diff --git a/shell/ActivityHost.py b/shell/ActivityHost.py
index 639c589d..84577c1f 100644
--- a/shell/ActivityHost.py
+++ b/shell/ActivityHost.py
@@ -20,9 +20,15 @@ class ActivityHost:
 		self._gdk_window = gtk.gdk.window_foreign_new(self._xid)
 		self._people_window = PeopleWindow(shell, self)
 
+		info = self._shell.get_registry().get_activity(self._default_type)
+		self._icon_name = info.get_icon()
+
 	def get_id(self):
 		return self._id
 
+	def get_icon_name(self):
+		return self._icon_name
+
 	def share(self):
 		self._people_window.share()
 		self._activity.share()
diff --git a/shell/ChatController.py b/shell/ChatController.py
index 96d2fd00..00bab802 100644
--- a/shell/ChatController.py
+++ b/shell/ChatController.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ class ChatController:
 
 		self._shell.connect('activity-closed', self.__activity_closed_cb)
 
-	def __activity_closed_cb(self, shell, activity_id):
+	def __activity_closed_cb(self, shell, activity):
+		activity_id = activity.get_id()
 		if self._id_to_name.has_key(activity_id):
 			name = self._id_to_name[activity_id]
 			del self._name_to_chat[name]
diff --git a/shell/HomeWindow.py b/shell/HomeWindow.py
index ed86e6f5..26d29cce 100644
--- a/shell/HomeWindow.py
+++ b/shell/HomeWindow.py
@@ -7,35 +7,30 @@ from sugar.canvas.DonutItem import DonutItem
 from sugar.canvas.DonutItem import PieceItem
 
 class TasksItem(DonutItem):
-	def __init__(self):
+	def __init__(self, shell):
 		DonutItem.__init__(self, 250)
 
 		self._items = {}
 
-		screen = wnck.screen_get_default()
-		for window in screen.get_windows():
-			if not window.is_skip_tasklist():
-				self._add(window)
-		screen.connect('window_opened', self.__window_opened_cb)
-		screen.connect('window_closed', self.__window_closed_cb)
+		shell.connect('activity_opened', self.__activity_opened_cb)
+		shell.connect('activity_closed', self.__activity_closed_cb)
 
-	def __window_opened_cb(self, screen, window):
-		if not window.is_skip_tasklist():
-			self._add(window)
+	def __activity_opened_cb(self, shell, activity):
+		self._add(activity)
 
-	def __window_closed_cb(self, screen, window):
-		if not window.is_skip_tasklist():
-			self._remove(window)
+	def __activity_closed_cb(self, shell, activity):
+		self._remove(activity)
 	
-	def _remove(self, window):
-		item = self._items[window.get_xid()]
+	def _remove(self, activity):
+		item = self._items[activity.get_id()]
 		self.remove_child(item)
-		del self._items[window.get_xid()]
+		del self._items[activity.get_id()]
 
-	def _add(self, window):
-		item = self.add_piece(100 / 8)
-		item.set_data('window', window)
-		self._items[window.get_xid()] = item
+	def _add(self, activity):
+		icon_name = activity.get_icon_name()
+		item = self.add_piece(100 / 8, icon_name, 'blue')
+		item.set_data('activity', activity)
+		self._items[activity.get_id()] = item
 
 class ActivityItem(IconItem):
 	def __init__(self, activity):
@@ -91,7 +86,7 @@ class Model(goocanvas.CanvasModelSimple):
 		activity_bar.translate(50, 860)
 		root.add_child(activity_bar)
 
-		tasks = TasksItem()
+		tasks = TasksItem(shell)
 		tasks.translate(600, 450)
 		root.add_child(tasks)
 
@@ -130,8 +125,8 @@ class HomeWindow(gtk.Window):
 		self._shell.start_activity(activity_id)
 
 	def __task_button_press_cb(self, view, target, event):
-		window = view.get_item().get_data('window')
-		window.activate(gtk.get_current_event_time())
+		activity = view.get_item().get_data('activity')
+		activity.present()
 
 	def __realize_cb(self, window):
 		self.window.set_type_hint(gtk.gdk.WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_DESKTOP)
diff --git a/shell/Shell.py b/shell/Shell.py
index 614e1d15..50072fb7 100755
--- a/shell/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/Shell.py
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 
 class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 	__gsignals__ = {
-		'activity-closed': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE, ([str]))
+		'activity-opened': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST,
+							gobject.TYPE_NONE, ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT])),
+		'activity-closed': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST,
+							gobject.TYPE_NONE, ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT]))
 	}
 
