diff --git a/src/components/table/helpers/mixin-tbody-row.js b/src/components/table/helpers/mixin-tbody-row.js
index 24a92c5da1d..485429971cb 100644
--- a/src/components/table/helpers/mixin-tbody-row.js
+++ b/src/components/table/helpers/mixin-tbody-row.js
@@ -85,6 +85,20 @@ export default {
       const hasDetailsSlot = this.hasNormalizedSlot(detailsSlotName)
       const formatted = this.getFormattedValue(item, field)
       const key = field.key
+      // We only uses the helper components for sticky columns to
+      // improve performance of BTable/BTableLite by reducing the
+      // total number of vue instances created during render
+      const cellTag = field.stickyColumn
+        ? field.isRowHeader
+          ? BTh
+          : BTd
+        : field.isRowHeader
+          ? 'th'
+          : 'td'
+      const cellVariant =
+        item._cellVariants && item._cellVariants[key]
+          ? item._cellVariants[key]
+          : field.variant || null
       const data = {
         // For the Vue key, we concatenate the column index and
         // field key (as field keys could be duplicated)
@@ -92,14 +106,7 @@ export default {
         //   So we could change this to: `row-${rowIndex}-cell-${key}`
         key: `row-${rowIndex}-cell-${colIndex}-${key}`,
         class: [field.class ? field.class : '', this.getTdValues(item, key, field.tdClass, '')],
-        props: {
-          stackedHeading: this.isStacked ? field.label : null,
-          stickyColumn: field.stickyColumn,
-          variant:
-            item._cellVariants && item._cellVariants[key]
-              ? item._cellVariants[key]
-              : field.variant || null
-        },
+        props: {},
         attrs: {
           'aria-colindex': String(colIndex + 1),
           ...(field.isRowHeader
@@ -107,6 +114,25 @@ export default {
             : this.getTdValues(item, key, field.tdAttr, {}))
         }
       }
+      if (field.stickyColumn) {
+        // We are using the helper BTd or BTh
+        data.props = {
+          stackedHeading: this.isStacked ? field.label : null,
+          stickyColumn: field.stickyColumn,
+          variant: cellVariant
+        }
+      } else {
+        // Using native TD or TH element, so we need to
+        // add in the attributes and variant class
+        data.attrs['data-label'] =
+          this.isStacked && !isUndefinedOrNull(field.label) ? toString(field.label) : null
+        data.attrs.role = field.isRowHeader ? 'rowheader' : 'cell'
+        data.attrs.scope = field.isRowHeader ? 'row' : null
+        // Add in the variant class
+        if (cellVariant) {
+          data.class.push(`${this.dark ? 'bg' : 'table'}-${cellVariant}`)
+        }
+      }
       const slotScope = {
         item: item,
         index: rowIndex,
@@ -135,7 +161,7 @@ export default {
         $childNodes = [h('div', {}, [$childNodes])]
       }
       // Render either a td or th cell
-      return h(field.isRowHeader ? BTh : BTd, data, [$childNodes])
+      return h(cellTag, data, [$childNodes])
     },
     renderTbodyRow(item, rowIndex) {
       // Renders an item's row (or rows if details supported)
diff --git a/src/components/table/table-sticky-column.spec.js b/src/components/table/table-sticky-column.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0e04243f92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/table/table-sticky-column.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { BTable } from './table'
+import { BTd } from './td'
+import { BTh } from './th'
+
+const items = [{ a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }, { a: 4, b: 5, c: 6 }]
+const fields = [
+  { key: 'a', stickyColumn: true, isRowHeader: true },
+  { key: 'b', stickyColumn: true },
+  'c'
+]
+
+describe('table > sticky columns', () => {
+  it('has expected classes when sticky column is enabled', async () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(BTable, {
+      propsData: {
+        responsive: true,
+        items: items,
+        fields: fields
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(wrapper).toBeDefined()
+    expect(wrapper.is(BTable)).toBe(true)
+    expect(wrapper.is('div')).toBe(true)
+    expect(wrapper.classes()).toContain('table-responsive')
+    const table = wrapper.find('table')
+    expect(table.classes()).toContain('table')
+    expect(table.classes()).toContain('b-table')
+
+    const trs = wrapper.findAll('tbody > tr')
+    expect(trs.length).toBe(2)
+
+    const cells = trs.at(0).findAll('th, td')
+    expect(cells.length).toBe(3)
+
+    // First column should be BTh with sticky classes
+    expect(cells.at(0).is(BTh)).toBe(true)
+    expect(cells.at(0).is('th')).toBe(true)
+    expect(cells.at(0).classes()).toContain('b-table-sticky-column')
+
+    // Second column should be BTd with sticky classes
+    expect(cells.at(1).is(BTd)).toBe(true)
+    expect(cells.at(1).is('td')).toBe(true)
+    expect(cells.at(1).classes()).toContain('b-table-sticky-column')
+
+    // Third column should be td
+    expect(cells.at(2).is(BTd)).toBe(false)
+    expect(cells.at(2).is(BTh)).toBe(false)
+    expect(cells.at(2).is('td')).toBe(true)
+    expect(cells.at(2).classes()).not.toContain('b-table-sticky-column')
+
+    wrapper.destroy()
+  })
+})