diff --git a/js/ui/genericDisplay.js b/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
index ba26cb377..0d7a2ab07 100644
--- a/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
@@ -532,14 +532,14 @@ GenericDisplay.prototype = {
                             Lang.bind(this,
                                       function() {
                                           // update the selection
-                                          this._selectIndex(this._getIndexOfDisplayedActor(displayItem.actor));
+                                          this._selectIndex(this._list.get_actor_index(displayItem.actor));
                                           this.activateSelected();
                                       }));
 
         displayItem.connect('show-details',
                             Lang.bind(this,
                                       function() {
-                                          let index = this._getIndexOfDisplayedActor(displayItem.actor);
+                                          let index = this._list.get_actor_index(displayItem.actor);
                                           /* Close the details pane if already open */
                                           if (index == this._openDetailIndex) {
                                               this._openDetailIndex = -1;
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ GenericDisplay.prototype = {
     _removeDisplayItem: function(itemId) {
         let count = this._list.displayedCount;
         let displayItem = this._displayedItems[itemId];
-        let displayItemIndex = this._getIndexOfDisplayedActor(displayItem.actor);
+        let displayItemIndex = this._list.get_actor_index(displayItem.actor);
 
         if (this.hasSelected() && count == 1) {
             this.unsetSelected();
@@ -766,17 +766,6 @@ GenericDisplay.prototype = {
         return null;
     },
 
-    // Returns and index that the actor has in the ordering of the display's
-    // children.
-    _getIndexOfDisplayedActor: function(actor) {
-        let children = this._list.get_children();
-        for (let i = 0; i < children.length; i++) {
-            if (children[i] == actor)
-                return i;
-        }
-        return -1;
-    },
-
     // Selects (e.g. highlights) a display item at the provided index,
     // updates this.selectedItemDetails actor, and emits 'selected' signal.
     _selectIndex: function(index) {
diff --git a/src/shell-overflow-list.c b/src/shell-overflow-list.c
index 77da1ad66..59511803a 100644
--- a/src/shell-overflow-list.c
+++ b/src/shell-overflow-list.c
@@ -386,3 +386,40 @@ shell_overflow_list_get_displayed_actor (ShellOverflowList *self,
 
   return iter->data;
 }
+
+/**
+ * shell_overflow_list_get_actor_index:
+ * @self:
+ * @actor: a child of the list
+ *
+ * Returns the index on the current page of the given actor.
+ *
+ * Return value: index of @actor in
+ * the currently visible page
+ */
+int
+shell_overflow_list_get_actor_index (ShellOverflowList *self,
+                                     ClutterActor      *actor)
+{
+  GList *children, *iter;
+  int i;
+
+  children = clutter_container_get_children (CLUTTER_CONTAINER (self));
+
+  if (children == NULL)
+    return NULL;
+
+  iter = g_list_nth (children, (self->priv->page) * self->priv->items_per_page);
+
+  int result = -1;
+  for (i = 0; iter; iter = iter->next, i++)
+    if (iter->data == actor)
+      {
+        result = i;
+        break;
+      }
+
+  g_list_free (children);
+
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/src/shell-overflow-list.h b/src/shell-overflow-list.h
index c8a912ed6..c424fa415 100644
--- a/src/shell-overflow-list.h
+++ b/src/shell-overflow-list.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct _ShellOverflowListClass
 GType shell_overflow_list_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 ClutterActor *shell_overflow_list_get_displayed_actor (ShellOverflowList *list, guint index);
+int shell_overflow_list_get_actor_index (ShellOverflowList *list, ClutterActor *actor);
 
 G_END_DECLS