diff --git a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
index 32e305d8d9..b632708f86 100644
--- a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
+++ b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
@@ -155,12 +155,31 @@ function startAutoUpdate(update_base_url) {
 // no other way to catch this error).
 // Assuming we generally run from the console when developing,
 // this is far preferable.
-process.on('uncaughtException', function (error) {
+process.on('uncaughtException', function(error) {
     console.log("Unhandled exception", error);
 });
 
 electron.ipcMain.on('install_update', installUpdate);
 
+let focusHandlerAttached = false;
+electron.ipcMain.on('setBadgeCount', function(ev, count) {
+    electron.app.setBadgeCount(count);
+    if (process.platform === 'win32' && mainWindow && !mainWindow.isFocused()) {
+        if (count > 0) {
+            if (!focusHandlerAttached) {
+                mainWindow.once('focus', () => {
+                    mainWindow.flashFrame(false);
+                    focusHandlerAttached = false;
+                });
+                focusHandlerAttached = true;
+            }
+            mainWindow.flashFrame(true);
+        } else {
+            mainWindow.flashFrame(false);
+        }
+    }
+});
+
 electron.app.commandLine.appendSwitch('--enable-usermedia-screen-capturing');
 
 const shouldQuit = electron.app.makeSingleInstance((commandLine, workingDirectory) => {
diff --git a/electron_app/src/tray.js b/electron_app/src/tray.js
index 98ffb9f40e..5409194d8f 100644
--- a/electron_app/src/tray.js
+++ b/electron_app/src/tray.js
@@ -60,15 +60,24 @@ exports.create = function(win, config) {
     trayIcon.setContextMenu(contextMenu);
     trayIcon.on('click', toggleWin);
 
+    let lastFavicon = null;
     win.webContents.on('page-favicon-updated', function(ev, favicons) {
+        let newFavicon = config.icon_path;
         if (favicons && favicons.length > 0 && favicons[0].startsWith('data:')) {
-            const image = nativeImage.createFromDataURL(favicons[0]);
-            trayIcon.setImage(image);
-            win.setIcon(image);
-        } else {
-            trayIcon.setImage(config.icon_path);
-            win.setIcon(config.icon_path);
+            newFavicon = favicons[0];
         }
+
+        // No need to change, shortcut
+        if (newFavicon === lastFavicon) return;
+        lastFavicon = newFavicon;
+
+        // if its not default we have to construct into nativeImage
+        if (newFavicon !== config.icon_path) {
+            newFavicon = nativeImage.createFromDataURL(favicons[0]);
+        }
+
+        trayIcon.setImage(newFavicon);
+        win.setIcon(newFavicon);
     });
 
     win.webContents.on('page-title-updated', function(ev, title) {
diff --git a/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js b/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
index 82ef0b5168..5710e66e4a 100644
--- a/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
+++ b/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import VectorBasePlatform from './VectorBasePlatform';
 import dis from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher';
 import q from 'q';
-import electron, {remote} from 'electron';
+import electron, {remote, ipcRenderer} from 'electron';
 
 remote.autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', onUpdateDownloaded);
 
@@ -58,16 +58,8 @@ export default class ElectronPlatform extends VectorBasePlatform {
     setNotificationCount(count: number) {
         if (this.notificationCount === count) return;
         super.setNotificationCount(count);
-        // this sometimes throws because electron is made of fail:
-        // https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/7351
-        // For now, let's catch the error, but I suspect it may
-        // continue to fail and we might just have to accept that
-        // electron's remote RPC is a non-starter for now and use IPC
-        try {
-            remote.app.setBadgeCount(count);
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.error('Failed to set notification count', e);
-        }
+
+        ipcRenderer.send('setBadgeCount', count);
     }
 
     supportsNotifications(): boolean {