diff --git a/js/ui/iconGrid.js b/js/ui/iconGrid.js
index 0272c0e23..ddebc308e 100644
--- a/js/ui/iconGrid.js
+++ b/js/ui/iconGrid.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // -*- mode: js; js-indent-level: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
 /* exported BaseIcon, IconGrid, IconGridLayout */
 
-const { Clutter, GLib, GObject, Meta, St } = imports.gi;
+const { Clutter, GLib, GObject, Meta, Shell, St } = imports.gi;
 
 const Params = imports.misc.params;
 const Main = imports.ui.main;
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ var DragLocation = {
 };
 
 var BaseIcon = GObject.registerClass(
-class BaseIcon extends St.Bin {
+class BaseIcon extends Shell.SquareBin {
     _init(label, params) {
         params = Params.parse(params, {
             createIcon: null,
@@ -113,11 +113,6 @@ class BaseIcon extends St.Bin {
         this._iconThemeChangedId = cache.connect('icon-theme-changed', this._onIconThemeChanged.bind(this));
     }
 
-    vfunc_get_preferred_width(_forHeight) {
-        // Return the actual height to keep the squared aspect
-        return this.get_preferred_height(-1);
-    }
-
     // This can be overridden by a subclass, or by the createIcon
     // parameter to _init()
     createIcon(_size) {
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index b06f7cab1..d235c3743 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ libshell_public_headers = [
   'shell-mount-operation.h',
   'shell-perf-log.h',
   'shell-screenshot.h',
+  'shell-square-bin.h',
   'shell-stack.h',
   'shell-tray-icon.h',
   'shell-tray-manager.h',
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ libshell_sources = [
   'shell-screenshot.c',
   'shell-secure-text-buffer.c',
   'shell-secure-text-buffer.h',
+  'shell-square-bin.c',
   'shell-stack.c',
   'shell-tray-icon.c',
   'shell-tray-manager.c',
diff --git a/src/shell-square-bin.c b/src/shell-square-bin.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..06587fb6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shell-square-bin.c
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include "shell-square-bin.h"
+
+struct _ShellSquareBin
+{
+  /*< private >*/
+  StBin parent_instance;
+};
+
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (ShellSquareBin, shell_square_bin, ST_TYPE_BIN);
+
+static void
+shell_square_bin_get_preferred_width (ClutterActor *actor,
+                                      float         for_height,
+                                      float        *min_width_p,
+                                      float        *natural_width_p)
+{
+  float min_width, nat_width;
+
+  /* Return the actual height to keep the squared aspect */
+  clutter_actor_get_preferred_height (actor, -1,
+                                      &min_width, &nat_width);
+
+  if (min_width_p)
+    *min_width_p = min_width;
+
+  if (natural_width_p)
+    *natural_width_p = nat_width;
+}
+
+static void
+shell_square_bin_init (ShellSquareBin *self)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+shell_square_bin_class_init (ShellSquareBinClass *klass)
+{
+  ClutterActorClass *actor_class = CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (klass);
+
+  actor_class->get_preferred_width = shell_square_bin_get_preferred_width;
+}
diff --git a/src/shell-square-bin.h b/src/shell-square-bin.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b7d4b236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shell-square-bin.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef __SHELL_SQUARE_BIN_H__
+#define __SHELL_SQUARE_BIN_H__
+
+#include <st/st.h>
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+#define SHELL_TYPE_SQUARE_BIN (shell_square_bin_get_type ())
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (ShellSquareBin, shell_square_bin, SHELL, SquareBin, StBin)
+
+G_END_DECLS
+
+#endif /* __SHELL_SQUARE_BIN_H__ */