diff --git a/libraries/Util.class.php b/libraries/Util.class.php
index 4e955fb76d..e869e47731 100644
--- a/libraries/Util.class.php
+++ b/libraries/Util.class.php
@@ -95,11 +95,13 @@ class PMA_Util
      * @param string  $icon       name of icon file
      * @param string  $alternate  alternate text
      * @param boolean $force_text whether to force alternate text to be displayed
+     * @param boolean $menu_icon  whether this icon is for the menu bar or not
      *
      * @return string an html snippet
      */
-    public static function getIcon($icon, $alternate = '', $force_text = false)
-    {
+    public static function getIcon($icon, $alternate = '', $force_text = false,
+        $menu_icon = false
+    ) {
         // $cfg['PropertiesIconic'] is true or both
         $include_icon = ($GLOBALS['cfg']['PropertiesIconic'] !== false);
         // $cfg['PropertiesIconic'] is false or both
@@ -107,8 +109,9 @@ class PMA_Util
         $include_text = ($force_text
             || ($GLOBALS['cfg']['PropertiesIconic'] !== true));
 
-        // Always use a span (we rely on this in js/sql.js)
-        $button = '<span class="nowrap">';
+        // Sometimes use a span (we rely on this in js/sql.js). But for menu bar
+        // we don't need a span
+        $button = $menu_icon ? '' : '<span class="nowrap">';
         if ($include_icon) {
             $button .= self::getImage($icon, $alternate);
         }
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ class PMA_Util
         if ($include_text) {
             $button .= $alternate;
         }
-        $button .= '</span>';
+        $button .= $menu_icon ? '' : '</span>';
 
         return $button;
     }
@@ -1803,8 +1806,7 @@ class PMA_Util
             // avoid generating an alt tag, because it only illustrates
             // the text that follows and if browser does not display
             // images, the text is duplicated
-            $tab['text'] = self::getImage(htmlentities($tab['icon']))
-                . $tab['text'];
+            $tab['text'] = self::getIcon($tab['icon'], $tab['text'], false, true);
 
         } elseif (empty($tab['text'])) {
             // check to not display an empty link-text
diff --git a/test/libraries/common/PMA_getIcon_test.php b/test/libraries/common/PMA_getIcon_test.php
index bc3f0581ed..781af64532 100644
--- a/test/libraries/common/PMA_getIcon_test.php
+++ b/test/libraries/common/PMA_getIcon_test.php
@@ -57,10 +57,12 @@ class PMA_getIcon_test extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $GLOBALS['cfg']['PropertiesIconic'] = true;
         $alternate_text = 'alt_str';
 
+        // Here we are checking for an icon embeded inside a span (i.e not a menu
+        // bar icon
         $this->assertEquals(
             '<span class="nowrap"><img src="themes/dot.gif" title="' . $alternate_text . '" alt="' . $alternate_text
             . '" class="icon ic_b_comment" /> ' . $alternate_text . '</span>',
-            PMA_Util::getIcon('b_comment.png', $alternate_text, true)
+            PMA_Util::getIcon('b_comment.png', $alternate_text, true, false)
         );
 
     }