diff --git a/js/ui/appDisplay.js b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
index 25237693c..a790e3fee 100644
--- a/js/ui/appDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
@@ -68,29 +68,9 @@ AppDisplayItem.prototype = {
         return this._appInfo.create_icon_texture(GenericDisplay.ITEM_DISPLAY_ICON_SIZE);
     },
 
-    // Ensures the preview icon is created.
-    _ensurePreviewIconCreated : function() {
-        if (!this._showPreview || this._previewIcon)
-            return;
-
-        let gicon = this._appInfo.get_icon();
-        let previewIconPath = null;
-        if (gicon) {
-            let iconTheme = Gtk.IconTheme.get_default();
-            let previewIconInfo = iconTheme.lookup_by_gicon(gicon, GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE, 0);
-            if (previewIconInfo)
-                previewIconPath = previewIconInfo.get_filename();
-        }
-
-        if (previewIconPath) {
-            try {
-                this._previewIcon = new Clutter.Texture({ width: GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE, height: GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE});
-                this._previewIcon.set_from_file(previewIconPath);
-            } catch (e) {
-                // we can get an error here if the file path doesn't exist on the system
-                log('Error loading AppDisplayItem preview icon ' + e);
-            }
-        }
+    // Returns a preview icon for the item.
+    _createPreviewIcon : function() {
+        return this._appInfo.create_icon_texture(GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/js/ui/docDisplay.js b/js/ui/docDisplay.js
index 02886f7ee..fac319fb5 100644
--- a/js/ui/docDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/docDisplay.js
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ DocDisplayItem.prototype = {
         return this._docInfo.createIcon(GenericDisplay.ITEM_DISPLAY_ICON_SIZE);
     },
 
-    // Ensures the preview icon is created.
-    _ensurePreviewIconCreated : function() {
-        if (!this._previewIcon)
-            this._previewIcon = this._docInfo.createIcon(GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE);
+    // Returns a preview icon for the item.
+    _createPreviewIcon : function() {
+        return this._docInfo.createIcon(GenericDisplay.PREVIEW_ICON_SIZE);
     },
 
     // Creates and returns a large preview icon, but only if this._docInfo is an image file
diff --git a/js/ui/genericDisplay.js b/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
index 73a6557cd..3cec3491f 100644
--- a/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/genericDisplay.js
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ GenericDisplayItem.prototype = {
         this._name = null;
         this._description = null;
         this._icon = null;
-        this._previewIcon = null; 
 
         // An array of details description actors that we create over time for the item.
         // It is used for updating the description text inside the details actor when
@@ -210,12 +209,11 @@ GenericDisplayItem.prototype = {
 
         mainDetails.append(textDetails, Big.BoxPackFlags.EXPAND);
 
-        this._ensurePreviewIconCreated();
+        let previewIcon = this._createPreviewIcon();
         let largePreviewIcon = this._createLargePreviewIcon(availableWidth, Math.max(0, availableHeight - mainDetails.height - PREVIEW_BOX_SPACING));
 
-        if (this._previewIcon != null && largePreviewIcon == null) {
-            let previewIconClone = new Clutter.Clone({ source: this._previewIcon });
-            mainDetails.prepend(previewIconClone, Big.BoxPackFlags.NONE);
+        if (previewIcon != null && largePreviewIcon == null) {
+            mainDetails.prepend(previewIcon, Big.BoxPackFlags.NONE);
         }
 
         details.append(mainDetails, Big.BoxPackFlags.NONE);
@@ -265,11 +263,6 @@ GenericDisplayItem.prototype = {
             // and therefore should be responsible for distroying it
             this._icon.destroy();
             this._icon = null;
-        } 
-        // This ensures we'll create a new previewIcon next time we need it
-        if (this._previewIcon != null) {
-            this._previewIcon.destroy();
-            this._previewIcon = null;
         }
 
         this._icon = this._createIcon();
@@ -320,8 +313,8 @@ GenericDisplayItem.prototype = {
         throw new Error("Not implemented");
     },
 
-    // Ensures the preview icon is created.
-    _ensurePreviewIconCreated: function() {
+    // Returns a preview icon for the item.
+    _createPreviewIcon: function() {
         throw new Error("Not implemented");
     },