diff --git a/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.cxx b/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.cxx
index 1813bdc901..38bbc19fd1 100644
--- a/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.cxx
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ ConfigureFn(config_wgldisplay) {
   init_libwgldisplay();
 }
 
-string IconFileName = config_wgldisplay.GetString("win32-window-icon","");
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: init_libwgldisplay
 //  Description: Initializes the library.  This must be called at
@@ -43,3 +41,10 @@ init_libwgldisplay() {
 			wglGraphicsWindow::get_class_type(),
 		    	wglGraphicsWindow::make_wglGraphicsWindow);
 }
+
+// cant use global var cleanly because global var static init executed after init_libwgl(), incorrectly reiniting var
+Filename get_icon_filename() {
+  string iconname = config_wgldisplay.GetString("win32-window-icon","");
+  return ExecutionEnvironment::expand_string(iconname);
+}
+
diff --git a/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.h b/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.h
index a81cb7f070..b31c5aa794 100644
--- a/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.h
+++ b/panda/src/wgldisplay/config_wgldisplay.h
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@
 #define __CONFIG_WGLDISPLAY_H__
 
 #include <pandabase.h>
+#include <filename.h>
 #include <notifyCategoryProxy.h>
 
 NotifyCategoryDecl(wgldisplay, EXPCL_PANDAGL, EXPTP_PANDAGL);
 
-extern string IconFileName;
+extern Filename get_icon_filename();
 
 extern EXPCL_PANDAGL void init_libwgldisplay();
 
diff --git a/panda/src/wgldisplay/wglGraphicsPipe.cxx b/panda/src/wgldisplay/wglGraphicsPipe.cxx
index bdd029d1d4..6f96317463 100644
--- a/panda/src/wgldisplay/wglGraphicsPipe.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/wgldisplay/wglGraphicsPipe.cxx
@@ -38,8 +38,12 @@ wglGraphicsPipe::wglGraphicsPipe(const PipeSpecifier& spec)
   wc.lpszMenuName	= NULL;
   wc.lpszClassName	= "wglStandard";
 
-  if(!IconFileName.empty()) {
-	  wc.hIcon = (HICON) LoadImage(NULL, IconFileName.c_str(), IMAGE_ICON, 0, 0, LR_LOADFROMFILE);
+  string windows_icon_filename = get_icon_filename().to_os_specific();
+
+  if(!windows_icon_filename.empty()) {
+    // Note: LoadImage seems to cause win2k internal heap corruption (outputdbgstr warnings) 
+	// if icon is more than 8bpp
+	wc.hIcon = (HICON) LoadImage(NULL, windows_icon_filename.c_str(), IMAGE_ICON, 0, 0, LR_LOADFROMFILE);
   } else {
 	  wc.hIcon = NULL; // use default app icon
   }