diff --git a/dock.js b/dock.js
index d3202ad..f517f8b 100644
--- a/dock.js
+++ b/dock.js
@@ -526,17 +526,12 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
       if (baseIcon.icon) return baseIcon.icon;
       // GNOME 50: try _iconBin.child
       if (baseIcon._iconBin && baseIcon._iconBin.child) return baseIcon._iconBin.child;
-      // Force icon creation if not yet initialized
-      try {
-        if (baseIcon.setIconSize) {
-          let size = (typeof baseIcon.iconSize === 'number' && baseIcon.iconSize > 0) ? baseIcon.iconSize : 48;
-          baseIcon._createIconTexture(size);
-          if (baseIcon.icon) return baseIcon.icon;
-          if (baseIcon._iconBin && baseIcon._iconBin.child) return baseIcon._iconBin.child;
-        }
-      } catch (err) {
-        // ignore initialization errors
-      }
+      // GNOME owns BaseIcon's child lifecycle.  In particular, do not call
+      // _createIconTexture() here: _findIcons() can run while Dash._redisplay()
+      // is destroying an old DashItemContainer.  Creating a replacement child
+      // during clutter_actor_destroy_all_children() makes Clutter abort the
+      // entire shell.  The animator runs continuously, so an icon which is not
+      // ready yet can safely be picked up on a later frame.
       return null;
     }
     
@@ -665,12 +660,11 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
         Main.uiGroup.remove_child(c._menu.actor);
         c._menu = null;
       }
-      if (c._label) {
-        let p = c._label.get_parent();
-        if (p) {
-          p.remove_child(c._label);
-        }
-      }
+      // DashItemContainer owns its label.  This cleanup is invoked from the
+      // icon's destroy signal, which can itself be part of GNOME Dash teardown.
+      // Detaching the label here re-enters the parent's child-destruction loop
+      // and can crash gnome-shell.  Drop only our borrowed reference.
+      c._label = null;
     }
 
     _findIcons() {
@@ -707,16 +701,6 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
         this._inspectIcon(icon);
       });
 
-      // hack: sometimes the Dash creates more than one separator
-      // workaround - remove all separators in such situation
-      //! pinpoint the cause of the errors
-      if (this._separators.length > 1) {
-        while (this._separators.length > 0) {
-          this.dash._box.remove_child(this._separators[0]);
-          this._separators.shift();
-        }
-      }
-
       // hide separator between running apps and favorites - if not needed
       if (this.extension.favorites_only) {
         if (this._separators.length) {
@@ -745,10 +729,10 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
       if (this.dash._showAppsIcon) {
         this.dash._showAppsIcon.visible = this.extension.apps_icon;
         if (this._inspectIcon(this.dash._showAppsIcon)) {
-          let icon = this.dash._showAppsIcon._icon;
-          if (!icon._connected) {
-            icon._connected = true;
-            icon.connectObject(
+          let button = this.dash._showAppsIcon.child;
+          if (!button._d2dlConnected) {
+            button._d2dlConnected = true;
+            button.connectObject(
               'button-press-event',
               () => {
                 let overview = Main.uiGroup
@@ -777,8 +761,6 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
         }
       }
 
-      let noAnimation = !this.extension.animate_icons_unmute;
-
       let pv = new Point();
       pv.x = 0.5;
       pv.y = 0.5;
@@ -794,16 +776,13 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
             }
           };
         }
-        c._icon.track_hover = true;
-        c._icon.reactive = true;
         c._icon.pivot_point = pv;
-        if (c._button) {
-          c._button.reactive = noAnimation;
-          c._button.track_hover = noAnimation;
-          c.toggle_mode = false;
+        if (c._appwell || c === this.dash._showAppsIcon) {
+          // Pointer input belongs to the owning AppIcon or button.
+          c._icon.reactive = false;
+          c._icon.track_hover = false;
         }
         if (c._grid) {
-          // c._grid.style = noAnimation ? '' : 'background: none !important;';
           c._grid.style = 'background: none !important;';
         }
         if (c._appwell && !c._appwell._activate) {
@@ -821,11 +800,12 @@ export let Dock = GObject.registerClass(
           };
         }
         let icon = c._icon;
-        if (icon && !icon._destroyConnectId) {
-          icon._destroyConnectId = icon.connect('destroy', () => {
-            this._cleanupIcon(c);
-          });
-        }
+        // Do not attach cleanup callbacks to GNOME-owned StIcons. Their
+        // destroy signal runs recursively inside DashItemContainer teardown;
+        // mutating other actor trees from there can make Clutter's
+        // destroy_all_children() abort the entire shell. The container's own
+        // destroy handler invalidates the cache, and destroyDash() performs
+        // explicit extension-owned cleanup when the dock is disabled.
         let { _draggable } = c.child;
         if (_draggable && !_draggable._dragBeginId) {
           _draggable._dragBeginId = _draggable.connect('drag-begin', () => {