 2c5a09bee7..cd3ce9adcd 100644
--- a/packages/Avalonia/Avalonia.csproj
+++ b/packages/Avalonia/Avalonia.csproj
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@
       <Pack>true</Pack>
       <PackagePath>build\</PackagePath>
     </Content>
+    <Content Include="AvaloniaItemSchema.xaml">
+      <Pack>true</Pack>
+      <PackagePath>build\</PackagePath>
+    </Content>
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="..\..\build\SharedVersion.props" />
   <Import Project="..\..\build\NetFX.props" />
diff --git a/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.props b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.props
index 30bafa37ee..deea3aa391 100644
--- a/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.props
+++ b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.props
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
 <Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
-
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <AvailableItemName Include="AvaloniaXaml" />
+    <AvailableItemName Include="AvaloniaResource" />
+    <PropertyPageSchema Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)AvaloniaItemSchema.xaml" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <ItemGroup Condition="'$(EnableDefaultItems)'=='True'">
+    <AvaloniaXaml Include="**\*.axaml" SubType="Designer" />
+    <AvaloniaXaml Include="**\*.paml" SubType="Designer" />
+  </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.targets b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.targets
index 552713f94b..6ee6b77727 100644
--- a/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.targets
+++ b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaBuildTasks.targets
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@
     <_AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild>$(AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild)</_AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild>
     <_AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild Condition="'$(_AvaloniaForceInternalMSBuild)' == 'true'">false</_AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild>
   </PropertyGroup>
+
+  <!-- Unfortunately we have to update default items in .targets since custom nuget props are improted before Microsoft.NET.Sdk.DefaultItems.props -->
+  <ItemGroup Condition="'$(EnableDefaultItems)'=='True'">
+    <Compile Update="**\*.paml.cs">
+      <DependentUpon>%(Filename)</DependentUpon>
+      <SubType>Code</SubType>
+    </Compile>
+    <Compile Update="**\*.axaml.cs">
+      <DependentUpon>%(Filename)</DependentUpon>
+      <SubType>Code</SubType>
+    </Compile>
+    <None Remove="**\*.axaml" />
+    <None Remove="**\*.paml" />
+  </ItemGroup>
   
   <UsingTask TaskName="GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask"
              AssemblyFile="$(AvaloniaBuildTasksLocation)"
@@ -30,9 +44,12 @@
   
   <Target Name="GenerateAvaloniaResources" 
           BeforeTargets="CoreCompile;CoreResGen"
-          Inputs="@(AvaloniaResource);$(MSBuildAllProjects)"
+          Inputs="@(AvaloniaResource);@(AvaloniaXaml);$(MSBuildAllProjects)"
           Outputs="$(AvaloniaResourcesTemporaryFilePath)"
-          DependsOnTargets="$(BuildAvaloniaResourcesDependsOn)">
+	  DependsOnTargets="$(BuildAvaloniaResourcesDependsOn)">
+    <ItemGroup>
+        <AvaloniaResource Include="@(AvaloniaXaml)"/>
+    </ItemGroup>
     <GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask
       Condition="'$(_AvaloniaUseExternalMSBuild)' != 'true'"
       Output="$(AvaloniaResourcesTemporaryFilePath)"
@@ -76,5 +93,6 @@
   
   <ItemGroup>
     <UpToDateCheckInput Include="@(AvaloniaResource)" />
+    <UpToDateCheckInput Include="@(AvaloniaXaml)" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaItemSchema.xaml b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaItemSchema.xaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a51ea3c0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/Avalonia/AvaloniaItemSchema.xaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<ProjectSchemaDefinitions xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/build/2009/properties">
+    <ContentType
+        Name="AvaloniaXaml"
+        DisplayName="Avalonia XAML"
+        ItemType="AvaloniaXaml">
+      <NameValuePair Name="DependentFileExtensions" Value=".cs" />
+      <NameValuePair Name="DefaultMetadata_SubType" Value="Designer" />
+    </ContentType>
+
+    <ItemType Name="AvaloniaXaml" DisplayName="Avalonia XAML" />
+    <FileExtension Name=".axaml" ContentType="AvaloniaXaml" />
+    <FileExtension Name=".paml" ContentType="AvaloniaXaml" />
+    <ContentType
+        Name="AvaloniaResource"
+        DisplayName="Avalonia Resource"
+        ItemType="AvaloniaResource"
+    />
+</ProjectSchemaDefinitions>
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask.cs b/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask.cs
index 98ebb3e7d1..c8989bcc01 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/GenerateAvaloniaResourcesTask.cs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Build.Tasks
             
             foreach (var s in sources.ToList())
             {
-                if (s.Path.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".xaml") || s.Path.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".paml"))
+                if (s.Path.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".xaml") || s.Path.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".paml") || s.Path.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".axaml"))
                 {
                     XamlFileInfo info;
                     try
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Build.Tasks
         
         public bool Execute()
         {
-            foreach(var r in EmbeddedResources.Where(r=>r.ItemSpec.EndsWith(".xaml")||r.ItemSpec.EndsWith(".paml")))
+            foreach (var r in EmbeddedResources.Where(r => r.ItemSpec.EndsWith(".xaml") || r.ItemSpec.EndsWith(".paml") || r.ItemSpec.EndsWith(".axaml")))
                 BuildEngine.LogWarning(BuildEngineErrorCode.LegacyResmScheme, r.ItemSpec,
                     "XAML file is packed using legacy EmbeddedResource/resm scheme, relative URIs won't work");
             var resources = BuildResourceSources();
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/XamlCompilerTaskExecutor.cs b/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/XamlCompilerTaskExecutor.cs
index e348eb0fbc..e8ac3ed021 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/XamlCompilerTaskExecutor.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Build.Tasks/XamlCompilerTaskExecutor.cs
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ namespace Avalonia.Build.Tasks
     public static partial class XamlCompilerTaskExecutor
     {
         static bool CheckXamlName(IResource r) => r.Name.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".xaml")
-                                               || r.Name.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".paml");
+                                               || r.Name.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".paml")
+                                               || r.Name.ToLowerInvariant().EndsWith(".axaml");
         
         public class CompileResult
         {