diff --git a/shell/plugins/launcher/Launcher.qml b/shell/plugins/launcher/Launcher.qml
index 7429a4ad..d120355e 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/launcher/Launcher.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/launcher/Launcher.qml
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ Item {
     root.cursorActive = true
     root.disarmHover()
     root.rebuildDisplay()
+    // The shell may start before first-install packages have finished placing
+    // their icons. Refresh here even when the desktop entry list did not change.
+    if (!iconIndexScan.running) iconIndexScan.running = true
     Qt.callLater(function() { keyCatcher.forceActiveFocus() })
   }
 
@@ -100,12 +103,12 @@ Item {
     if (value.length === 0) return Quickshell.iconPath("application-x-executable", true)
     if (value.indexOf("file://") === 0 || value.indexOf("image://") === 0) return value
     if (value.charAt(0) === "/") return Util.fileUrl(value)
-    var themed = Quickshell.iconPath(value, true)
-    if (themed.length > 0) return themed
-    // Qt's themed lookup missed (commonly a just-installed app whose icon landed
-    // after our icon cache warmed). Fall back to the on-disk index we scanned.
+    // Prefer the context-limited app/device index. An unconstrained themed
+    // lookup can resolve an app name such as "zoom" to an action icon instead.
     var found = root.iconIndex[value]
     if (found) return Util.fileUrl(found)
+    var themed = Quickshell.iconPath(value, true)
+    if (themed.length > 0) return themed
     return Quickshell.iconPath("application-x-executable", true)
   }
 
diff --git a/test/shell.d/launcher-search-test.sh b/test/shell.d/launcher-search-test.sh
index c52ddf1f..023fd892 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/launcher-search-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/launcher-search-test.sh
@@ -119,4 +119,18 @@ assert(
   /function iconIndexScanCommand\(\)[\s\S]*-path "\*\/apps\/\*" -o -path "\*\/devices\/\*"/.test(launcherQml),
   'launcher fallback icon index includes device icons'
 )
+
+const iconSourceMatch = launcherQml.match(/function iconSource\(icon\) \{([\s\S]*?)\n  \}/)
+assert(iconSourceMatch, 'launcher iconSource function exists')
+assert(
+  iconSourceMatch[1].indexOf('root.iconIndex[value]') < iconSourceMatch[1].indexOf('Quickshell.iconPath(value, true)'),
+  'launcher prefers indexed app icons over ambiguous themed icons'
+)
+
+const openMatch = launcherQml.match(/function open\(payloadJson\) \{([\s\S]*?)\n  \}/)
+assert(openMatch, 'launcher open function exists')
+assert(
+  openMatch[1].includes('if (!iconIndexScan.running) iconIndexScan.running = true'),
+  'launcher refreshes its icon index when opened'
+)
 JS