diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index 18d0e4558..7611bff75 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "ical-expander": "^2.0.0",
     "ical.js": "^1.3.0",
     "immutable": "^3.8.2",
+    "ini": "^1.3.5",
     "is-online": "7.0.0",
     "jasmine-json": "~0.0",
     "jasmine-react-helpers": "^0.2",
diff --git a/app/src/linux-theme-utils.ts b/app/src/linux-theme-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..226d8c59b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/linux-theme-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+import temp from 'temp';
+import os from 'os';
+import path from 'path';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import { execSync } from 'child_process';
+import ini from 'ini';
+
+const Context = {
+  ACTIONS: 'actions',
+  ANIMATIONS: 'animations',
+  APPLICATIONS: 'applications',
+  CATEGORIES: 'categories',
+  DEVICES: 'devices',
+  EMBLEMS: 'emblems',
+  EMOTES: 'emotes',
+  INTERNATIONAL: 'international',
+  MIMETYPES: 'mimetypes',
+  PANEL: 'panel',
+  PLACES: 'places',
+  STATUS: 'status',
+};
+
+const HOME = os.homedir();
+
+const ICON_THEME_PATHS = [
+  path.join(HOME, '.local/share/icons'),
+  path.join(HOME, '.icons'),
+  '/usr/share/icons',
+  '/usr/local/share/icons',
+];
+
+const DESKTOP = process.env.XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP;
+
+const ICON_EXTENSION = ['.png', '.svg'];
+
+/**
+ * Create a gsettings command string for icons themes
+ *
+ * @returns {string} command
+ * @private
+ */
+function __getGsettingsIconThemeCMD(): string {
+  const path = __getDesktopSettingsPath();
+  const key = 'icon-theme';
+  return path != null ? `gsettings get ${path} ${key}` : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a gsettings command string for themes
+ *
+ * @returns {string} command
+ * @private
+ */
+function __getGsettingsGtkThemeCMD(): string {
+  const path = __getDesktopSettingsPath();
+  const key = 'gtk-theme';
+  return path != null ? `gsettings ${path} ${key}` : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the path for the gsettings command. Currently only GNOME and MATE are supported
+ *
+ * @returns {*}
+ * @private
+ */
+function __getDesktopSettingsPath(): string {
+  switch (DESKTOP) {
+    case 'MATE':
+      return 'org.mate.interface';
+    case 'GNOME':
+    case 'Budgie:GNOME':
+      return 'org.gnome.desktop.interface';
+    default:
+      return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Execute a command and return the string result
+ *
+ * @param {string} cmd to execute
+ * @returns {string} result of the command
+ * @private
+ */
+function __exec(cmd: string): string {
+  try {
+    return cmd == null ? null : execSync(cmd)
+      .toString()
+      .trim()
+      .replace(/'/g, '');
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.warn(error);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the current icon theme
+ *
+ * @returns {string} name of the icon
+ */
+function getIconThemeName(): string {
+  return __exec(__getGsettingsIconThemeCMD());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the current GTK theme
+ *
+ * @returns {string} name of the theme
+ */
+function getThemeName(): string {
+  return __exec(__getGsettingsGtkThemeCMD());
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse the icon themes index.theme file
+ *
+ * @param {string} themePath path to the themes root
+ * @returns {object} parsed ini file
+ * @private
+ */
+function __parseIconTheme(themePath: string): object {
+  const themeIndex = path.join(themePath, 'index.theme');
+  if (fs.existsSync(themeIndex)) {
+    return ini.parse(fs.readFileSync(themeIndex, 'utf-8'));
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Find the path to the icon theme and parse it
+ *
+ * @param {string} themeName to parse
+ * @returns {IconTheme} containing the parsed index.theme file and path to the theme
+ */
+function getIconTheme(themeName): IconTheme {
+  if (themeName != null) {
+    for (const themesPath of ICON_THEME_PATHS) {
+      const themePath = path.join(themesPath, themeName);
+      const parsed = __parseIconTheme(themePath);
+      if (parsed != null) {
+        return {
+          themePath: themePath,
+          data: parsed,
+        };
