diff --git a/app/actions/api.ts b/app/actions/api.ts
index 03b28245..0d7e2dc0 100644
--- a/app/actions/api.ts
+++ b/app/actions/api.ts
@@ -737,3 +737,33 @@ export function fetchReadmePreview (peername: string, name: string): ApiActionTh
     return dispatch(action)
   }
 }
+
+// peername and name are the dataset to be renamed
+// newName is the new dataset's name, which will be in the user's namespace
+export function renameDataset (peername: string, name: string, newName: string): ApiActionThunk {
+  return async (dispatch, getState) => {
+    const { peername: newPeername } = getState().session
+    const whenOk = chainSuccess(dispatch, getState)
+    const action = {
+      type: 'rename',
+      [CALL_API]: {
+        endpoint: 'rename',
+        method: 'POST',
+        body: {
+          current: `${peername}/${name}`,
+          new: `${newPeername}/${newName}`
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    let response: Action
+    try {
+      response = await dispatch(action)
+      response = await whenOk(fetchMyDatasets(-1))(response)
+      dispatch(openToast('success', `Dataset renamed`))
+    } catch (action) {
+      dispatch(openToast('error', action.payload.err.message))
+      throw action
+    }
+    return response
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/components/Dataset.tsx b/app/components/Dataset.tsx
index 1ef926ba..191a9767 100644
--- a/app/components/Dataset.tsx
+++ b/app/components/Dataset.tsx
@@ -96,11 +96,6 @@ class Dataset extends React.Component<DatasetProps> {
     const { status } = workingDataset
     const { status: prevStatus } = prevProps.workingDataset
 
-    if ((this.props.selections.peername !== prevProps.selections.peername) || (this.props.selections.name !== prevProps.selections.name)) {
-      this.props.fetchWorkingDatasetDetails()
-      return
-    }
-
     if (status) {
       // create an array of components that need updating
       const componentsToReset: SelectedComponent[] = []
@@ -321,7 +316,7 @@ class Dataset extends React.Component<DatasetProps> {
           sidebarContent={sidebarContent}
           sidebarWidth={datasetSidebarWidth}
           onSidebarResize={(width) => { setSidebarWidth('dataset', width) }}
-          maximumSidebarWidth={300}
+          maximumSidebarWidth={495}
           mainContent={mainContent}
         />
       </>
diff --git a/app/components/DatasetReference.tsx b/app/components/DatasetReference.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09579217
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/DatasetReference.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+// a component that displays the dataset reference including edit-in-place UI
+// for dataset rename
+import * as React from 'react'
+import classNames from 'classnames'
+
+import { ApiActionThunk } from '../store/api'
+import { validateDatasetName } from '../utils/formValidation'
+
+interface DatasetReferenceProps {
+  peername: string
+  name: string
+  renameDataset: (peername: string, name: string, newName: string) => ApiActionThunk
+}
+
+const DatasetReference: React.FunctionComponent<DatasetReferenceProps> = (props) => {
+  const { peername, name, renameDataset } = props
+  const [ nameEditing, setNameEditing ] = React.useState(false)
+  const [ newName, setNewName ] = React.useState(name)
+  const [ inValid, setInvalid ] = React.useState(null)
+
+  const commitRename = (peername: string, name: string, newName: string) => {
+    // cancel if no change, change invalid, or empty
+    if ((name === newName) || inValid || newName === '') {
+      cancelRename()
+    } else {
+      renameDataset(peername, name, newName)
+        .then(() => {
+          setNameEditing(false)
+        })
+    }
+  }
+
+  const cancelRename = () => {
+    setNewName(name)
+    setInvalid(null)
+    setNameEditing(false)
+  }
+
+  const handleKeyDown = (e: any) => {
+    // cancel on esc
+    if (e.keyCode === 27) {
+      cancelRename()
+    }
+
+    // submit on enter or tab
+    if ((e.keyCode === 13) || (e.keyCode === 9)) {
+      commitRename(peername, name, newName)
+    }
+  }
+
+  // use a ref so we can set up a click handler
+  const nameRef: any = React.useRef(null)
+
+  const handleMousedown = (e: MouseEvent) => {
+    const { target } = e
+    // allows the user to resize the sidebar when editing the dataset name
+    if (target.classList.contains('resize-handle')) return
+
+    if (nameRef.current.isSameNode(target)) {
+      setNameEditing(true)
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (!nameRef.current.contains(target)) {
+      commitRename(peername, name, newName)
+    }
+  }
+
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown, false)
+    document.addEventListener('mousedown', handleMousedown, false)
+
+    return () => {
+      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown, false)
+      document.removeEventListener('mousedown', handleMousedown, false)
+    }
+  }, [ name, newName ])
+
+  const handleInputChange = (e: any) => {
+    let { value } = e.target
+    setInvalid(validateDatasetName(value))
+    setNewName(value)
+  }
+
+  // when the input is focused, scroll all the way to the left
+  const onFocus = () => {
+    const el = document.getElementById('dataset-name-input') as HTMLInputElement
+    el.scrollLeft = 0
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className='dataset-reference'>
+      <div className='dataset-peername'>{peername}/</div>
+      <div className='dataset-name' ref={nameRef}>
+        { nameEditing && <input
+          id='dataset-name-input'
+          className={classNames({ invalid: inValid })}
+          type='text'
+          value={newName}
+          maxLength={150}
+          onChange={handleInputChange}
+          autoFocus
+          onFocus={onFocus}
+          pattern='^[a-z0-9_]+$'
+        /> }
+        { !nameEditing && (<>{name}</>)}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
+export default DatasetReference
diff --git a/app/components/DatasetSidebar.tsx b/app/components/DatasetSidebar.tsx
index 5f317ca8..7bdbda36 100644
--- a/app/components/DatasetSidebar.tsx
+++ b/app/components/DatasetSidebar.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { faClock } from '@fortawesome/free-regular-svg-icons'
 
