diff --git a/linux/cwtch.desktop b/linux/cwtch.desktop
index 9459767a..4127dda4 100644
--- a/linux/cwtch.desktop
+++ b/linux/cwtch.desktop
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Name=Cwtch
 Comment=Metadata Resistant Instant Messaging
 Exec=~/.local/bin/cwtch
-Icon=~/.local/share/icons/cwtch.png
+Icon=cwtch
 StartupNotify=true
 Type=Application
 Keywords=Internet;IM;Instant Messaging;Messaging;Chat
diff --git a/linux/cwtch.png b/linux/cwtch.png
deleted file mode 100644
index f35daeff..00000000
Binary files a/linux/cwtch.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/linux/icons/hicolor/128x128/apps/cwtch.png b/linux/icons/hicolor/128x128/apps/cwtch.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef922530
Binary files /dev/null and b/linux/icons/hicolor/128x128/apps/cwtch.png differ
diff --git a/linux/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/cwtch.png b/linux/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/cwtch.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..66cc4baf
Binary files /dev/null and b/linux/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/cwtch.png differ
diff --git a/linux/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/cwtch.png b/linux/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/cwtch.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..716f583b
Binary files /dev/null and b/linux/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/cwtch.png differ
diff --git a/linux/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/cwtch.png b/linux/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/cwtch.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2396ee05
Binary files /dev/null and b/linux/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/cwtch.png differ
diff --git a/linux/icons/hicolor/64x64/apps/cwtch.png b/linux/icons/hicolor/64x64/apps/cwtch.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b49f96fe
Binary files /dev/null and b/linux/icons/hicolor/64x64/apps/cwtch.png differ
diff --git a/linux/install.sh b/linux/install.sh
index 2f6ae01f..8c5a1f00 100755
--- a/linux/install.sh
+++ b/linux/install.sh
@@ -6,5 +6,10 @@ cp ui ~/.local/bin/cwtch
 mkdir -p ~/.local/share/icons
 cp cwtch.png ~/.local/share/icons
 
+mkdir -p ~/.local/share/cwtch
+cp -r assets ~/.local/share/cwtch
+
+cp -r icons ~/.local/share/
+
 mkdir -p ~/.local/share/applications
 sed "s|~|$HOME|" cwtch.desktop > $HOME/.local/share/applications/cwtch.desktop
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 7bbe771c..2feb320f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -181,14 +181,38 @@ func mainUi(flagLocal bool, flagClientUI bool) {
 	log.Infof("core.QCoreApplication_ApplicationDirPath(): %v\n", dir)
 	if runtime.GOOS == "android" {
 		gcd.SetAssetPath("assets:/")
-	} else {
+	} else if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		// all of these access are QML based, and QML takes URIs which use forward slashes and translates them to local OS sperators
 		// also windows paths need to be like /c:/PATH
-		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-			dir = "/" + dir
-		}
+		dir = "/" + dir
 		// QML uses '/' regardless of platform (so we use path.Join here not filepath.Join)
 		gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + path.Join(dir, "assets") + "/")
+	} else {
+		if buildVer == "" || flagLocal {
+			if _, err := os.Stat(path.Join(dir, "assets")); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + path.Join(dir, "assets") + "/")
+			}
+		} else {
+			usr, err := user.Current()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Errorf("\nerror: could not load current user: %v\n", err)
+				os.Exit(1)
+			}
+			localCwtch := path.Join(usr.HomeDir, ".local/share/cwtch")
+			if _, err := os.Stat(localCwtch); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + path.Join(localCwtch, "assets") + "/")
+			} else if _, err := os.Stat("/usr/share/cwtch"); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + "/usr/share/cwtch/assets/")
+			} else if _, err := os.Stat("/usr/local/share/cwtch/"); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + "/usr/local/share/cwtch/assets/")
+			} else if _, err := os.Stat(path.Join(dir, "assets")); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				gcd.SetAssetPath("file://" + path.Join(dir, "assets") + "/")
+			}
+		}
+		if gcd.AssetPath() == "" {
+			log.Errorf("Could not find assets folder")
+			os.Exit(-1)
+		}
 	}
 	log.Infof("gcd.assetPath = '%v'\n", gcd.AssetPath())