diff --git a/zeal/main.cpp b/zeal/main.cpp
index d4226e6d5..760f7cf3f 100644
--- a/zeal/main.cpp
+++ b/zeal/main.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QLocalSocket>
 #include <QProxyStyle>
+#include <QStandardPaths>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -82,6 +83,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         return -1; // Exit already a process running
     }
 
+    // look for icons in: 
+    // 1. user's data directory (same as docsets dir, but in icons/)
+    // 2. executable directory/icons
+    // 3. on unix, standard/legacy install location
+    // 4. current directory/icons
+    QDir::setSearchPaths("icons", QStandardPaths::locateAll(QStandardPaths::DataLocation, "icons", QStandardPaths::LocateDirectory));
+    QDir::addSearchPath("icons", QDir(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath()).absoluteFilePath("icons"));
+#ifndef WIN32
+    QDir::addSearchPath("icons", "/usr/share/pixmaps/zeal");
+#endif
+    QDir::addSearchPath("icons", "./icons");
+
     MainWindow w;
 
     if (!w.startHidden())
diff --git a/zeal/zealdocsetsregistry.h b/zeal/zealdocsetsregistry.h
index 7354069fb..49a0f7893 100644
--- a/zeal/zealdocsetsregistry.h
+++ b/zeal/zealdocsetsregistry.h
@@ -76,20 +76,14 @@ class ZealDocsetsRegistry : public QObject
             icon = QIcon(entry->dir.absoluteFilePath("icon.png"));
         }
         if(icon.availableSizes().isEmpty()) {
-#ifdef WIN32
-            QDir icondir(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath());
-            icondir.cd("icons");
-#else
-            QDir icondir("/usr/share/pixmaps/zeal");
-#endif
-            icon = QIcon(icondir.filePath(bundleName+".png"));
+            icon = QIcon(QString("icons:%1.png").arg(bundleName));
 
             // Fallback to identifier and docset file name.
             if (icon.availableSizes().isEmpty()) {
-                icon = QIcon(icondir.filePath(identifier+".png"));
+                icon = QIcon(QString("icons:%1.png").arg(identifier));
             }
             if (icon.availableSizes().isEmpty()) {
-                icon = QIcon(icondir.filePath(docsetName+".png"));
+                icon = QIcon(QString("icons:%1.png").arg(docsetName));
             }
         }
         return icon;
diff --git a/zeal/zealsettingsdialog.cpp b/zeal/zealsettingsdialog.cpp
index ba1d3baa9..8cce8b51e 100644
--- a/zeal/zealsettingsdialog.cpp
+++ b/zeal/zealsettingsdialog.cpp
@@ -280,13 +280,7 @@ void ZealSettingsDialog::downloadDocsetList()
                 auto url_list = url.split("/");
                 auto iconfile = url_list[url_list.count()-1].replace(".tgz", ".png");
                 iconfile = iconfile.replace(".tar.bz2", ".png");
-#ifdef WIN32
-                QDir icondir(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath());
-                icondir.cd("icons");
-#else
-                QDir icondir("/usr/share/pixmaps/zeal");
-#endif
-                auto *lwi = new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(icondir.filePath(iconfile)), name);
+                auto *lwi = new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(QString("icons:") + iconfile), name);
                 lwi->setCheckState(Qt::Unchecked);
 
                 if(docsets->names().contains(name)){