diff --git a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/app/BitsquareEnvironment.java b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/app/BitsquareEnvironment.java
index 3d67615752..a18b0104f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/app/BitsquareEnvironment.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/app/BitsquareEnvironment.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import io.bitsquare.btc.UserAgent;
 import io.bitsquare.btc.WalletService;
 import io.bitsquare.gui.ViewCB;
 import io.bitsquare.persistence.Persistence;
+import io.bitsquare.util.Utilities;
 import io.bitsquare.util.spring.JOptCommandLinePropertySource;
 
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
@@ -127,16 +128,13 @@ public class BitsquareEnvironment extends StandardEnvironment {
 
 
     private static String defaultUserDataDir() {
-        String os = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
-
-        if (os.contains("win"))
+        if (Utilities.isWindows())
             return System.getenv("APPDATA");
-
-        if (os.contains("mac"))
+        else if (Utilities.isOSX())
             return Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), "Library", "Application Support").toString();
-
-        // *nix
-        return Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), ".local", "share").toString();
+        else
+            // *nix
+            return Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), ".local", "share").toString();
     }
 
     private static String appDataDir(String userDataDir, String appName) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/SystemTray.java b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/SystemTray.java
index 2d7127b752..48057fbe94 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/SystemTray.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/SystemTray.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package io.bitsquare.gui;
 
 import io.bitsquare.BitsquareException;
 import io.bitsquare.gui.util.ImageUtil;
+import io.bitsquare.util.Utilities;
 
 import java.awt.*;
 import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
@@ -76,16 +77,26 @@ public class SystemTray {
         popupMenu.addSeparator();
         popupMenu.add(exitItem);
 
-        String path = ImageUtil.isRetina() ? ICON_HI_RES : ICON_LO_RES;
+        String path;
+        if (Utilities.isOSX())
+            path = ImageUtil.isRetina() ? ICON_HI_RES : ICON_LO_RES;
+        else
+            path = ICON_HI_RES;
+
         try {
             BufferedImage trayIconImage = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResource(path));
-            int trayIconWidth = new TrayIcon(trayIconImage).getSize().width;
-            TrayIcon trayIcon = new TrayIcon(trayIconImage.getScaledInstance(trayIconWidth, -1, Image.SCALE_SMOOTH));
+            TrayIcon trayIcon = new TrayIcon(trayIconImage);
+            // On Windows and Linux the icon needs to be scaled
+            // On OSX we get the correct size from the provided image 
+            if (!Utilities.isOSX()) {
+                int trayIconWidth = trayIcon.getSize().width;
+                trayIcon = new TrayIcon(trayIconImage.getScaledInstance(trayIconWidth, -1, Image.SCALE_SMOOTH));
+            }
+
             trayIcon.setPopupMenu(popupMenu);
             trayIcon.setToolTip("Bitsquare: The decentralized bitcoin exchange");
 
-            java.awt.SystemTray self = java.awt.SystemTray.getSystemTray();
-            self.add(trayIcon);
+            java.awt.SystemTray.getSystemTray().add(trayIcon);
         } catch (AWTException e1) {
             log.error("Icon could not be added to system tray.", e1);
         } catch (IOException e2) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/components/SystemNotification.java b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/components/SystemNotification.java
index 3db0e0e86f..1e8c08ec1f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/components/SystemNotification.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/gui/components/SystemNotification.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 package io.bitsquare.gui.components;
 
+import io.bitsquare.util.Utilities;
+
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -34,8 +36,8 @@ public class SystemNotification {
     public static void openInfoNotification(String title, String message) {
         // On windows it causes problems with the hidden stage used in the hansolo Notification implementation
         // Lets deactivate it for the moment and fix that with a more native-like or real native solution later.
-        String os = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
-        if (!os.contains("win"))
+        // Lets deactivate it for Linux as well, as it is not much tested yet
+        if (Utilities.isOSX())
             notifier.notify(NotificationBuilder.create().title(title).message(message).build());
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/util/Utilities.java b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/util/Utilities.java
index 216fbdb827..7c9843462b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/util/Utilities.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/bitsquare/util/Utilities.java
@@ -52,6 +52,22 @@ public class Utilities {
         return gson.toJson(object);
     }
 
+    public static boolean isWindows() {
+        return getOSName().contains("win");
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isOSX() {
+        return getOSName().contains("mac");
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isLinux() {
+        return getOSName().contains("darwin");
+    }
+
+    private static String getOSName() {
+        return System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+    }
+
     public static <T> T jsonToObject(String jsonString, Class<T> classOfT) {
         Gson gson =
                 new GsonBuilder().setFieldNamingPolicy(FieldNamingPolicy.UPPER_CAMEL_CASE).setPrettyPrinting().create();