diff --git a/resources/content_server/browse/browse.css b/resources/content_server/browse/browse.css
index d50b6936ff..a22386b7a0 100644
--- a/resources/content_server/browse/browse.css
+++ b/resources/content_server/browse/browse.css
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ h2.library_name {
 .toplevel li {
     margin: 0.75em;
     padding: 0.75em;
-    text-align: center;
     cursor: pointer;
     border-radius: 15px;
     -moz-border-radius: 15px;
@@ -200,6 +199,10 @@ h2.library_name {
 
 }
 
+.toplevel li img {
+    vertical-align: middle;
+}
+
 .toplevel li:hover {
     background-color: #d6d3c9;
     font-weight: bold;
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tag_view.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tag_view.py
index 3505cc7344..6e0aef1b99 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tag_view.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tag_view.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import Qt, QTreeView, QApplication, pyqtSignal, \
 
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import title_sort
 from calibre.gui2 import config, NONE
-from calibre.library.field_metadata import TagsIcons
+from calibre.library.field_metadata import TagsIcons, category_icon_map
 from calibre.utils.search_query_parser import saved_searches
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.confirm_delete import confirm
@@ -382,17 +382,11 @@ class TagsModel(QAbstractItemModel): # {{{
         # must do this here because 'QPixmap: Must construct a QApplication
         # before a QPaintDevice'. The ':' in front avoids polluting either the
         # user-defined categories (':' at end) or columns namespaces (no ':').
-        self.category_icon_map = TagsIcons({
-                    'authors'   : QIcon(I('user_profile.png')),
-                    'series'    : QIcon(I('series.png')),
-                    'formats'   : QIcon(I('book.png')),
-                    'publisher' : QIcon(I('publisher.png')),
-                    'rating'    : QIcon(I('rating.png')),
-                    'news'      : QIcon(I('news.png')),
-                    'tags'      : QIcon(I('tags.png')),
-                    ':custom'   : QIcon(I('column.png')),
-                    ':user'     : QIcon(I('drawer.png')),
-                    'search'    : QIcon(I('search.png'))})
+        iconmap = {}
+        for key in category_icon_map:
+            iconmap[key] = QIcon(I(category_icon_map[key]))
+        self.category_icon_map = TagsIcons(iconmap)
+
         self.categories_with_ratings = ['authors', 'series', 'publisher', 'tags']
         self.drag_drop_finished = drag_drop_finished
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/field_metadata.py b/src/calibre/library/field_metadata.py
index 69dd7ae636..dbc871026e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/field_metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/field_metadata.py
@@ -22,6 +22,20 @@ class TagsIcons(dict):
                 raise ValueError('Missing category icon [%s]'%a)
             self[a] = icon_dict[a]
 
+category_icon_map = {
+                    'authors'   : 'user_profile.png',
+                    'series'    : 'series.png',
+                    'formats'   : 'book.png',
+                    'publisher' : 'publisher.png',
+                    'rating'    : 'rating.png',
+                    'news'      : 'news.png',
+                    'tags'      : 'tags.png',
+                    ':custom'   : 'column.png',
+                    ':user'     : 'drawer.png',
+                    'search'    : 'search.png'
+            }
+
+
 class FieldMetadata(dict):
     '''
     key: the key to the dictionary is:
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/browse.py b/src/calibre/library/server/browse.py
index dc8494dc13..d1476b34e1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/browse.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/browse.py
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ from calibre import isbytestring, force_unicode, prepare_string_for_xml as xml
 from calibre.utils.ordered_dict import OrderedDict
 from calibre.utils.filenames import ascii_filename
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
+from calibre.utils.magick import Image
 from calibre.library.comments import comments_to_html
 from calibre.library.server import custom_fields_to_display
+from calibre.library.field_metadata import category_icon_map
 
 def render_book_list(ids, suffix=''): # {{{
     pages = []
@@ -192,6 +194,8 @@ class BrowseServer(object):
                 self.browse_search)
         connect('browse_details', base_href+'/details/{id}',
                 self.browse_details)
+        connect('browse_category_icon', base_href+'/icon/{name}',
+                self.browse_icon)
 
     # Templates {{{
     def browse_template(self, sort, category=True, initial_search=''):
@@ -257,11 +261,24 @@ class BrowseServer(object):
     # }}}
 
     # Catalogs {{{
+    def browse_icon(self, name='blank.png'):
+        try:
+            data = I(name, data=True)
+        except:
+            raise cherrypy.HTTPError(404, 'no icon named: %r'%name)
+        img = Image()
+        img.load(data)
+        img.size = (48, 48)
+        cherrypy.response.headers['Content-Type'] = 'image/png'
+        cherrypy.response.headers['Last-Modified'] = self.last_modified(self.build_time)
+
+        return img.export('png')
+
     def browse_toplevel(self):
         categories = self.categories_cache()
         category_meta = self.db.field_metadata
         cats = [
-                (_('Newest'), 'newest'),
+                (_('Newest'), 'newest', 'blank.png'),
                 ]
 
         def getter(x):
@@ -279,10 +296,22 @@ class BrowseServer(object):
                 continue
             if meta['is_custom'] and category not in displayed_custom_fields:
                 continue
-            cats.append((meta['name'], category))
-        cats = ['<li title="{2} {0}">{0}<span>/browse/category/{1}</span></li>'\
-                .format(xml(x, True), xml(quote(y)), xml(_('Browse books by')))
-                for x, y in cats]
+            # get the icon files
+            if category in category_icon_map:
+                icon = category_icon_map[category]
+            elif meta['is_custom']:
+                icon = category_icon_map[':custom']
+            elif meta['kind'] == 'user':
+                icon = category_icon_map[':user']
+            else:
+                icon = 'blank.png'
+            cats.append((meta['name'], category, icon))
+
+        cats = [('<li title="{2} {0}"><img src="{src}" alt="{0}" /> {0}'
+                 '<span>/browse/category/{1}</span></li>')
+                .format(xml(x, True), xml(quote(y)), xml(_('Browse books by')),
+                    src='/browse/icon/'+z)
+                for x, y, z in cats]
 
         main = '<div class="toplevel"><h3>{0}</h3><ul>{1}</ul></div>'\
                 .format(_('Choose a category to browse by:'), '\n\n'.join(cats))