diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.cpp
index 70ce11b1fb..2da238d7a1 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.cpp
@@ -190,6 +190,22 @@ KItemListWidgetCreatorBase* KFileItemListView::defaultWidgetCreator() const
     return new KItemListWidgetCreator<KFileItemListWidget>();
 }
 
+void KFileItemListView::initializeItemListWidget(KItemListWidget* item)
+{
+    KStandardItemListView::initializeItemListWidget(item);
+
+    // Make sure that the item has an icon.
+    QHash<QByteArray, QVariant> data = item->data();
+    if (!data.contains("iconName") && data["iconPixmap"].value<QPixmap>().isNull()) {
+        Q_ASSERT(qobject_cast<KFileItemModel*>(model()));
+        KFileItemModel* fileItemModel = static_cast<KFileItemModel*>(model());
+
+        const KFileItem fileItem = fileItemModel->fileItem(item->index());
+        data.insert("iconName", fileItem.iconName());
+        item->setData(data, QSet<QByteArray>() << "iconName");
+    }
+}
+
 void KFileItemListView::onPreviewsShownChanged(bool shown)
 {
     Q_UNUSED(shown);
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.h b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.h
index d795c96b5e..49ff77318c 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemlistview.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     virtual KItemListWidgetCreatorBase* defaultWidgetCreator() const;
+    virtual void initializeItemListWidget(KItemListWidget* item);
     virtual void onPreviewsShownChanged(bool shown);
     virtual void onItemLayoutChanged(ItemLayout current, ItemLayout previous);
     virtual void onModelChanged(KItemModelBase* current, KItemModelBase* previous);
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
index eaaab6bc05..317a7a3522 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::KFileItemModelRolesUpdater(KFileItemModel* model, QO
     m_resolvableRoles(),
     m_enabledPlugins(),
     m_pendingSortRoleItems(),
-    m_hasUnknownIcons(false),
-    m_firstIndexWithoutIcon(0),
     m_pendingIndexes(),
     m_pendingPreviewItems(),
     m_previewJob(),
@@ -333,10 +331,6 @@ void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsInserted(const KItemRangeList& itemRan
     QElapsedTimer timer;
     timer.start();
 
-    const int firstInsertedIndex = itemRanges.first().index;
-    m_firstIndexWithoutIcon = qMin(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon, firstInsertedIndex);
-    m_hasUnknownIcons = true;
-
     // Determine the sort role synchronously for as many items as possible.
     if (m_resolvableRoles.contains(m_model->sortRole())) {
         int insertedCount = 0;
@@ -373,11 +367,6 @@ void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsRemoved(const KItemRangeList& itemRang
 
     const bool allItemsRemoved = (m_model->count() == 0);
 
-    if (m_hasUnknownIcons) {
-        const int firstRemovedIndex = itemRanges.first().index;
-        m_firstIndexWithoutIcon = qMin(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon, firstRemovedIndex);
-    }
-
     if (!m_watchedDirs.isEmpty()) {
         // Don't let KDirWatch watch for removed items
         if (allItemsRemoved) {
@@ -459,11 +448,6 @@ void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsMoved(const KItemRange& itemRange, QLi
     Q_UNUSED(itemRange);
     Q_UNUSED(movedToIndexes);
 
-    if (m_hasUnknownIcons) {
-        const int firstMovedIndex = itemRange.index;
-        m_firstIndexWithoutIcon = qMin(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon, firstMovedIndex);
-    }
-
     // The visible items might have changed.
     startUpdating();
 }
@@ -829,13 +813,6 @@ void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::startUpdating()
     // Determine the icons for the visible items synchronously.
     updateVisibleIcons();
 
-    // Try to do at least a fast icon loading (without determining the
-    // mime type) for all items, to reduce the risk that the user sees
-    // "unknown" icons when scrolling.
-    if (m_hasUnknownIcons) {
-        updateAllIconsFast(MaxBlockTimeout - timer.elapsed());
-    }
-
     // A detailed update of the items in and near the visible area
     // only makes sense if sorting is finished.
     if (m_state == ResolvingSortRole) {
@@ -887,58 +864,9 @@ void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::updateVisibleIcons()
         applyResolvedRoles(item, ResolveFast);
     }
 
-    if (index > lastVisibleIndex) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // If this didn't work before MaxBlockTimeout was reached, at least
-    // prevent that the user sees 'unknown' icons.
-    disconnect(m_model, SIGNAL(itemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)),
-               this,    SLOT(slotItemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)));
-
-    while (index <= lastVisibleIndex) {
-        if (!m_model->data(index).contains("iconName")) {
-            const KFileItem item = m_model->fileItem(index);
-            QHash<QByteArray, QVariant> data;
-            data.insert("iconName", item.iconName());
-            m_model->setData(index, data);
-        }
-        ++index;
-    }
-
-    connect(m_model, SIGNAL(itemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)),
-            this,    SLOT(slotItemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)));
-}
-
-void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::updateAllIconsFast(int timeout)
-{
-    if (timeout <= 0) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    QElapsedTimer timer;
-    timer.start();
-
-    disconnect(m_model, SIGNAL(itemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)),
-               this,    SLOT(slotItemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)));
-
-    const int count = m_model->count();
-    while (m_firstIndexWithoutIcon < count && timer.elapsed() < timeout) {
-        if (!m_model->data(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon).contains("iconName")) {
-            const KFileItem item = m_model->fileItem(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon);
-            QHash<QByteArray, QVariant> data;
-            data.insert("iconName", item.iconName());
-            m_model->setData(m_firstIndexWithoutIcon, data);
-        }
-        ++m_firstIndexWithoutIcon;
-    }
-
-    if (m_firstIndexWithoutIcon == count) {
-        m_hasUnknownIcons = false;
-    }
-
-    connect(m_model, SIGNAL(itemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)),
-            this,    SLOT(slotItemsChanged(KItemRangeList,QSet<QByteArray>)));
+    // KFileItemListView::initializeItemListWidget(KItemListWidget*) will load
+    // preliminary icons (i.e., without mime type determination) for the
+    // remaining items.
 }
 
 void KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::startPreviewJob()
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
index 20ce21cfa4..605c36f81a 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
@@ -232,12 +232,6 @@ private:
      */
     void updateVisibleIcons();
 
-    /**
-     * Tries to load at least preliminary icons (without determining the
-     * mime type) for all items for \a timeout milliseconds.
-     */
-    void updateAllIconsFast(int timeout);
-
     /**
      * Creates previews for the items starting from the first item in
      * m_pendingPreviewItems.
@@ -326,11 +320,6 @@ private:
     // Items for which the sort role still has to be determined.
     QSet<KFileItem> m_pendingSortRoleItems;
 
-    // Determines if the next call of startUpdating() will try to do a fast
-    // icon loading (i.e., without determining the mime type) for all items.
-    bool m_hasUnknownIcons;
-    int m_firstIndexWithoutIcon;
-
     // Indexes of items which still have to be handled by
     // resolveNextPendingRoles().
     QList<int> m_pendingIndexes;