diff --git a/src/YQIconPool.cc b/src/YQIconPool.cc
index 4e031f1..2f1bbed 100644
--- a/src/YQIconPool.cc
+++ b/src/YQIconPool.cc
@@ -42,9 +42,12 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 
 #define YUILogComponent "qt-ui"
 #include "YUILog.h"
+#include "utf8.h"
 
 #include "YQIconPool.h"
 
+using std::endl;
+
 
 
 YQIconPool * YQIconPool::_iconPool = 0;
@@ -113,19 +116,46 @@ YQIconPool::cachedIcon( const QString icon_name, const bool enabled )
 
     if ( !iconPixmap )
     {
-        if ( QIcon::hasThemeIcon(icon_name) )
-        {
-            QIcon icon = QIcon::fromTheme(icon_name, QIcon( ":/" + icon_name ));
-            iconPixmap = icon.pixmap(QSize(16,16), enabled ? QIcon::Normal : QIcon::Disabled);
-        }
-        else
+        iconPixmap = loadIcon( icon_name, enabled );
+
+        if ( !iconPixmap )
         {
-            QIcon icon = QIcon( ":/" + icon_name );
-            iconPixmap = icon.pixmap(QSize(16,16), enabled ? QIcon::Normal : QIcon::Disabled);
+            // Create an icon for the cache to avoid more than one complaint
+            // and to have a clearly visible error icon (a small red square)
+            iconPixmap = QPixmap( 8, 8 );
+            iconPixmap.fill( Qt::red );
         }
     }
 
-    _iconCache.insert( icon_name + enabled, iconPixmap);
+    _iconCache.insert( icon_name + enabled, iconPixmap );
+
+    return iconPixmap;
+}
+
+
+QPixmap
+YQIconPool::loadIcon( const QString icon_name, const bool enabled )
+{
+    QPixmap iconPixmap = _iconCache[ icon_name + enabled ];
+
+    if ( QIcon::hasThemeIcon( icon_name ) )
+    {
+        yuiDebug() << "Loading theme icon " << icon_name << endl;
+
+        QIcon icon = QIcon::fromTheme( icon_name, QIcon( ":/" + icon_name ) );
+        iconPixmap = icon.pixmap( QSize( 16, 16 ), enabled ? QIcon::Normal : QIcon::Disabled );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        yuiDebug() << "Loading built-in icon " << icon_name << endl;
+
+        QIcon icon = QIcon( ":/" + icon_name );
+        iconPixmap = icon.pixmap( QSize( 16, 16 ), enabled ? QIcon::Normal : QIcon::Disabled );
+    }
+
+    if ( !iconPixmap )
+        yuiError() << "Could not load icon " << icon_name << endl;
+
     return iconPixmap;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/YQIconPool.h b/src/YQIconPool.h
index e3edfd4..588a9ec 100644
--- a/src/YQIconPool.h
+++ b/src/YQIconPool.h
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ class YQIconPool
     static QPixmap disabledPkgProtected();
     static QPixmap disabledPkgTaboo();
     static QPixmap disabledPkgUpdate();
-    
+
     static QPixmap normalPkgConflict();
 
     static QPixmap treePlus();
     static QPixmap treeMinus();
-    
+
     static QPixmap warningSign();
     static QPixmap pkgSatisfied();
 
@@ -92,12 +92,20 @@ class YQIconPool
     static YQIconPool * iconPool();
 
     /**
-     * Return the cached icon for 'xpm_data' ( an included XPM file ).
-     * If the icon isn't in the cache yet, create it and store it in the
-     * cache.
+     * Return the cached icon for 'icon_name'. If the icon isn't in the cache
+     * yet, load it and store it in the cache.
+     *
+     * Return a red square as an error icon if there is no icon by that name.
      **/
     QPixmap cachedIcon(const QString icon_name, const bool enabled );
 
+    /**
+     * Load the icon for 'icon_name' from the icon theme or, if that fails,
+     * from the compiled-in icons (using the Qt resource system). Return a null
+     * pixmap if there is no such icon.
+     **/
+    QPixmap loadIcon( const QString icon_name, const bool enabled );
+
 private:
 
     /**
@@ -111,7 +119,7 @@ class YQIconPool
      **/
     virtual ~YQIconPool();
 
-    
+
     //
     // Data members
     //