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+type IconTheme = {
+  themePath: string;
+  data: object;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get all possible icon paths
+ *
+ * @param {IconTheme} theme data
+ * @param {string} iconName name of the icon
+ * @param {number} size of the icon
+ * @param {string|string[]} contexts of the icon
+ * @param {1|2} [scale=1] of the icon
+ * @returns {string[]} with all possibilities of the icon in one theme
+ * @private
+ */
+function __getAllIconPaths(theme: IconTheme, iconName: string, size: number, contexts: string|string[], scale: 1|2 = 1): string[] {
+  const icons = [];
+
+  if (!(contexts instanceof Array)) {
+    contexts = [contexts];
+  }
+
+  for (const [sectionName, section] of Object.entries(theme.data)) {
+    if (sectionName !== 'Icon Theme') {
+      const _context = section.Context.toLowerCase();
+      const _minSize = parseInt(section.MinSize, 10);
+      const _maxSize = parseInt(section.MaxSize, 10);
+      const _size = parseInt(section.Size, 10);
+      const _scale = parseInt(section.Scale, 10);
+
+      if (
+        contexts.indexOf(_context) > -1 &&
+        (_size === size || (_minSize <= size && size <= _maxSize)) &&
+        (scale == null || scale === _scale)
+      ) {
+        const iconDir = path.join(theme.themePath, sectionName);
+        for (const extension of ICON_EXTENSION) {
+          const iconPath = path.join(iconDir, iconName + extension);
+          if (fs.existsSync(iconPath)) {
+            icons.push(iconPath);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return icons;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the icon from a theme
+ *
+ * @param {IconTheme} theme name
+ * @param {string} iconName name of the icon
+ * @param {number} size of the icon
+ * @param {string|string[]} contexts to search in
+ * @param {1|2} [scale=1] of the icon
+ * @returns {string} path to the icon or null
+ */
+function getIconFromTheme(theme: IconTheme, iconName: string, size: number, contexts: string|string[], scale: 1|2 = 1) {
+  const icons = __getAllIconPaths(theme, iconName, size, contexts, scale);
+  for (let path of icons) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(path)) {
+      return fs.realpathSync(path);
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the absolute path to the icon. If the icon is not found in the theme itself, the inherited
+ * themes will be searched
+ *
+ * @param {string} iconName to search for
+ * @param {number} size of the icon
+ * @param {array|string} context the icons context
+ * @param {1|2} [scale=1] 1 = normal, 2 = HiDPI version
+ * @returns {string} absolute path of the icon
+ */
+function getIconPath(iconName: string, size: number, context: string|string[], scale: 1|2 = 1) {
+  let defaultTheme = getIconTheme(getIconThemeName());
+  if (defaultTheme != null) {
+    let inherits = defaultTheme.data['Icon Theme']['Inherits'].split(',');
+
+    let icon = getIconFromTheme(defaultTheme, iconName, size, context, scale);
+
+    if (icon !== null) {
+      return icon;
+    }
+
+    // in case the icon was not found in the theme, we search the inherited themes
+    for (let key of inherits) {
+      let inheritsTheme = getIconTheme(inherits[key]);
+      icon = getIconFromTheme(inheritsTheme, iconName, size, context);
+      if (icon !== null) {
+        return icon;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return an icon from the current icon theme
+ *
+ * @param {string} iconName name of the icon you want to search for (i.e. mailspring)
+ * @param {number} [size=22] size of the icon, if no exact size is found, the next possible one will be chosen
+ * @param {array|string} [context=Context.APPLICATIONS] icon context to search in, defaults to APPLICATIONS
+ * @param {number} [scale=2] icon scale, defaults to HiDPI version
+ * @returns {string} path to the icon
+ */
+function getIcon(iconName, size = 22, context: string|string[] = [Context.APPLICATIONS], scale: 1|2 = 2) {
+  if (process.platform !== 'linux') {
+    throw Error('getIcon only works on linux');
+  }
+
+  return getIconPath(iconName, size, context, scale);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert any icon to a png using ImageMagick. If ImageMagick is not present the icon cannot be
+ * converted.
