diff --git a/src/defaults.c b/src/defaults.c
index f5cbf46f..77401c6d 100644
--- a/src/defaults.c
+++ b/src/defaults.c
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ WDefaultEntry optionList[] = {
 	    &wPreferences.icon_yard, getEnum, setIconPosition, NULL, NULL},
 	{"IconificationStyle", "Zoom", seIconificationStyles,
 	    &wPreferences.iconification_style, getEnum, NULL, NULL, NULL},
-	{"EnforceIconMargin", "NO", NULL,
+	{"EnforceIconMargin", "YES", NULL,
 	    &wPreferences.enforce_icon_margin, getBool, NULL, NULL, NULL},
 	{"DisableWSMouseActions", "NO", NULL,
 	    &wPreferences.disable_root_mouse, getBool, NULL, NULL, NULL},
diff --git a/src/icon.c b/src/icon.c
index 943e2d84..079fdee7 100644
--- a/src/icon.c
+++ b/src/icon.c
@@ -336,22 +336,39 @@ void wIconChangeTitle(WIcon *icon, WWindow *wwin)
 			icon->icon_name = wNETWMGetWindowName(wwin->client_win);
 }
 
-RImage *wIconValidateIconSize(RImage *icon, int max_size)
+RImage *wIconValidateIconSize(RImage *icon, int max_size, Bool scale_down)
 {
 	RImage *nimage;
 
 	if (!icon)
 		return NULL;
 
-	/* We should hold "ICON_BORDER" (~2) pixels to include the icon border */
-	if (((max_size + ICON_BORDER) < icon->width) ||
-	    ((max_size + ICON_BORDER) < icon->height)) {
+	int wanted = max_size;
+
+	if (scale_down) {
+		/* For some image sources, we want to ensure that the icon is fitting */
+
+		if (wPreferences.enforce_icon_margin) {
+			/* better use only 75% of icon_size. For 64x64 this means 48x48
+			* This leaves room around the icon for the miniwindow title and
+			* results in better overall aesthetics -Dan */
+			wanted = (int)((double)wPreferences.icon_size * 0.75 + 0.5);
+
+			/* the size should be a multiple of 4 */
+			wanted = (wanted >> 2) << 2;
+		} else {
+
+			/* This is the "old" approach, which just adds a 3px border */
+			wanted = (max_size - ICON_BORDER);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (icon->width > wanted || icon->height > wanted) {
 		if (icon->width > icon->height)
-			nimage = RScaleImage(icon, max_size - ICON_BORDER,
-					     (icon->height * (max_size - ICON_BORDER) / icon->width));
+			nimage = RScaleImage(icon, wanted, icon->height * wanted / icon->width);
 		else
-			nimage = RScaleImage(icon, (icon->width * (max_size - ICON_BORDER) / icon->height),
-					     max_size - ICON_BORDER);
+			nimage = RScaleImage(icon, icon->width * wanted / icon->height, wanted);
+
 		RReleaseImage(icon);
 		icon = nimage;
 	}
@@ -791,7 +808,7 @@ RImage *get_rimage_icon_from_wm_hints(WIcon *icon)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* Resize the icon to the wPreferences.icon_size size */
-	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size);
+	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size, True);
 
 	return image;
 }
diff --git a/src/icon.h b/src/icon.h
index cccd7a86..49054a5d 100644
--- a/src/icon.h
+++ b/src/icon.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ void update_icon_pixmap(WIcon *icon);
 
 int wIconChangeImageFile(WIcon *icon, const char *file);
 
-RImage *wIconValidateIconSize(RImage *icon, int max_size);
+RImage *wIconValidateIconSize(RImage *icon, int max_size, Bool scale_down);
 RImage *get_rimage_icon_from_wm_hints(WIcon *icon);
 
 char *wIconStore(WIcon *icon);
diff --git a/src/switchpanel.c b/src/switchpanel.c
index cb6cda10..16f91be0 100644
--- a/src/switchpanel.c
+++ b/src/switchpanel.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ static void addIconForWindow(WSwitchPanel *panel, WMWidget *parent, WWindow *wwi
 		image = get_icon_image(panel->scr, wwin->wm_instance, wwin->wm_class, icon_tile_size);
 
 	/* We must resize the icon size (~64) to the switch panel icon size (~48) */
-	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, icon_size);
+	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, icon_size, False);
 
 	WMAddToArray(panel->images, image);
 	WMAddToArray(panel->icons, icon);
diff --git a/src/wdefaults.c b/src/wdefaults.c
index 7aad3db5..0bb476b9 100644
--- a/src/wdefaults.c
+++ b/src/wdefaults.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ RImage *get_rimage_from_file(WScreen *scr, const char *file_name, int max_size)
 		wwarning(_("error loading image file \"%s\": %s"), file_name,
 			 RMessageForError(RErrorCode));
 
-	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, max_size);
+	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, max_size, False);
 
 	return image;
 }
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ RImage *get_default_image(WScreen *scr)
 
 	/* Resize the icon to the wPreferences.icon_size size
 	 * usually this function will return early, because size is right */
-	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size);
+	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size, False);
 
 	return image;
 }
diff --git a/src/wmspec.c b/src/wmspec.c
index e61e6ae7..dff085ac 100644
--- a/src/wmspec.c
+++ b/src/wmspec.c
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ RImage *get_window_image_from_x11(Window window)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* Resize the image to the correct value */
-	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size);
+	image = wIconValidateIconSize(image, wPreferences.icon_size, False);
 
 	return image;
 }