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 +43,25 @@
         }
     }
 
-    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 (plasmoid.nativeInterface.isValidIcon(AttentionIcon)) {
+                    return AttentionIcon
+                }
+                if (AttentionIconName) {
+                    return AttentionIconName
+                }
+            }
+            if (plasmoid.nativeInterface.isValidIcon(Icon)) {
+                return Icon
+            }
+            return IconName
+        }
+
         width: Math.min(parent.width, parent.height)
         height: width
         active: taskIcon.containsMouse
diff --git a/applets/systemtray/systemtray.h b/applets/systemtray/systemtray.h
--- a/applets/systemtray/systemtray.h
+++ b/applets/systemtray/systemtray.h
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@
 
     Q_INVOKABLE bool isSystemTrayApplet(const QString &appletId);
 
+    /**
+    * Checks if the icon is valid (not null).
+    */
+    Q_INVOKABLE bool isValidIcon(const QVariant &value) const;
+
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void serviceNameFetchFinished(QDBusPendingCallWatcher* watcher, const QDBusConnection &connection);
     void serviceOwnerChanged(const QString &serviceName, const QString &oldOwner, const QString &newOwner);
diff --git a/applets/systemtray/systemtray.cpp b/applets/systemtray/systemtray.cpp
--- a/applets/systemtray/systemtray.cpp
+++ b/applets/systemtray/systemtray.cpp
@@ -349,6 +349,15 @@
     return m_systrayApplets.contains(appletId);
 }
 
+bool SystemTray::isValidIcon(const QVariant &value) const
+{
+    if (!value.isValid() || value.isNull() || !value.canConvert<QIcon>()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    QIcon icon = value.value<QIcon>();
+    return !icon.name().isEmpty() || !icon.isNull();
+}
+
 void SystemTray::restoreContents(KConfigGroup &group)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(group);