diff --git a/kdecore/services/kmimetype.cpp b/kdecore/services/kmimetype.cpp
index c97931cc..a20a189d 100644
--- a/kdecore/services/kmimetype.cpp
+++ b/kdecore/services/kmimetype.cpp
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ QString KMimeType::iconNameForUrl(const KUrl &_url, mode_t mode)
     const QString mimeTypeIcon = mt->iconName(_url);
     QString i = mimeTypeIcon;
 
-    // if we don't find an icon, maybe we can use the one for the protocol
+    // if icon is not found maybe use the one for the protocol
     if (i == unknown || i.isEmpty() || mt->name() == defaultMimeType()
         // and for the root of the protocol (e.g. trash:/) the protocol icon has priority over the mimetype icon
         || _url.path().length() <= 1)
diff --git a/kio/kio/kfileitem.cpp b/kio/kio/kfileitem.cpp
index 6a63ee5e..0776158e 100644
--- a/kio/kio/kfileitem.cpp
+++ b/kio/kio/kfileitem.cpp
@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-#include <QtCore/QFile>
-#include <QtDBus/QDBusInterface>
-#include <QtDBus/QDBusReply>
+#include <QFile>
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QDBusInterface>
+#include <QDBusReply>
 
 #include <kdebug.h>
 #include <kglobal.h>
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <kconfiggroup.h>
 #include <kuser.h>
 #include <ktoolinvocation.h>
+#include <kprotocolinfo.h>
 
 static bool isKDirShare(const QString &dirpath)
 {
@@ -58,8 +60,22 @@ static bool isKDirShare(const QString &dirpath)
     return kdirsharereply.value();
 }
 
+static QString kTrashIcon(const QString &emptyIcon)
+{
+    // need to find if the trash is empty, preferably without using a KIO job. kio_trash leaves an
+    // entry in its config file
+    KConfig trashConfig("trashrc", KConfig::SimpleConfig);
+    if (trashConfig.group("Status").readEntry("Empty", true)) {
+        return emptyIcon;
+    }
+    // the default icon for the protocol
+    return QString::fromLatin1("user-trash-full");
+}
+
 // avoid creating these QStrings again and again
 static const QLatin1String s_dot = QLatin1String(".");
+static const QLatin1String s_trashprotocol = QLatin1String("trash");
+static const QLatin1String s_usertrash = QLatin1String("user-trash");
 
 class KFileItemPrivate : public QSharedData
 {
@@ -561,15 +577,9 @@ QString KFileItem::iconName() const
             const QString type = cfg.readPath();
             const QString emptyIcon = group.readEntry("EmptyIcon");
             if (!emptyIcon.isEmpty()) {
-                const QString u = cfg.readUrl();
-                const KUrl url(u);
-                if (url.protocol() == "trash") {
-                    // We need to find if the trash is empty, preferably  without using a KIO job.
-                    // So instead kio_trash leaves an entry in its config file for us.
-                    KConfig trashConfig("trashrc", KConfig::SimpleConfig);
-                    if (trashConfig.group("Status").readEntry("Empty", true)) {
-                        d->m_iconName = emptyIcon;
-                    }
+                const KUrl url(cfg.readUrl());
+                if (url.protocol() == s_trashprotocol) {
+                    d->m_iconName = kTrashIcon(emptyIcon);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -578,6 +588,19 @@ QString KFileItem::iconName() const
         }
     }
 
+    // root of protocol has priority over the MIME type icon (see KMimeType::iconNameForUrl)
+    const QString urlPath = d->m_url.path();
+    if (urlPath.isEmpty() || urlPath == QDir::separator()) {
+        if (d->m_url.protocol() == s_trashprotocol) {
+            d->m_iconName = kTrashIcon(s_usertrash);
+        } else {
+            d->m_iconName = KProtocolInfo::icon(d->m_url.protocol());
+        }
+        if (!d->m_iconName.isEmpty()) {
+            return d->m_iconName;
+        }
+    }
+
     // kDebug() << "finding icon for" << d->m_url << ":" << d->m_iconName;
     d->m_iconName = mime->iconName(d->m_url);
     return d->m_iconName;