 import { ApiActionThunk } from '../store/api'
 import ComponentList from './ComponentList'
+import DatasetReference from './DatasetReference'
 
 import classNames from 'classnames'
 import Spinner from './chrome/Spinner'
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ export interface DatasetSidebarProps {
   fetchWorkingHistory: (page?: number, pageSize?: number) => ApiActionThunk
   discardChanges: (component: ComponentType) => ApiActionThunk
   setHideCommitNudge: () => Action
+  renameDataset: (peername: string, name: string, newName: string) => ApiActionThunk
 }
 
 const DatasetSidebar: React.FunctionComponent<DatasetSidebarProps> = (props) => {
@@ -81,7 +83,8 @@ const DatasetSidebar: React.FunctionComponent<DatasetSidebarProps> = (props) =>
     setSelectedListItem,
     fetchWorkingHistory,
     discardChanges,
-    setModal
+    setModal,
+    renameDataset
   } = props
 
   const { fsiPath, history, status, structure } = workingDataset
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ const DatasetSidebar: React.FunctionComponent<DatasetSidebarProps> = (props) =>
     <div className='dataset-sidebar'>
       <div className='dataset-sidebar-header sidebar-padded-container'>
         <p className='pane-title'>Dataset</p>
-        <p className='dataset-name'>{peername}/{name}</p>
+        <DatasetReference peername={peername} name={name} renameDataset={renameDataset}/>
         <DatasetDetailsSubtext format={format} lastCommit={lastCommit} commitCount={commitCount} />
       </div>
       <div id='tabs' className='sidebar-padded-container'>
diff --git a/app/containers/DatasetSidebarContainer.tsx b/app/containers/DatasetSidebarContainer.tsx
index d3b988b9..e38fd55b 100644
--- a/app/containers/DatasetSidebarContainer.tsx
+++ b/app/containers/DatasetSidebarContainer.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import {
 
