diff --git a/dashboard/src/views/apps.js b/dashboard/src/views/apps.js
index 34c74e1c7..2ede21032 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/views/apps.js
+++ b/dashboard/src/views/apps.js
@@ -187,21 +187,19 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('AppsController', ['$scope', '$translat
                 accessRestriction.groups = $scope.applinksEdit.accessRestriction.groups.map(function (g) { return g.id; });
             }
 
-            var icon;
-            if ($scope.applinksEdit.icon.data === '__original__') { // user reset the icon
-                icon = '';
-            } else if ($scope.applinksEdit.icon.data) { // user loaded custom icon
-                icon = $scope.applinksEdit.icon.data.replace(/^data:image\/[a-z]+;base64,/, '');
-            }
-
             var data = {
                 upstreamUri: $scope.applinksEdit.upstreamUri,
                 label: $scope.applinksEdit.label,
                 accessRestriction: accessRestriction,
-                icon: icon,
                 tags: $scope.applinksEdit.tags.split(' ').map(function (t) { return t.trim(); }).filter(function (t) { return !!t; })
             };
 
+            if ($scope.applinksEdit.icon.data === '__original__') { // user reset the icon
+                data.icon = '';
+            } else if ($scope.applinksEdit.icon.data) { // user loaded custom icon
+                data.icon = $scope.applinksEdit.icon.data.replace(/^data:image\/[a-z]+;base64,/, '');
+            }
+
             Client.updateApplink($scope.applinksEdit.id, data, function (error) {
                 $scope.applinksEdit.busyEdit = false;
 
diff --git a/src/applinks.js b/src/applinks.js
index d29660de7..0c4ba2c01 100644
--- a/src/applinks.js
+++ b/src/applinks.js
@@ -185,6 +185,13 @@ async function update(applinkId, applink) {
     if (applink.icon) {
         if (!validator.isBase64(applink.icon)) throw new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'icon is not base64');
         applink.icon = Buffer.from(applink.icon, 'base64');
+    } else if (applink.icon === '') {
+        // empty string means we autodetect in detectMetaInfo
+        applink.icon = '';
+    } else {
+        // nothing changed reuse old
+        const result = await get(applinkId);
+        applink.icon = result.icon;
     }
 
     await detectMetaInfo(applink);