diff --git a/src/shell-app.c b/src/shell-app.c
index 3e4d4a5e8..28e819a05 100644
--- a/src/shell-app.c
+++ b/src/shell-app.c
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ typedef struct {
   /* Signal connection to dirty window sort list on workspace changes */
   gulong workspace_switch_id;
 
-  gulong icon_changed_id;
-
   GSList *windows;
 
   guint interesting_windows;
@@ -81,6 +79,7 @@ struct _ShellApp
                           * the way shell-window-tracker.c works).
                           */
   GIcon *fallback_icon;
+  MetaWindow *fallback_icon_window;
 
   ShellAppRunningState *running_state;
 
@@ -210,6 +209,9 @@ on_window_icon_changed (GObject          *object,
   g_clear_object (&app->fallback_icon);
   app->fallback_icon = x11_window_create_fallback_gicon (window);
 
+  if (!app->fallback_icon)
+    app->fallback_icon = g_themed_icon_new ("application-x-executable");
+
   g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (app), "icon");
 }
 
@@ -243,10 +245,10 @@ shell_app_get_icon (ShellApp *app)
   if (window &&
       meta_window_get_client_type (window) == META_WINDOW_CLIENT_TYPE_X11)
     {
+      app->fallback_icon_window = window;
       app->fallback_icon = x11_window_create_fallback_gicon (window);
-      app->running_state->icon_changed_id =
-        g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (window),
-                         "notify::icon", G_CALLBACK (on_window_icon_changed), app);
+      g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (window),
+                        "notify::icon", G_CALLBACK (on_window_icon_changed), app);
     }
   else
     {
@@ -1136,11 +1138,19 @@ _shell_app_remove_window (ShellApp   *app,
   if (!g_slist_find (app->running_state->windows, window))
     return;
 
-  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, G_CALLBACK(shell_app_on_user_time_changed), app);
-  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, G_CALLBACK(shell_app_on_skip_taskbar_changed), app);
   app->running_state->windows = g_slist_remove (app->running_state->windows, window);
 
-  g_clear_signal_handler (&app->running_state->icon_changed_id, window);
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, G_CALLBACK(shell_app_on_user_time_changed), app);
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, G_CALLBACK(shell_app_on_skip_taskbar_changed), app);
+  if (window == app->fallback_icon_window)
+    {
+      g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, G_CALLBACK(on_window_icon_changed), app);
+      app->fallback_icon_window = NULL;
+
+      /* Select a new icon from a different window. */
+      g_clear_object (&app->fallback_icon);
+      g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (app), "icon");
+    }
 
   if (!meta_window_is_skip_taskbar (window))
     app->running_state->interesting_windows--;