diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-commands.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-commands.ts
index 00af4c47..9332c00c 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-commands.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-commands.ts
@@ -12,4 +12,10 @@ export namespace ArduinoCommands {
         label: 'Upload Sketch'
     }
 
+    export const NEW_SKETCH: Command = {
+        id: "arduino-new-sketch",
+        label: 'New Sketch',
+        category: 'File'
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-file-menu.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-file-menu.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..703d6547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-file-menu.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { injectable } from "inversify";
+import { MenuContribution, MenuModelRegistry } from "@theia/core";
+import { CommonMenus } from "@theia/core/lib/browser";
+import { ArduinoCommands } from "./arduino-commands";
+
+@injectable()
+export class ArduinoFileMenuContribution implements MenuContribution {
+
+    registerMenus(registry: MenuModelRegistry) {
+        registry.registerMenuAction([...CommonMenus.FILE, '0_new_sletch'], {
+            commandId: ArduinoCommands.NEW_SKETCH.id
+        })
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-contribution.tsx b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-contribution.tsx
index 85c733bc..5c175982 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-contribution.tsx
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-contribution.tsx
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ import { ConnectedBoards } from './components/connected-boards';
 import { CoreService } from '../common/protocol/core-service';
 import { WorkspaceServiceExt } from './workspace-service-ext';
 import { ToolOutputServiceClient } from '../common/protocol/tool-output-service';
-import { ConfirmDialog } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
+import { ConfirmDialog, OpenerService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
 import { QuickPickService } from '@theia/core/lib/common/quick-pick-service';
 import { BoardsListWidgetFrontendContribution } from './boards/boards-widget-frontend-contribution';
 import { BoardsNotificationService } from './boards-notification-service';
-
+import { FileSystem, FileStat } from '@theia/filesystem/lib/common';
+import { WorkspaceRootUriAwareCommandHandler } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser/workspace-commands';
+import { SelectionService } from '@theia/core';
+import { WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser/workspace-service';
 
 @injectable()
 export class ArduinoFrontendContribution extends DefaultFrontendApplicationContribution implements TabBarToolbarContribution, CommandContribution {
@@ -45,6 +48,19 @@ export class ArduinoFrontendContribution extends DefaultFrontendApplicationContr
     @inject(BoardsNotificationService)
     protected readonly boardsNotificationService: BoardsNotificationService;
 
+    @inject(FileSystem)
+    protected readonly fileSystem: FileSystem;
+
+    @inject(OpenerService)
+    protected readonly openerService: OpenerService;
+
+    @inject(WorkspaceService)
+    protected readonly workspaceService: WorkspaceService;
+
+    @inject(SelectionService)
+    protected readonly selectionService: SelectionService;
+
+
     @postConstruct()
     protected async init(): Promise<void> {
         // This is a hack. Otherwise, the backend services won't bind.
@@ -114,6 +130,64 @@ export class ArduinoFrontendContribution extends DefaultFrontendApplicationContr
                 }
             }
         });
+        registry.registerCommand(ArduinoCommands.NEW_SKETCH, new WorkspaceRootUriAwareCommandHandler(this.workspaceService, this.selectionService, {
+            execute: async uri => {
+                const parent = await this.getDirectory(uri)
+                if (!parent) {
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                const parentUri = new URI(parent.uri);
+                const monthNames = ["january", "february", "march", "april", "may", "june",
+                    "july", "august", "september", "october", "november", "december"
+                ];
+                const today = new Date();
+
+                const sketchBaseName = `sketch_${monthNames[today.getMonth()]}${today.getDay()}`;
+                let sketchName: string | undefined;
+                for (let i = 97; i < 97 + 26; i++) {
+                    let sketchNameCandidate = `${sketchBaseName}${String.fromCharCode(i)}`;
+                    if (await this.fileSystem.exists(parentUri.resolve(sketchNameCandidate).toString())) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    sketchName = sketchNameCandidate;
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                if (!sketchName) {
+                    new ConfirmDialog({ title: "New sketch", msg: "Cannot create a unique sketch name", ok: "Ok" }).open();
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                try {
+                    const sketchDir = parentUri.resolve(sketchName);
+                    const sketchFile = sketchDir.resolve(`${sketchName}.ino`);
+                    this.fileSystem.createFolder(sketchDir.toString());
+                    this.fileSystem.createFile(sketchFile.toString(), { content: `
+void setup() {
+
+}
+
+void loop() {
+
+}
+`                   });
+                    const opener = await this.openerService.getOpener(sketchFile)
+                    opener.open(sketchFile, { reveal: true });
+                } catch (e) {
+                    new ConfirmDialog({ title: "New sketch", msg: "Cannot create new sketch: " + e, ok: "Ok" }).open();
+                }
+            }
+        }))
+    }
+
+    protected async getDirectory(candidate: URI): Promise<FileStat | undefined> {
+        const stat = await this.fileSystem.getFileStat(candidate.toString());
+        if (stat && stat.isDirectory) {
+            return stat;
+        }
+        return this.fileSystem.getFileStat(candidate.parent.toString());
     }
 
     private async onNoBoardsInstalled() {
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-module.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-module.ts
index 31f70ba7..3aa571c0 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-module.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-frontend-module.ts
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ import { WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser/workspace-service
 import { AWorkspaceService } from './arduino-workspace-service';
 import { ThemeService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/theming';
 import { ArduinoTheme } from './arduino-theme';
+import { ArduinoFileMenuContribution } from './arduino-file-menu';
+import { MenuContribution } from '@theia/core';
 
 export default new ContainerModule((bind: interfaces.Bind, unbind: interfaces.Unbind, isBound: interfaces.IsBound, rebind: interfaces.Rebind) => {
     // Commands and toolbar items
     bind(ArduinoFrontendContribution).toSelf().inSingletonScope();
     bind(CommandContribution).toService(ArduinoFrontendContribution);
     bind(TabBarToolbarContribution).toService(ArduinoFrontendContribution);
+    bind(MenuContribution).to(ArduinoFileMenuContribution).inSingletonScope();
 
     // `ino` TextMate grammar
     bind(LanguageGrammarDefinitionContribution).to(ArduinoLanguageGrammarContribution).inSingletonScope();
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/tslint.json b/arduino-ide-extension/tslint.json
index 6f1bc509..09107cd5 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/tslint.json
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/tslint.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "forin": false,
     "indent": [true, "spaces"],
     "max-line-length": [true, 180],
-    "no-trailing-whitespace": true,
+    "no-trailing-whitespace": false,
     "no-unused-expression": true,
     "no-use-before-declare": true,
     "no-var-keyword": true,