 import {
   fetchWorkingHistory,
-  discardChanges
+  discardChanges,
+  renameDataset
 } from '../actions/api'
 
 import {
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ const DatasetSidebarContainer = connect(
     setSelectedListItem,
     fetchWorkingHistory,
     discardChanges,
-    setHideCommitNudge
+    setHideCommitNudge,
+    renameDataset
   },
   mergeProps
 )(DatasetSidebar)
diff --git a/app/reducers/selections.ts b/app/reducers/selections.ts
index 7ca26010..dbaa1886 100644
--- a/app/reducers/selections.ts
+++ b/app/reducers/selections.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export const [, UNPUBLISH_SUCC] = apiActionTypes('unpublish')
 export const [, SIGNIN_SUCC] = apiActionTypes('signin')
 export const [, SIGNUP_SUCC] = apiActionTypes('signup')
 export const [, , HISTORY_FAIL] = apiActionTypes('history')
+export const [, RENAME_SUCC] = apiActionTypes('rename')
 
 export default (state = initialState, action: AnyAction) => {
   switch (action.type) {
@@ -170,6 +171,13 @@ export default (state = initialState, action: AnyAction) => {
         activeTab: 'status'
       }
 
+    case RENAME_SUCC:
+      localStore().setItem('name', action.payload.data.name)
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        name: action.payload.data.name
+      }
+
     default:
       return state
   }
diff --git a/app/reducers/workingDataset.ts b/app/reducers/workingDataset.ts
index 89f5bede..5431b6b1 100644
--- a/app/reducers/workingDataset.ts
+++ b/app/reducers/workingDataset.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export const [DATASET_STATUS_REQ, DATASET_STATUS_SUCC, DATASET_STATUS_FAIL] = ap
 const [DATASET_BODY_REQ, DATASET_BODY_SUCC, DATASET_BODY_FAIL] = apiActionTypes('body')
 const [, RESETOTHERCOMPONENTS_SUCC, RESETOTHERCOMPONENTS_FAIL] = apiActionTypes('resetOtherComponents')
 const [STATS_REQ, STATS_SUCC, STATS_FAIL] = apiActionTypes('stats')
+export const [, RENAME_SUCC] = apiActionTypes('rename')
 
 export const RESET_BODY = 'RESET_BODY'
 
@@ -274,6 +275,12 @@ const workingDatasetsReducer: Reducer = (state = initialState, action: AnyAction
     case SELECTIONS_SET_WORKING_DATASET:
       return initialState
 
+    case RENAME_SUCC:
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        name: action.payload.data.name
+      }
+
     default:
       return state
   }
diff --git a/app/scss/_dataset.scss b/app/scss/_dataset.scss
index 8d6dfb7d..47da11da 100644
--- a/app/scss/_dataset.scss
+++ b/app/scss/_dataset.scss
@@ -208,12 +208,37 @@ $header-font-size: .9rem;
       font-weight: 900;
     }
 
-    .dataset-name {
+    .dataset-reference {
       font-size: 1.05rem;
+      display: flex;
+    }
+
+    .dataset-name {
+      flex: 1;
       white-space: nowrap;
       text-overflow: ellipsis;
-      display: block;
       overflow: hidden;
+
+      input {
+        background-color: #2f578c;
+        border: none;
+        border-radius: 5px;
+        color: #fff;
+        padding: 0 5px;
+        outline: none;
+        width: 100%;
+        transition: background 0.2s;
+
+        &.invalid {
+          background: #F43535;
+        }
+
+      }
+
+      &:hover {
+        cursor: pointer;
+        text-decoration: underline;
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -320,6 +345,13 @@ $header-font-size: .9rem;
   background-color: #38C629;
 }
 
+.edit-icon {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  opacity: 0;
+  transition: opacity 0.1s;
+  color: $light-blue-accent;
+}
+
 
 ////////////////////////////
 //     Commit Details     //