diff --git a/applets/icon/iconapplet.h b/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
--- a/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
+++ b/applets/icon/iconapplet.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
     Q_INVOKABLE void processDrop(QObject *dropEvent);
     Q_INVOKABLE void configure();
 
+    Q_INVOKABLE bool isAcceptableDrag(QObject *dropEvent);
+
 signals:
     void urlChanged(const QUrl &url);
 
@@ -71,6 +73,9 @@
 private:
     void setIconName(const QString &iconName);
 
+    static QList<QUrl> urlsFromDrop(QObject *dropEvent);
+    static bool isExecutable(const QMimeType &mimeType);
+
     void populate();
     void populateFromDesktopFile(const QString &path);
 
diff --git a/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp b/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
--- a/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
+++ b/applets/icon/iconapplet.cpp
@@ -373,21 +373,9 @@
 void IconApplet::processDrop(QObject *dropEvent)
 {
     Q_ASSERT(dropEvent);
+    Q_ASSERT(isAcceptableDrag(dropEvent));
 
-    // DeclarativeDropEvent and co aren't public
-    const QObject *mimeData = qvariant_cast<QObject *>(dropEvent->property("mimeData"));
-    Q_ASSERT(mimeData);
-
-    const QJsonArray &droppedUrls = mimeData->property("urls").toJsonArray();
-
-    QList<QUrl> urls;
-    urls.reserve(droppedUrls.count());
-    foreach (const QJsonValue &droppedUrl, droppedUrls) {
-        const QUrl url(droppedUrl.toString());
-        if (url.isValid()) {
-            urls.append(url);
-        }
-    }
+    const auto &urls = urlsFromDrop(dropEvent);
 
     if (urls.isEmpty()) {
         return;
@@ -403,9 +391,7 @@
     QMimeDatabase db;
     const QMimeType mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(m_url);
 
-    if (KAuthorized::authorize(QStringLiteral("shell_access"))
-            && (mimeType.inherits(QStringLiteral("application/x-executable"))
-                || mimeType.inherits(QStringLiteral("application/x-shellscript")))) {
+    if (isExecutable(mimeType)) { // isAcceptableDrag has the KAuthorized check for this
         QProcess::startDetached(m_url.toLocalFile(), QUrl::toStringList(urls));
         return;
     }
@@ -427,6 +413,61 @@
     }
 }
 
+bool IconApplet::isAcceptableDrag(QObject *dropEvent)
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(dropEvent);
+
+    const auto &urls = urlsFromDrop(dropEvent);
+
+    if (urls.isEmpty()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const QString &localPath = m_url.toLocalFile();
+    if (KDesktopFile::isDesktopFile(localPath)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    QMimeDatabase db;
+    const QMimeType mimeType = db.mimeTypeForUrl(m_url);
+
+    if (KAuthorized::authorize(QStringLiteral("shell_access")) && isExecutable(mimeType)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (mimeType.inherits(QStringLiteral("inode/directory"))) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+QList<QUrl> IconApplet::urlsFromDrop(QObject *dropEvent)
+{
+    // DeclarativeDropEvent and co aren't public
+    const QObject *mimeData = qvariant_cast<QObject *>(dropEvent->property("mimeData"));
+    Q_ASSERT(mimeData);
+
+    const QJsonArray &droppedUrls = mimeData->property("urls").toJsonArray();
+
+    QList<QUrl> urls;
+    urls.reserve(droppedUrls.count());
+    for (const QJsonValue &droppedUrl : droppedUrls) {
+        const QUrl url(droppedUrl.toString());
+        if (url.isValid()) {
+            urls.append(url);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return urls;
+}
+
+bool IconApplet::isExecutable(const QMimeType &mimeType)
+{
+    return (mimeType.inherits(QStringLiteral("application/x-executable"))
+            || mimeType.inherits(QStringLiteral("application/x-shellscript")));
+}
+
 void IconApplet::configure()
 {
     KPropertiesDialog *dialog = m_configDialog.data();
diff --git a/applets/icon/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/icon/package/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applets/icon/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/icon/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -79,10 +79,22 @@
         id: dropArea
         anchors.fill: parent
         preventStealing: true
-        onDragEnter: root.containsAcceptableDrag = event.mimeData.hasUrls
+        onDragEnter: {
+            var acceptable = plasmoid.nativeInterface.isAcceptableDrag(event);
+            root.containsAcceptableDrag = acceptable;
+
+            if (!acceptable) {
+                event.ignore();
+            }
+        }
         onDragLeave: root.containsAcceptableDrag = false
         onDrop: {
-            plasmoid.nativeInterface.processDrop(event)
+            if (root.containsAcceptableDrag) {
+                plasmoid.nativeInterface.processDrop(event)
+            } else {
+                event.ignore();
+            }
+
             root.containsAcceptableDrag = false
         }
     }