diff --git a/src/st/st-icon.c b/src/st/st-icon.c
index c43d7c91b..c54fe9d72 100644
--- a/src/st/st-icon.c
+++ b/src/st/st-icon.c
@@ -334,7 +334,9 @@ st_icon_init (StIcon *self)
                                            CLUTTER_BIN_ALIGNMENT_FILL);
   clutter_actor_set_layout_manager (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self), layout_manager);
 
-  self->priv->icon_size = DEFAULT_ICON_SIZE;
+  /* Set the icon size to -1 here to make sure we apply the scale to the
+   * default size on the first "style-changed" signal. */
+  self->priv->icon_size = -1;
   self->priv->prop_icon_size = -1;
 
   self->priv->shadow_pipeline = NULL;
@@ -462,6 +464,9 @@ st_icon_update (StIcon *icon)
   if (theme_node == NULL)
     return;
 
+  if (priv->icon_size <= 0)
+    return;
+
   stage = clutter_actor_get_stage (CLUTTER_ACTOR (icon));
   context = st_theme_context_get_for_stage (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage));
   g_object_get (context, "scale-factor", &paint_scale, NULL);
@@ -472,7 +477,7 @@ st_icon_update (StIcon *icon)
     priv->pending_texture = st_texture_cache_load_gicon (cache,
                                                          theme_node,
                                                          priv->gicon,
-                                                         priv->icon_size,
+                                                         priv->icon_size / paint_scale,
                                                          paint_scale,
                                                          resource_scale);
 
@@ -480,7 +485,7 @@ st_icon_update (StIcon *icon)
     priv->pending_texture = st_texture_cache_load_gicon (cache,
                                                          theme_node,
                                                          priv->fallback_gicon,
-                                                         priv->icon_size,
+                                                         priv->icon_size / paint_scale,
                                                          paint_scale,
                                                          resource_scale);
 
@@ -488,7 +493,7 @@ st_icon_update (StIcon *icon)
     priv->pending_texture = st_texture_cache_load_gicon (cache,
                                                          theme_node,
                                                          default_gicon,
-                                                         priv->icon_size,
+                                                         priv->icon_size / paint_scale,
                                                          paint_scale,
                                                          resource_scale);
 
@@ -519,34 +524,31 @@ st_icon_update_icon_size (StIcon *icon)
 {
   StIconPrivate *priv = icon->priv;
   int new_size;
+  gint scale = 1;
+  ClutterActor *stage;
+  StThemeContext *context;
 
-  if (priv->prop_icon_size > 0)
-    new_size = priv->prop_icon_size;
-  else if (priv->theme_icon_size > 0)
+  stage = clutter_actor_get_stage (CLUTTER_ACTOR (icon));
+  if (stage != NULL)
     {
-      gint scale;
-      ClutterActor *stage;
-      StThemeContext *context;
-
-      /* The theme will give us an already-scaled size, so we
-       * undo it here, as priv->icon_size is in unscaled pixels.
-       */
-      stage = clutter_actor_get_stage (CLUTTER_ACTOR (icon));
       context = st_theme_context_get_for_stage (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage));
       g_object_get (context, "scale-factor", &scale, NULL);
-      new_size = (gint) (priv->theme_icon_size / scale);
     }
+
+  if (priv->prop_icon_size > 0)
+    new_size = priv->prop_icon_size * scale;
+  else if (priv->theme_icon_size > 0)
+    new_size = priv->theme_icon_size;
   else
-    new_size = DEFAULT_ICON_SIZE;
+    new_size = DEFAULT_ICON_SIZE * scale;
 
   if (new_size != priv->icon_size)
     {
-      clutter_actor_queue_relayout (CLUTTER_ACTOR (icon));
       priv->icon_size = new_size;
       return TRUE;
     }
-  else
-    return FALSE;
+
+  return FALSE;
 }
 
 /**