diff --git a/applets/systemtray/package/contents/ui/items/StatusNotifierItem.qml b/applets/systemtray/package/contents/ui/items/StatusNotifierItem.qml
--- a/applets/systemtray/package/contents/ui/items/StatusNotifierItem.qml
+++ b/applets/systemtray/package/contents/ui/items/StatusNotifierItem.qml
@@ -43,16 +43,22 @@
         }
     }
 
-    onStatusChanged: {
-        //binding is not working in PlasmaCore.IconItem
-        iconItem.source = status === PlasmaCore.Types.NeedsAttentionStatus ? (AttentionIcon ? AttentionIcon : AttentionIconName) : (Icon ? Icon : IconName)
-    }
-
     iconItem: iconItem
 
     PlasmaCore.IconItem {
         id: iconItem
-        source: Icon ? Icon : IconName
+        source: {
+            if (taskIcon.status === PlasmaCore.Types.NeedsAttentionStatus) {
+                if (AttentionIcon) {
+                    return AttentionIcon
+                }
+                if (AttentionIconName) {
+                    return AttentionIconName
+                }
+            }
+            return Icon ? Icon : IconName
+        }
+
         width: Math.min(parent.width, parent.height)
         height: width
         active: taskIcon.containsMouse
diff --git a/dataengines/statusnotifieritem/statusnotifieritemsource.cpp b/dataengines/statusnotifieritem/statusnotifieritemsource.cpp
--- a/dataengines/statusnotifieritem/statusnotifieritemsource.cpp
+++ b/dataengines/statusnotifieritem/statusnotifieritemsource.cpp
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@
                     overlayIcon(&icon, &overlay);
                 }
             }
-            setData(QStringLiteral("Icon"), icon);
+            setData(QStringLiteral("Icon"), icon.isNull() ? QVariant() : icon);
             setData(QStringLiteral("IconName"), iconName);
         }
 
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
                     overlayIcon(&attentionIcon, &overlay);
                 }
             }
-            setData(QStringLiteral("AttentionIcon"), attentionIcon);
+            setData(QStringLiteral("AttentionIcon"), attentionIcon.isNull() ? QVariant() : attentionIcon);
         }
 
         //ToolTip