diff --git a/js/ui/docDisplay.js b/js/ui/docDisplay.js
index df020081f..070fe62eb 100644
--- a/js/ui/docDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/docDisplay.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ DocDisplayItem.prototype = {
         let description = ""; 
 
         let icon = new Clutter.Texture();
-        this._iconPixbuf = Shell.get_thumbnail_for_recent_info(docInfo);
+        this._iconPixbuf = Shell.get_thumbnail(docInfo.get_uri(), docInfo.get_mime_type());
         if (this._iconPixbuf) {
             // We calculate the width and height of the texture so as to preserve the aspect ratio of the thumbnail.
             // Because the images generated based on thumbnails don't have an internal padding like system icons do,
diff --git a/src/shell-app-system.c b/src/shell-app-system.c
index 882938922..0605b71ee 100644
--- a/src/shell-app-system.c
+++ b/src/shell-app-system.c
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ shell_app_system_get_menus (ShellAppSystem *monitor)
  *
  * Returns a list of all desktop file ids under "settings.menu".
  *
- * Return value: (transfer full) (element-type utf8): List of desktop file ids
+ * Return value: (transfer none) (element-type utf8): List of desktop file ids
  */
 GSList *
 shell_app_system_get_all_settings (ShellAppSystem *monitor)
diff --git a/src/shell-global.c b/src/shell-global.c
index 070c962ac..a88de0e65 100644
--- a/src/shell-global.c
+++ b/src/shell-global.c
@@ -341,23 +341,36 @@ shell_clutter_texture_set_from_pixbuf (ClutterTexture *texture,
 static GnomeThumbnailFactory *thumbnail_factory;
 
 /**
- * shell_get_thumbnail_for_recent_info:
+ * shell_get_thumbnail:
  *
- * @recent_info: #GtkRecentInfo for which to return a thumbnail
+ * @uri: URI of the file to thumbnail
  *
- * Return value: #GdkPixbuf containing a thumbnail for the file described by #GtkRecentInfo 
+ * @mime_type: Mime-Type of the file to thumbnail
+ *
+ * Return value: #GdkPixbuf containing a thumbnail for file @uri
  *               if the thumbnail exists or can be generated, %NULL otherwise
  */
 GdkPixbuf *
-shell_get_thumbnail_for_recent_info(GtkRecentInfo  *recent_info)
+shell_get_thumbnail(const gchar *uri,
+                    const gchar *mime_type)
 {
     char *existing_thumbnail;
     GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = NULL;
-    const gchar *uri = gtk_recent_info_get_uri (recent_info);
-    time_t mtime = gtk_recent_info_get_modified (recent_info);
-    const gchar *mime_type = gtk_recent_info_get_mime_type (recent_info);
     GError *error = NULL;
-    
+    GFile *file = NULL;
+    GFileInfo *file_info = NULL;
+    GTimeVal mtime_g;
+    time_t mtime = 0;
+
+    file = g_file_new_for_uri (uri);
+    file_info = g_file_query_info (file, G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TIME_MODIFIED, G_FILE_QUERY_INFO_NONE, NULL, NULL);
+    g_object_unref (file);
+    if (file_info) {
+        g_file_info_get_modification_time (file_info, &mtime_g);
+        g_object_unref (file_info);
+        mtime = (time_t) mtime_g.tv_sec;
+    }
+
     if (thumbnail_factory == NULL)
       thumbnail_factory = gnome_thumbnail_factory_new (GNOME_THUMBNAIL_SIZE_NORMAL);
 
diff --git a/src/shell-global.h b/src/shell-global.h
index a05a72909..2192b75c2 100644
--- a/src/shell-global.h
+++ b/src/shell-global.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ GType            shell_global_get_type            (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 gboolean shell_clutter_texture_set_from_pixbuf (ClutterTexture *texture,
                                                 GdkPixbuf      *pixbuf);
 
-GdkPixbuf *shell_get_thumbnail_for_recent_info(GtkRecentInfo  *recent_info);
+GdkPixbuf *shell_get_thumbnail(const gchar *uri, const gchar *mime_type);
 
 GSList *shell_get_categories_for_desktop_file(const char *desktop_file_name);