diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
index 8d84f69249..048b6e6235 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.dialogs.choose_format import ChooseFormatDialog
 from calibre.utils.ipc.job import BaseJob
 from calibre.devices.scanner import DeviceScanner
 from calibre.gui2 import config, error_dialog, Dispatcher, dynamic, \
-                        warning_dialog, \
-                        question_dialog, info_dialog, choose_dir
+        warning_dialog, info_dialog, choose_dir
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import authors_to_string
 from calibre import preferred_encoding, prints, force_unicode
 from calibre.utils.filenames import ascii_filename
@@ -665,6 +664,16 @@ class DeviceMixin(object): # {{{
         if tweaks['auto_connect_to_folder']:
             self.connect_to_folder_named(tweaks['auto_connect_to_folder'])
 
+    def auto_convert_question(self, msg, autos):
+        autos = u'\n'.join(map(unicode, map(force_unicode, autos)))
+        return self.ask_a_yes_no_question(
+                _('No suitable formats'), msg,
+                buttons=QMessageBox.Yes|QMessageBox.Cancel,
+                ans_when_user_unavailable=True,
+                det_msg=autos,
+                show_copy_button=False
+        )
+
     def set_default_thumbnail(self, height):
         img = I('book.png', data=True)
         self.default_thumbnail = thumbnail(img, height, height)
@@ -978,11 +987,9 @@ class DeviceMixin(object): # {{{
                 bad += auto
             else:
                 autos = [self.library_view.model().db.title(id, index_is_id=True) for id in auto]
-                autos = '\n'.join('%s'%i for i in autos)
-                if question_dialog(self, _('No suitable formats'),
+                if self.auto_convert_question(
                     _('Auto convert the following books before sending via '
-                        'email?'), det_msg=autos,
-                    buttons=QMessageBox.Yes|QMessageBox.Cancel):
+                        'email?'), autos):
                     self.iactions['Convert Books'].auto_convert_mail(to, fmts, delete_from_library, auto, format)
 
         if bad:
@@ -1085,11 +1092,9 @@ class DeviceMixin(object): # {{{
                         break
                 if format is not None:
                     autos = [self.library_view.model().db.title(id, index_is_id=True) for id in auto]
-                    autos = '\n'.join('%s'%i for i in autos)
-                    if question_dialog(self, _('No suitable formats'),
+                    if self.auto_convert_question(
                         _('Auto convert the following books before uploading to '
-                            'the device?'), det_msg=autos,
-                        buttons=QMessageBox.Yes|QMessageBox.Cancel):
+                            'the device?'), autos):
                         self.iactions['Convert Books'].auto_convert_catalogs(auto, format)
             files = [f for f in files if f is not None]
             if not files:
@@ -1170,11 +1175,9 @@ class DeviceMixin(object): # {{{
                         break
                 if format is not None:
                     autos = [self.library_view.model().db.title(id, index_is_id=True) for id in auto]
-                    autos = '\n'.join('%s'%i for i in autos)
-                    if question_dialog(self, _('No suitable formats'),
+                    if self.auto_convert_question(
                         _('Auto convert the following books before uploading to '
-                            'the device?'), det_msg=autos,
-                        buttons=QMessageBox.Yes|QMessageBox.Cancel):
+                            'the device?'), autos):
                         self.iactions['Convert Books'].auto_convert_news(auto, format)
             files = [f for f in files if f is not None]
             for f in files:
@@ -1289,11 +1292,9 @@ class DeviceMixin(object): # {{{
                 bad += auto
             else:
                 autos = [self.library_view.model().db.title(id, index_is_id=True) for id in auto]
-                autos = '\n'.join('%s'%i for i in autos)
-                if question_dialog(self, _('No suitable formats'),
+                if self.auto_convert_question(
                     _('Auto convert the following books before uploading to '
-                        'the device?'), det_msg=autos,
-                    buttons=QMessageBox.Yes|QMessageBox.Cancel):
+                        'the device?'), autos):
                     self.iactions['Convert Books'].auto_convert(auto, on_card, format)
 
         if bad:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
index 0ae15b0caa..d6d534dd40 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ from calibre.utils.ipc.server import Server
 from calibre.library.database2 import LibraryDatabase2
 from calibre.customize.ui import interface_actions
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog, GetMetadata, open_local_file, \
-        gprefs, max_available_height, config, info_dialog, Dispatcher
+        gprefs, max_available_height, config, info_dialog, Dispatcher, \
+        question_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.cover_flow import CoverFlowMixin
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import ProgressIndicator
 from calibre.gui2.update import UpdateMixin
@@ -181,9 +182,8 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, # {{{
         self.connect(self.donate_action, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'), self.donate)
         self.connect(self.restore_action, SIGNAL('triggered()'),
                         self.show_windows)
-        self.connect(self.system_tray_icon,
-                     SIGNAL('activated(QSystemTrayIcon::ActivationReason)'),
-                     self.system_tray_icon_activated)
+        self.system_tray_icon.activated.connect(
+            self.system_tray_icon_activated)
 
 
         ####################### Start spare job server ########################
@@ -250,7 +250,6 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, # {{{
 
         self.keyboard_interrupt.connect(self.quit, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
 
-
         self.read_settings()
         self.finalize_layout()
         if self.tool_bar.showing_donate:
@@ -301,6 +300,16 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, # {{{
             else:
                 self.show_windows()
 
+    @property
+    def is_minimized_to_tray(self):
+        return getattr(self, '__systray_minimized', False)
+
+    def ask_a_yes_no_question(self, title, msg, **kwargs):
+        awu = kwargs.pop('ans_when_user_unavailable', True)
+        if self.is_minimized_to_tray:
+            return awu
+        return question_dialog(self, title, msg, **kwargs)
+
     def hide_windows(self):
         for window in QApplication.topLevelWidgets():
             if isinstance(window, (MainWindow, QDialog)) and \