diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/paragraph.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/paragraph.dart
index cc3407fa3fe..7f0fc516076 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/paragraph.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/paragraph.dart
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ enum TextOverflow {
 
   /// Use an ellipsis to indicate that the text has overflowed.
   ellipsis,
+
+  /// Render overflowing text outside of its container.
+  visible,
 }
 
 const String _kEllipsis = '\u2026';
@@ -268,7 +271,7 @@ class RenderParagraph extends RenderBox {
     span?.recognizer?.addPointer(event);
   }
 
-  bool _hasVisualOverflow = false;
+  bool _needsClipping = false;
   ui.Shader _overflowShader;
 
   /// Whether this paragraph currently has a [dart:ui.Shader] for its overflow
@@ -297,15 +300,21 @@ class RenderParagraph extends RenderBox {
     // visual overflow when there actually is visual overflow. This can become
     // a problem if we start having horizontal overflow and introduce a clip
     // that affects the actual (but undetected) vertical overflow.
-    _hasVisualOverflow = didOverflowWidth || didOverflowHeight;
-    if (_hasVisualOverflow) {
+    final bool hasVisualOverflow = didOverflowWidth || didOverflowHeight;
+    if (hasVisualOverflow) {
       switch (_overflow) {
+        case TextOverflow.visible:
+          _needsClipping = false;
+          _overflowShader = null;
+          break;
         case TextOverflow.clip:
         case TextOverflow.ellipsis:
+          _needsClipping = true;
           _overflowShader = null;
           break;
         case TextOverflow.fade:
           assert(textDirection != null);
+          _needsClipping = true;
           final TextPainter fadeSizePainter = TextPainter(
             text: TextSpan(style: _textPainter.text.style, text: '\u2026'),
             textDirection: textDirection,
@@ -341,6 +350,7 @@ class RenderParagraph extends RenderBox {
           break;
       }
     } else {
+      _needsClipping = false;
       _overflowShader = null;
     }
   }
@@ -369,7 +379,7 @@ class RenderParagraph extends RenderBox {
       return true;
     }());
 
-    if (_hasVisualOverflow) {
+    if (_needsClipping) {
       final Rect bounds = offset & size;
       if (_overflowShader != null) {
         // This layer limits what the shader below blends with to be just the text
@@ -381,7 +391,7 @@ class RenderParagraph extends RenderBox {
       canvas.clipRect(bounds);
     }
     _textPainter.paint(canvas, offset);
-    if (_hasVisualOverflow) {
+    if (_needsClipping) {
       if (_overflowShader != null) {
         canvas.translate(offset.dx, offset.dy);
         final Paint paint = Paint()
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/icon.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/icon.dart
index 459f922ada3..c1d12a86d2e 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/icon.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/icon.dart
@@ -21,10 +21,13 @@ import 'icon_theme_data.dart';
 /// Typically this is introduced automatically by the [WidgetsApp] or
 /// [MaterialApp].
 ///
+/// This widget assumes that the rendered icon is squared. Non-squared icons may
+/// render incorrectly.
+///
 /// {@tool sample}
 ///
 /// This example shows how to use [Icon] to create an addition icon, in the
-/// color pink, and 30 pixels in size.
+/// color pink, and 30 x 30 pixels in size.
 ///
 /// ```dart
 /// Icon(
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ class Icon extends StatelessWidget {
       iconColor = iconColor.withOpacity(iconColor.opacity * iconOpacity);
 
     Widget iconWidget = RichText(
+      overflow: TextOverflow.visible, // Never clip.
       textDirection: textDirection, // Since we already fetched it for the assert...
       text: TextSpan(
         text: String.fromCharCode(icon.codePoint),
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/text_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/text_test.dart
index a519c84a4bf..504ddadced7 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/text_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/text_test.dart
@@ -298,6 +298,26 @@ void main() {
 
     expect(find.byType(Text), isNot(paints..clipRect()));
   });
+
+  testWidgets('Overflow is clipping correctly - long text with overflow: visible', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    await _pumpTextWidget(
+      tester: tester,
+      overflow: TextOverflow.visible,
+      text: 'a long long long long text, should be clip',
+    );
+
+    expect(find.byType(Text), isNot(paints..clipRect()));
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('Overflow is clipping correctly - short text with overflow: visible', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    await _pumpTextWidget(
+      tester: tester,
+      overflow: TextOverflow.visible,
+      text: 'Hi',
+    );
+
+    expect(find.byType(Text), isNot(paints..clipRect()));
+  });
 }
 
 Future<void> _pumpTextWidget({ WidgetTester tester, String text, TextOverflow overflow }) {