+ *
+ * @param {string} iconName to name the tmp file
+ * @param {string} iconPath to the original icon to be converted
+ * @returns {string} path to the converted tmp file
+ */
+function convertToPNG(iconName: string, iconPath: string) {
+  try {
+    const version = execSync('convert --version')
+      .toString()
+      .trim();
+    if (!version) {
+      console.warn('Cannot find ImageMagick');
+      return null;
+    }
+    const tmpFile = temp.openSync({ prefix: iconName, suffix: '.png' });
+    execSync(`convert ${iconPath} -transparent white ${tmpFile.path}`);
+    return tmpFile.path;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.warn(error);
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+
+export {
+  convertToPNG,
+  getIcon,
+  getIconThemeName,
+  getThemeName,
+  Context,
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/native-notifications.ts b/app/src/native-notifications.ts
index d6aa4ee42..5a6507dc6 100644
--- a/app/src/native-notifications.ts
+++ b/app/src/native-notifications.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 /* eslint global-require: 0 */
+import { convertToPNG, getIcon, Context } from './linux-theme-utils';
+import path from 'path';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import os from 'os';
+
 const platform = process.platform;
+const DEFAULT_ICON = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'build', 'resources', 'mailspring.png');
 
 let MacNotifierNotification = null;
 if (platform === 'darwin') {
@@ -7,17 +13,27 @@ if (platform === 'darwin') {
     MacNotifierNotification = require('node-mac-notifier');
   } catch (err) {
     console.error(
-      'node-mac-notifier (a platform-specific optionalDependency) was not installed correctly! Check the Travis build log for errors.'
+      'node-mac-notifier (a platform-specific optionalDependency) was not installed correctly! Check the Travis build log for errors.',
     );
   }
 }
 
 type INotificationCallback = (
-  args: { response: string | null; activationType: 'replied' | 'clicked' }
+  args: { response: string | null; activationType: 'replied' | 'clicked' },
 ) => any;
 
+type INotificationOptions = {
+  title?: string;
+  subtitle?: string;
+  body?: string;
+  tag?: string;
+  canReply?: boolean;
+  onActivate?: INotificationCallback;
+}
+
 class NativeNotifications {
   _macNotificationsByTag = {};
+  private resolvedIcon: string = null;
 
   constructor() {
     if (MacNotifierNotification) {
@@ -28,6 +44,7 @@ class NativeNotifications {
         return true;
       });
     }
+    this.resolvedIcon = this.getIcon();
   }
 
   doNotDisturb() {
@@ -40,21 +57,78 @@ class NativeNotifications {
     return false;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Check if the desktop file exists and parse the desktop file for the icon.
+   *
+   * @param {string} filePath to the desktop file
+   * @returns {string} icon from the desktop file
+   * @private
+   */
+  private readIconFromDesktopFile(filePath) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
+      const ini = require('ini');
+      const content = ini.parse(fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8'));
+      return content['Desktop Entry']['Icon'];
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get notification icon. Only works on linux, otherwise the Mailspring default icon wil be read
+   * from resources.
