diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1e390bb1c..21ba3025f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION_MIN_VERSION=0.10.1
 GJS_MIN_VERSION=1.35.4
 MUTTER_MIN_VERSION=3.8.1
 GTK_MIN_VERSION=3.7.9
-GIO_MIN_VERSION=2.35.0
+GIO_MIN_VERSION=2.37.0
 LIBECAL_MIN_VERSION=3.5.3
 LIBEDATASERVER_MIN_VERSION=3.5.3
 TELEPATHY_GLIB_MIN_VERSION=0.17.5
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.ShellSearchProvider2.xml b/data/org.gnome.ShellSearchProvider2.xml
index 7947d0346..9502340e4 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.ShellSearchProvider2.xml
+++ b/data/org.gnome.ShellSearchProvider2.xml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     <!--
         GetResultMetas:
         @identifiers: An array of result identifiers as returned by GetInitialResultSet() or GetSubsearchResultSet()
-        @metas: A dictionary describing the given search result, containing a human-readable 'name' (string), along with the result identifier this meta is for, 'id' (string). Optionally, either 'gicon' (a serialized GIcon) or 'icon-data' (raw image data as (iiibiiay) - width, height, rowstride, has-alpha, bits per sample, channels, data) can be specified if the result can be better served with a thumbnail of the content (such as with images). A 'description' field (string) may also be specified if more context would help the user find the desired result.
+        @metas: A dictionary describing the given search result, containing a human-readable 'name' (string), along with the result identifier this meta is for, 'id' (string). Optionally, 'icon' (a serialized GIcon as obtained by g_icon_serialize) can be specified if the result can be better served with a thumbnail of the content (such as with images). 'gicon' (a serialized GIcon as obtained by g_icon_to_string) or 'icon-data' (raw image data as (iiibiiay) - width, height, rowstride, has-alpha, bits per sample, channels, data) are deprecated values that can also be used for that purpose. A 'description' field (string) may also be specified if more context would help the user find the desired result.
 
         Return an array of meta data used to display each given result
     -->
diff --git a/js/ui/remoteSearch.js b/js/ui/remoteSearch.js
index e7cd6fea1..3d0c759b8 100644
--- a/js/ui/remoteSearch.js
+++ b/js/ui/remoteSearch.js
@@ -187,7 +187,9 @@ const RemoteSearchProvider = new Lang.Class({
 
     createIcon: function(size, meta) {
         let gicon;
-        if (meta['gicon']) {
+        if (meta['icon']) {
+            gicon = Gio.icon_deserialize(meta['icon']);
+        } else if (meta['gicon']) {
             gicon = Gio.icon_new_for_string(meta['gicon']);
         } else if (meta['icon-data']) {
             let [width, height, rowStride, hasAlpha,
@@ -240,8 +242,12 @@ const RemoteSearchProvider = new Lang.Class({
         let metas = results[0];
         let resultMetas = [];
         for (let i = 0; i < metas.length; i++) {
-            for (let prop in metas[i])
-                metas[i][prop] = metas[i][prop].deep_unpack();
+            for (let prop in metas[i]) {
+                // we can use the serialized icon variant directly
+                if (prop != 'icon')
+                    metas[i][prop] = metas[i][prop].deep_unpack();
+            }
+
             resultMetas.push({ id: metas[i]['id'],
                                name: metas[i]['name'],
                                description: metas[i]['description'],