diff --git a/js/ui/appDisplay.js b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
index 3c7d2f3d4..7fbb83b32 100644
--- a/js/ui/appDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
@@ -1177,6 +1177,16 @@ var BaseAppView = GObject.registerClass({
         const [sourcePage, sourcePosition] = this._grid.getItemPosition(source);
         let [targetPage, targetPosition, dragLocation] = this._grid.getDropTarget(x, y);
 
+        let reflowDirection = Clutter.ActorAlign.END;
+
+        if (sourcePosition === targetPosition)
+            reflowDirection = -1;
+
+        if (sourcePage === targetPage && sourcePosition < targetPosition)
+            reflowDirection = Clutter.ActorAlign.START;
+        if (!this._grid.layout_manager.allow_incomplete_pages && sourcePage < targetPage)
+            reflowDirection = Clutter.ActorAlign.START;
+
         // In case we're hovering over the edge of an item but the
         // reflow will happen in the opposite direction (the drag
         // can't "naturally push the item away"), we instead set the
@@ -1187,8 +1197,7 @@ var BaseAppView = GObject.registerClass({
         // or last column though, in that case there is no adjacent
         // icon we could push away.
         if (dragLocation === IconGrid.DragLocation.START_EDGE &&
-            targetPosition > sourcePosition &&
-            targetPage === sourcePage) {
+            reflowDirection === Clutter.ActorAlign.START) {
             const nColumns = this._grid.layout_manager.columns_per_page;
             const targetColumn = targetPosition % nColumns;
 
@@ -1197,8 +1206,7 @@ var BaseAppView = GObject.registerClass({
                 dragLocation = IconGrid.DragLocation.END_EDGE;
             }
         } else if (dragLocation === IconGrid.DragLocation.END_EDGE &&
-            (targetPosition < sourcePosition ||
-             targetPage !== sourcePage)) {
+                   reflowDirection === Clutter.ActorAlign.END) {
             const nColumns = this._grid.layout_manager.columns_per_page;
             const targetColumn = targetPosition % nColumns;