diff --git a/android/service/platform_api_stub.cpp b/android/service/platform_api_stub.cpp
index 37fa5d4..4d351bd 100644
--- a/android/service/platform_api_stub.cpp
+++ b/android/service/platform_api_stub.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ void PlatformApiStub::update_application_list(const ApplicationListUpdate &updat
             *c = category;
         }
 
-        app->set_icon(a.icon.data(), a.icon.size());
+        if (a.icon.size() > 0)
+          app->set_icon(a.icon.data(), a.icon.size());
     }
 
     for (const auto &package : update.removed_applications) {
diff --git a/android/service/platform_service.cpp b/android/service/platform_service.cpp
index 0a19818..b390a0c 100644
--- a/android/service/platform_service.cpp
+++ b/android/service/platform_service.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,14 @@ status_t PlatformService::update_application_list(const Parcel &data) {
 
         data.readByteVector(&p.icon);
 
-        update.applications.push_back(p);
+        // Send updates with icons separately to not overflow protobuf
+        if (p.icon.size() > 0) {
+          anbox::PlatformApiStub::ApplicationListUpdate with_icon_update;
+          with_icon_update.applications.push_back(p);
+          platform_api_stub_->update_application_list(with_icon_update);
+        } else {
+          update.applications.push_back(p);
+        }
     }
 
     const auto num_removed_packages = data.readInt32();