diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index a2263f7fe5c1..53ce75ad40ef 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Change Log
 * Added `eyeSeparation` and `focalLength` properties to `Scene` to configure VR settings. [#5917](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/pull/5917)
 * Added `customTags` property to the UrlTemplateImageryProvider to allow custom keywords in the template URL. [#5696](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/pull/5696)
 * Improved CZML Reference Properties example [#5754](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/pull/5754)
+* Fixed bug with placemarks in imported KML: placemarks with no specified icon would be displayed with default icon. [#5819](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/issues/5819)
 
 ### 1.38 - 2017-10-02
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index a9e5f51b5e3e..40c3a276c8bc 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on how to contribute to Cesiu
 * [Logilab](https://www.logilab.fr/)
    * [Florent Cayré](https://github.com/fcayre/)
 * [Novetta](http://www.novetta.com/)
+   * [Joshua Bernstein](https://github.com/jbernstein/)
    * [Natanael Rivera](https://github.com/nrivera-Novetta/)
    * [Justin Burr](https://github.com/jburr-nc/)
 
diff --git a/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js b/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
index 364b1b3b96e3..ef41302c2250 100644
--- a/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
+++ b/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
@@ -729,6 +729,12 @@ define([
 
         var iconNode = queryFirstNode(node, 'Icon', namespaces.kml);
         var icon = getIconHref(iconNode, dataSource, sourceUri, uriResolver, false, query);
+
+        // If icon tags are present but blank, we do not want to show an icon
+        if (defined(iconNode) && !defined(icon)) {
+            icon = false;
+        }
+
         var x = queryNumericValue(iconNode, 'x', namespaces.gx);
         var y = queryNumericValue(iconNode, 'y', namespaces.gx);
         var w = queryNumericValue(iconNode, 'w', namespaces.gx);
@@ -1140,6 +1146,12 @@ define([
 
         if (!defined(billboard.image)) {
             billboard.image = dataSource._pinBuilder.fromColor(Color.YELLOW, 64);
+
+        // If there were empty <Icon> tags in the KML, then billboard.image was set to false above
+        // However, in this case, the false value would have been converted to a property afterwards
+        // Thus, we check if billboard.image is defined with value of false
+        } else if (billboard.image && !billboard.image.getValue()) {
+            billboard.image = undefined;
         }
 
         var scale = 1.0;
diff --git a/Specs/Data/KML/simpleEmptyIconStyle.kml b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleEmptyIconStyle.kml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1495faf4c004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleEmptyIconStyle.kml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
+<Document>
+	<Placemark>
+		<Style>
+			<IconStyle>
+			</IconStyle>
+		</Style>
+		<description><![CDATA[image.png <a href="./image.png">image.png</a><img src="image.png"/>]]></description>
+		<Point>
+			<coordinates>1,2,3</coordinates>
+		</Point>
+	</Placemark>
+</Document>
+</kml>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoIcon.kml b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoIcon.kml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..629ca3c12ccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoIcon.kml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
+<Document>
+	<Placemark>
+		<Style>
+			<IconStyle>
+			  <Icon>
+			  </Icon>
+			</IconStyle>
+		</Style>
+		<description><![CDATA[image.png <a href="./image.png">image.png</a><img src="image.png"/>]]></description>
+		<Point>
+			<coordinates>1,2,3</coordinates>
+		</Point>
+	</Placemark>
+</Document>
+</kml>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoStyle.kml b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoStyle.kml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..98849788f59d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Specs/Data/KML/simpleNoStyle.kml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
+<Document>
+	<Placemark>
+		<description><![CDATA[image.png <a href="./image.png">image.png</a><img src="image.png"/>]]></description>
+		<Point>
+			<coordinates>1,2,3</coordinates>
+		</Point>
+	</Placemark>
+</Document>
+</kml>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js b/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
index acaacb86430c..d5daecf6fdb3 100644
--- a/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
+++ b/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
@@ -271,6 +271,42 @@ defineSuite([
         });
     });
 
+    it('if load contains <icon> tag with no image included, no image is added', function() {
+        var dataSource = new KmlDataSource(options);
+        return loadBlob('Data/KML/simpleNoIcon.kml').then(function(blob) {
+            return dataSource.load(blob);
+        }).then(function(source) {
+            expect(source.entities);
+            expect(source.entities.values.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array[0]._billboard._image).toBeUndefined();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('if load does not contain icon <style> tag for placemark, default yellow pin does show', function() {
+        var dataSource = new KmlDataSource(options);
+        return loadBlob('Data/KML/simpleNoStyle.kml').then(function(blob) {
+            return dataSource.load(blob);
+        }).then(function(source) {
+            expect(source.entities);
+            expect(source.entities.values.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array[0]._billboard._image._value).toEqual(dataSource._pinBuilder.fromColor(Color.YELLOW, 64));
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('if load contains empty <IconStyle> tag for placemark, default yellow pin does show', function() {
+        var dataSource = new KmlDataSource(options);
+        return loadBlob('Data/KML/simpleEmptyIconStyle.kml').then(function(blob) {
+            return dataSource.load(blob);
+        }).then(function(source) {
+            expect(source.entities);
+            expect(source.entities.values.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(source.entities._entities._array[0]._billboard._image._value).toEqual(dataSource._pinBuilder.fromColor(Color.YELLOW, 64));
+        });
+    });
+
     it('sets DataSource name from Document', function() {
         var kml = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\
             <Document>\