diff --git a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/GtkBaseMenuItem.java b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/GtkBaseMenuItem.java
index fcc230b..e1382a6 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/GtkBaseMenuItem.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/GtkBaseMenuItem.java
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ import com.sun.jna.Pointer;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.Gobject;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.Gtk;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.peer.EntryPeer;
-import dorkbox.systemTray.util.ImageUtils;
+import dorkbox.systemTray.util.ImageResizeUtil;
 
 abstract
 class GtkBaseMenuItem implements EntryPeer {
     // these are necessary BECAUSE GTK menus look funky as hell when there are some menu entries WITH icons and some WITHOUT
-    private static File transparentIcon = null;
+    private static final File transparentIcon = ImageResizeUtil.getTransparentImage();
     private volatile boolean hasLegitImage = true;
 
     // these have to be volatile, because they can be changed from any thread
@@ -38,11 +38,6 @@ class GtkBaseMenuItem implements EntryPeer {
 
     GtkBaseMenuItem(final Pointer _native) {
         this._native = _native;
-
-        // cannot be done in a static initializer, because the tray icon size might not yet have been determined
-        if (transparentIcon == null) {
-            transparentIcon = ImageUtils.getTransparentImage(ImageUtils.ENTRY_SIZE);
-        }
     }
 
     public
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AppIndicatorNativeTray.java b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AppIndicatorNativeTray.java
index 34e3438..85785cb 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AppIndicatorNativeTray.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AppIndicatorNativeTray.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.AppIndicator;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.AppIndicatorInstanceStruct;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.Gobject;
 import dorkbox.systemTray.jna.linux.Gtk;
-import dorkbox.systemTray.util.ImageUtils;
+import dorkbox.systemTray.util.ImageResizeUtil;
 
 /**
  * Class for handling all system tray interactions.
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ class _AppIndicatorNativeTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
 
                         if (!isActive) {
                             isActive = true;
-
                             AppIndicator.app_indicator_set_status(appIndicator, AppIndicator.STATUS_ACTIVE);
                         }
                     }
@@ -220,9 +219,10 @@ class _AppIndicatorNativeTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
             @Override
             public
             void run() {
-                // we initialize with a blank image
-                File image = ImageUtils.getTransparentImage(ImageUtils.ENTRY_SIZE);
                 String id = System.nanoTime() + "DBST";
+
+                // we initialize with a blank image. Throws RuntimeException if not possible (this should never happen!)
+                File image = ImageResizeUtil.getTransparentImage(); // tiny size is OK because we will be replacing this image.
                 appIndicator = AppIndicator.app_indicator_new(id, image.getAbsolutePath(), AppIndicator.CATEGORY_APPLICATION_STATUS);
             }
         });
@@ -232,10 +232,10 @@ class _AppIndicatorNativeTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
         bind(gtkMenu, null, systemTray);
     }
 
-    // https://bugs.launchpad.net/indicator-application/+bug/527458/comments/12
     @Override
     protected
     void setTooltip_(final String tooltipText) {
+        // https://bugs.launchpad.net/indicator-application/+bug/527458/comments/12
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AwtTray.java b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AwtTray.java
index 77b4b7e..65dd19d 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AwtTray.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/systemTray/nativeUI/_AwtTray.java
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ class _AwtTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
                                        "type and configuration");
         }
 
-        _AwtTray.this.tray = SystemTray.getSystemTray();
-
         // we override various methods, because each tray implementation is SLIGHTLY different. This allows us customization.
         final AwtMenu awtMenu = new AwtMenu(null) {
             @Override
@@ -75,6 +73,10 @@ class _AwtTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
                     @Override
                     public
                     void run() {
+                        if (tray == null) {
+                            tray = SystemTray.getSystemTray();
+                        }
+
                         boolean enabled = menuItem.getEnabled();
 
                         if (OS.isMacOsX()) {
@@ -138,6 +140,10 @@ class _AwtTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
                     @Override
                     public
                     void run() {
+                        if (tray == null) {
+                            tray = SystemTray.getSystemTray();
+                        }
+
                         // stupid java won't scale it right away, so we have to do this twice to get the correct size
                         final Image trayImage = new ImageIcon(imageFile.getAbsolutePath()).getImage();
                         trayImage.flush();
@@ -185,7 +191,10 @@ class _AwtTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
                     void run() {
                         if (trayIcon != null) {
                             trayIcon.setPopupMenu(null);
-                            tray.remove(trayIcon);
+                            if (tray != null) {
+                                tray.remove(trayIcon);
+                            }
+
                             trayIcon = null;
                         }
 
@@ -209,6 +218,10 @@ class _AwtTray extends Tray implements NativeUI {
             @Override
             public
             void run() {
+                if (tray == null) {
+                    tray = SystemTray.getSystemTray();
+                }
+
                 // don't want to matter which (setImage/setTooltip/setEnabled) is done first, and if the image/enabled is changed, we
                 // want to make sure keep the tooltip text the same as before.
                 if (trayIcon != null) {