diff --git a/applets/icon/CMakeLists.txt b/applets/icon/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/applets/icon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/applets/icon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
                       KF5::KIOCore # for OpenFileManagerWindowJob
                       KF5::KIOGui # for FavIconRequestJob
                       KF5::KIOWidgets # for KRun
+                      KF5::WindowSystem # for KStartupInfo
                       KF5::Plasma)
 
 install(TARGETS plasma_applet_icon DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_PLUGINDIR}/plasma/applets)
diff --git a/applets/icon/iconapplet.h b/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
--- a/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
+++ b/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <KPropertiesDialog>
 
 class KFileItemActions;
+class KStartupInfo;
+
 class QMenu;
 
 class IconApplet : public Plasma::Applet
@@ -100,4 +102,6 @@
 
     QPointer<KPropertiesDialog> m_configDialog;
 
+    KStartupInfo *m_startupInfo = nullptr;
+
 };
diff --git a/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp b/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
--- a/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
+++ b/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <KProtocolManager>
 #include <KRun>
+#include <KStartupInfo>
 
 #include <KIO/DropJob>
 #include <KIO/FavIconRequestJob>
@@ -393,6 +394,22 @@
 
 void IconApplet::run()
 {
+    if (!m_startupInfo) {
+        m_startupInfo = new KStartupInfo(KStartupInfo::CleanOnCantDetect, this);
+        connect(m_startupInfo, &KStartupInfo::gotNewStartup, this, [this](const KStartupInfoId &id, const KStartupInfoData &data) {
+            Q_UNUSED(id);
+            if (data.applicationId() == m_localPath) {
+                setBusy(true);
+            }
+        });
+        connect(m_startupInfo, &KStartupInfo::gotRemoveStartup, this, [this](const KStartupInfoId &id, const KStartupInfoData &data) {
+            Q_UNUSED(id);
+            if (data.applicationId() == m_localPath) {
+                setBusy(false);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     new KRun(QUrl::fromLocalFile(m_localPath), QApplication::desktop());
 }