+   *
+   * Reading the icon name from the desktop file of Mailspring. If the icon is a name, reads the
+   * icon theme directory for this icon. As the notification only works with PNG files, SVG files
+   * must be converted to PNG
+   *
+   * @returns {string} path to the icon
+   * @private
+   */
+  private getIcon() {
+    if (platform === 'linux') {
+      const desktopBaseDirs = [
+        os.homedir() + '/.local/share/applications/',
+        '/usr/share/applications/',
+      ];
+      const desktopFileNames = ['mailspring.desktop', 'Mailspring.desktop'];
+      // check the applications directories, the user directory has a higher priority
+      for (const baseDir of desktopBaseDirs) {
+        // check multiple spellings
+        for (const fileName of desktopFileNames) {
+          const filePath = path.join(baseDir, fileName);
+          const desktopIcon = this.readIconFromDesktopFile(filePath);
+          if (desktopIcon != null) {
+            if (fs.existsSync(desktopIcon)) {
+              // icon is a file and can be returned
+              return desktopIcon;
+            }
+            // icon is a name and we need to get it from the icon theme
+            const iconPath = getIcon(desktopIcon, 64, Context.APPLICATIONS, 2);
+            if (iconPath != null) {
+              // only .png icons work with notifications
+              if (path.extname(iconPath) === '.png') {
+                return iconPath;
+              }
+              const converted = convertToPNG(desktopIcon, iconPath);
+              if (converted != null) {
+                return converted;
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return DEFAULT_ICON;
+  }
+
   displayNotification({
     title,
     subtitle,
     body,
     tag,
     canReply,
-    onActivate = args => {},
-  }: {
-    title?: string;
-    subtitle?: string;
-    body?: string;
-    tag?: string;
-    canReply?: boolean;
-    onActivate?: INotificationCallback;
-  } = {}) {
+    onActivate = args => { },
+  }: INotificationOptions = {}) {
     let notif = null;
 
     if (this.doNotDisturb()) {
@@ -71,6 +145,7 @@ class NativeNotifications {
         subtitle: subtitle,
         body: body,
         id: tag,
+        icon: this.resolvedIcon,
       });
       notif.addEventListener('reply', ({ response }) => {
         onActivate({ response, activationType: 'replied' });
@@ -86,6 +161,7 @@ class NativeNotifications {
         silent: true,
         body: subtitle,
         tag: tag,
+        icon: this.resolvedIcon,
       });
       notif.onclick = onActivate;
     }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 4d20dc781..5b51da931 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -604,7 +604,6 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/align-text/-/align-text-0.1.4.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-DNkKVhCT810KmSVsIrcGlDP60Rc=",
       "dev": true,
-      "optional": true,
       "requires": {
         "kind-of": "^3.0.2",
         "longest": "^1.0.1",
@@ -1372,8 +1371,7 @@
       "version": "0.3.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cssom/-/cssom-0.3.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-uANhcMefB6kP8vFuIihAJ6JDhIs=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "cssstyle": {
       "version": "0.2.37",
@@ -3921,8 +3919,7 @@
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/imul/-/imul-1.0.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-nVhnFh6LPelsLDjV3HyxAvNeKsk=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "imurmurhash": {
       "version": "0.1.4",
@@ -4109,8 +4106,7 @@
       "version": "1.1.6",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/is-buffer/-/is-buffer-1.1.6.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-NcdALwpXkTm5Zvvbk7owOUSvVvBKDgKP5/ewfXEznmQFfs4ZRmanOeKBTjRVjka3QFoN6XJ+9F3USqfHqTaU5w==",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "is-builtin-module": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
@@ -4401,7 +4397,6 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kind-of/-/kind-of-3.2.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-MeohpzS6ubuw8yRm2JOupR5KPGQ=",
       "dev": true,
-      "optional": true,
       "requires": {
         "is-buffer": "^1.1.5"
       }
@@ -4647,8 +4642,7 @@
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/longest/-/longest-1.0.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-MKCy2jj3N3DoKUoNIuZiXtd9AJc=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "loose-envify": {
       "version": "1.4.0",
@@ -5072,8 +5066,7 @@
       "version": "2.10.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nan/-/nan-2.10.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-bAdJv7fBLhWC+/Bls0Oza+mvTaNQtP+1RyhhhvD95pgUJz6XM5IzgmxOkItJ9tkoCiplvAnXI1tNmmUD/eScyA==",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "natural-compare": {
       "version": "1.4.0",
@@ -9434,8 +9427,7 @@
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-key/-/path-key-1.0.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-XVPVeAGWRsDWiADbThRua9wqx68=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "path-parse": {
       "version": "1.0.5",
@@ -9774,8 +9766,7 @@
       "version": "1.6.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/repeat-string/-/repeat-string-1.6.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-jcrkcOHIirwtYA//Sndihtp15jc=",
-      "dev": true,
-      "optional": true
+      "dev": true
     },
     "repeating": {
       "version": "2.0.1",