diff --git a/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py b/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
index 9893b5fc3..0b8c27f41 100644
--- a/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
+++ b/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
@@ -683,9 +683,7 @@ def _init_resources(self, resources):
         resources["include_tableofcontents"] = self.include_tableofcontents
         return resources
 
-    def include_tableofcontents(self, resources):
-        # if len(resources["tableofcontents"])>0:
+    def include_tableofcontents(self):
         return True
-
-    # else:
-    # return False
+        
+        
diff --git a/share/templates/base/null.j2 b/share/templates/base/null.j2
index 547ddb458..929b18759 100644
--- a/share/templates/base/null.j2
+++ b/share/templates/base/null.j2
@@ -21,9 +21,10 @@ calling super.
 consider calling super even if it is a leaf block, we might insert more blocks later.
 
 #}
+{%- block header -%}
+{%- endblock header -%}
 {%- block body -%}
     {%- block body_header -%}
-        <div>{{"Hello \n\"World\""}}</div>
     {%- endblock body_header -%}
     {%- block body_loop -%}
         {%- for cell in nb.cells -%}
diff --git a/share/templates/lab/base.html.j2 b/share/templates/lab/base.html.j2
index b4001ea2c..db0a879f9 100644
--- a/share/templates/lab/base.html.j2
+++ b/share/templates/lab/base.html.j2
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@
 {% from 'celltags.j2' import celltags %}
 {% from 'cell_id_anchor.j2' import cell_id_anchor %}
 
-{% block tableofcontents %}
-    <div> {{"Table of contents"}} </div>
+{%- block body_header -%}
+{%- endblock body_header -%}
 
-{% endblock tableofcontents %}
 
 {% block codecell %}
 {%- if not cell.outputs -%}
diff --git a/share/templates/lab/index.html.j2 b/share/templates/lab/index.html.j2
index ad184ca7c..f19f0defc 100644
--- a/share/templates/lab/index.html.j2
+++ b/share/templates/lab/index.html.j2
@@ -126,6 +126,28 @@ a.anchor-link {
 <body class="jp-Notebook" data-jp-theme-light="true" data-jp-theme-name="JupyterLab Light">
 {% endif %}
 <main>
+{%- for item in resources.tableofcontents -%}
+{%- set (level, text) = item -%}
+{%- if level==1 -%}
+<h1>{{text}}</h1>
+{%- endif -%} 
+{%- if level==2 -%}
+<h2>{{text}}</h2>
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- if level==3 -%}
+<h3>{{text}}</h3>
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- if level==4 -%}
+<h4>{{text}}</h4>
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- if level==5 -%}
+<h5>{{text}}</h5>
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- if level==6 -%}
+<h6>{{text}}</h6>
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+
 {%- endblock body_header -%}
 
 {% block body_footer %}