 	def __init__(self, registry):
@@ -71,14 +74,16 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 
 	def __window_opened_cb(self, screen, window):
 		if window.get_window_type() == wnck.WINDOW_NORMAL:
-			self._hosts[window.get_xid()] = ActivityHost(self, window)
+			host = ActivityHost(self, window)
+			self._hosts[window.get_xid()] = host
+			self.emit('activity-opened', host)
 
 	def __window_closed_cb(self, screen, window):
 		if window.get_window_type() == wnck.WINDOW_NORMAL:
 			xid = window.get_xid()
 
-			activity = self._hosts[xid]
-			self.emit('activity-closed', activity.get_id())
+			host = self._hosts[xid]
+			self.emit('activity-closed', host)
 
 			del self._hosts[xid]
 
diff --git a/sugar/canvas/DonutItem.py b/sugar/canvas/DonutItem.py
index e7f56057..54c6dcce 100644
--- a/sugar/canvas/DonutItem.py
+++ b/sugar/canvas/DonutItem.py
@@ -2,6 +2,29 @@ import math
 
 import goocanvas
 
+from sugar.canvas.IconItem import IconItem
+
+class PieceIcon(IconItem):
+	def __init__(self, piece_item, icon_name, color, **kwargs):
+		IconItem.__init__(self, icon_name, color, 48, **kwargs)
+		self._piece_item = piece_item
+
+	def construct(self):
+		angle_start = self._piece_item.get_angle_start()
+		angle_end = self._piece_item.get_angle_end()
+		radius = self.get_parent().get_radius()
+		inner_radius = self.get_parent().get_inner_radius()
+
+		icon_radius = (radius + inner_radius) / 2
+		icon_angle = (angle_start + angle_end) / 2
+		x = icon_radius * math.cos(icon_angle)
+		y = - icon_radius * math.sin(icon_angle)
+
+		icon_width = self.get_property('width')
+		icon_height = self.get_property('height')
+		self.set_property('x', x - icon_width / 2)
+		self.set_property('y', y - icon_height / 2)
+
 class PieceItem(goocanvas.Path):
 	def __init__(self, angle_start, angle_end, **kwargs):
 		goocanvas.Path.__init__(self, **kwargs)
@@ -12,6 +35,12 @@ class PieceItem(goocanvas.Path):
 		self.set_property('stroke-color', '#d8d8d8')
 		self.set_property('line-width', 4)
 
+	def get_angle_start(self):
+		return self._angle_start
+
+	def get_angle_end(self):
+		return self._angle_end
+
 	def construct(self):
 		r = self.get_parent().get_radius()
 
@@ -41,21 +70,28 @@ class DonutItem(goocanvas.Group):
 							   fill_color='#c2c3c5', line_width=0)
 		self.add_child(bg)
 
-		fg_radius = radius / 2
-		fg = goocanvas.Ellipse(radius_x=fg_radius, radius_y=fg_radius,
+		self._inner_radius = radius / 2
+		fg = goocanvas.Ellipse(radius_x=self._inner_radius,
+							   radius_y=self._inner_radius,
 							   fill_color='#d8d8d8', line_width=0)
 		self.add_child(fg)
 
-	def add_piece(self, perc):
+	def add_piece(self, perc, icon_name, color):
+		# FIXME can't override set_parent on the
+		# PieceItem and there is no signal. So we
+		# call a construct item on the childs for now.
+
 		angle_end = self._angle_start + perc * 2 * math.pi / 100
 		piece_item = PieceItem(self._angle_start, angle_end)
 		self._angle_start = angle_end
 
-		# FIXME can't override set_parent on the
-		# PieceItem and there is no signal.
 		self.add_child(piece_item, 1)
 		piece_item.construct()
 
+		icon = PieceIcon(piece_item, icon_name, color)
+		self.add_child(icon)
+		icon.construct()
+
 		return piece_item
 
 	def remove_piece(self, piece_item):
@@ -64,3 +100,6 @@ class DonutItem(goocanvas.Group):
 
 	def get_radius(self):
 		return self._radius
+
+	def get_inner_radius(self):
+		return self._inner_radius