diff --git a/build-utils/lgi-check.c b/build-utils/lgi-check.c
index 9d7a2261..c0e3bfcd 100644
--- a/build-utils/lgi-check.c
+++ b/build-utils/lgi-check.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const char commands[] =
 "        '0.8.0', require('lgi.version')))\n"
 "end\n"
 "lgi = require('lgi')\n"
-"assert(lgi.cairo, lgi.Pango, lgi.PangoCairo, lgi.GLib, lgi.Gio)\n"
+"assert(lgi.cairo, lgi.Pango, lgi.PangoCairo, lgi.GLib, lgi.Gio, lgi.GdkPixbuf)\n"
 ;
 
 int main()
diff --git a/lib/gears/surface.lua b/lib/gears/surface.lua
index 3e506b9b..24d3a000 100644
--- a/lib/gears/surface.lua
+++ b/lib/gears/surface.lua
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ local setmetatable = setmetatable
 local type = type
 local capi = { awesome = awesome }
 local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
+local GdkPixbuf = require("lgi").GdkPixbuf
 local color = nil
 local gdebug = require("gears.debug")
 local hierarchy = require("wibox.hierarchy")
@@ -36,7 +37,6 @@ end
 -- @return The loaded surface, or the replacement default
 -- @return An error message, or nil on success
 function surface.load_uncached_silently(_surface, default)
-    local file
     -- On nil, return some sane default
     if not _surface then
         return get_default(default)
@@ -47,12 +47,11 @@ function surface.load_uncached_silently(_surface, default)
     end
     -- Strings are assumed to be file names and get loaded
     if type(_surface) == "string" then
-        local err
-        file = _surface
-        _surface, err = capi.awesome.load_image(file)
-        if not _surface then
-            return get_default(default), err
+        local pixbuf, err = GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf.new_from_file(_surface)
+        if not pixbuf then
+            return get_default(default), tostring(err)
         end
+        _surface = capi.awesome.pixbuf_to_surface(pixbuf._native)
     end
     -- Everything else gets forced into a surface
     return cairo.Surface(_surface, true)