diff --git a/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncApplier.sys.mjs b/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncApplier.sys.mjs
index e2d562f5c..3fab95ac5 100644
--- a/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncApplier.sys.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncApplier.sys.mjs
@@ -598,6 +598,11 @@ class nsZenSpacesSyncApplier {
     if (icon && syncableIconUrl(tab.getAttribute("image")) !== icon) {
       try {
         win.gBrowser.setIcon(tab, icon);
+        // As on creation: an unloaded tab's cached session image would
+        // otherwise override the icon set above at every collect.
+        lazy.TabStateCache.update(tab.linkedBrowser.permanentKey, {
+          image: null,
+        });
       } catch (e) {
         console.error("ZenSpacesSync: failed to set tab icon", e);
       }
diff --git a/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncModel.sys.mjs b/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncModel.sys.mjs
index 0ec8dd760..131484096 100644
--- a/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncModel.sys.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/sync/ZenSpacesSyncModel.sys.mjs
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class nsZenSpacesSyncModel {
     if (!url || url === "about:blank") {
       return null;
     }
-    const icon = syncableIconUrl(initial?.image || tabData.image || "");
+    const icon = syncableIconUrl(tabData.image || initial?.image || "");
     return { url, title: title || "", icon };
   }