diff --git a/metadata/panel.xml b/metadata/panel.xml
index 97140299..f2a40cb7 100644
--- a/metadata/panel.xml
+++ b/metadata/panel.xml
@@ -570,6 +570,11 @@
 		</group>
 		<group>
 			<_short>Tray</_short>
+			<option name="prefer_symbolic_tray_icons" type="bool">
+				<_short>Prefer Symbolic Tray Icons</_short>
+				<_long>Prefer symbolic icons for system tray items when available.</_long>
+				<default>false</default>
+			</option>
 			<option name="tray_icon_size" type="int">
 				<_short>Default Icon Size</_short>
 				<default>0</default>
diff --git a/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.cpp b/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.cpp
index 9adc0cd3..d6e8ecfa 100644
--- a/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.cpp
+++ b/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "item.hpp"
 #include "wf-popover.hpp"
+#include "icon-select.hpp"
 
 #include <gtk-utils.hpp>
 
@@ -184,11 +185,39 @@ void StatusNotifierItem::update_icon()
     const Glib::ustring icon_type_name =
         get_item_property<Glib::ustring>("Status") == "NeedsAttention" ? "AttentionIcon" : "Icon";
     const bool hide = get_item_property<Glib::ustring>("Status") == "Passive";
-    const auto icon_name = get_item_property<Glib::ustring>(icon_type_name + "Name");
+    const auto icon_name =
+        get_item_property<Glib::ustring>(icon_type_name + "Name");
 
-    if (!IconProvider::image_set_icon(icon, icon_name))
+    auto preferred_name =
+        preferred_icon(icon_name, prefer_symbolic_icons);
+
+    if (icon_name.empty() &&
+        prefer_symbolic_icons &&
+        (icon_type_name == "Icon"))
+    {
+        const auto id = get_item_property<Glib::ustring>("Id");
+        const auto id_preferred = preferred_icon(id, true);
+
+        if (id_preferred != id)
+        {
+            preferred_name = id_preferred;
+        }
+    }
+
+    bool icon_set = IconProvider::image_set_icon(icon, preferred_name);
+
+    if (!icon_set &&
+        !icon_name.empty() &&
+        (preferred_name != icon_name))
+    {
+        icon_set = IconProvider::image_set_icon(icon, icon_name);
+    }
+
+    if (!icon_set)
     {
-        const auto pixmap_data = extract_pixbuf(get_item_property<IconData>(icon_type_name + "Pixmap"));
+        const auto pixmap_data =
+            extract_pixbuf(get_item_property<IconData>(icon_type_name + "Pixmap"));
+
         if (pixmap_data)
         {
             icon.set(pixmap_data);
diff --git a/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.hpp b/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.hpp
index 5243c846..33ab4509 100644
--- a/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.hpp
+++ b/src/panel/widgets/tray/item.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class StatusNotifierItem : public WayfireMenuWidget
     guint menu_handler_id;
 
     WfOption<bool> menu_on_middle_click{"panel/tray_menu_on_middle_click"};
+    WfOption<bool> prefer_symbolic_icons{"panel/prefer_symbolic_tray_icons"};
 
     Glib::ustring dbus_name, menu_path;
 
diff --git a/src/util/icon-select.cpp b/src/util/icon-select.cpp
index 16485e89..a3a876fe 100644
--- a/src/util/icon-select.cpp
+++ b/src/util/icon-select.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,27 @@
 
 #include "icon-select.hpp"
 
+std::string preferred_icon(std::string name, bool prefer_symbolic)
+{
+    if (name.empty() ||
+        !prefer_symbolic ||
+        ((name.size() >= 9) &&
+         (name.compare(name.size() - 9, 9, "-symbolic") == 0)))
+    {
+        return name;
+    }
+
+    auto theme =
+        Gtk::IconTheme::get_for_display(Gdk::Display::get_default());
+
+    if (theme && theme->has_icon(name + "-symbolic"))
+    {
+        return name + "-symbolic";
+    }
+
+    return name;
+}
+
 std::string icon_from_range(std::map<double, std::vector<std::string>> icons, double value)
 {
     for (auto pair : icons)
diff --git a/src/util/icon-select.hpp b/src/util/icon-select.hpp
index 8449246c..04ce7e50 100644
--- a/src/util/icon-select.hpp
+++ b/src/util/icon-select.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <limits>
 
+std::string preferred_icon(std::string name, bool prefer_symbolic);
+
 std::string icon_from_range(std::map<double, std::vector<std::string>> icons, double value);
 
 // the number in the first term is the maximal value at which this icon will be shown