diff --git a/src/nautilus-files-view.c b/src/nautilus-files-view.c
index 391808a1151747760f7d5f5135cd359ef9efb4c4..868e0463e8cb5afe618641fbe4524fef92f7394e 100644
--- a/src/nautilus-files-view.c
+++ b/src/nautilus-files-view.c
@@ -1310,8 +1310,6 @@ static void
 nautilus_files_view_preview_update (NautilusFilesView *view)
 {
     NautilusFilesViewPrivate *priv = nautilus_files_view_get_instance_private (view);
-    GtkApplication *app;
-    GtkRoot *window;
     g_autolist (NautilusFile) selection = NULL;
 
     if (!priv->active ||
@@ -1320,9 +1318,7 @@ nautilus_files_view_preview_update (NautilusFilesView *view)
         return;
     }
 
-    app = GTK_APPLICATION (g_application_get_default ());
-    window = gtk_widget_get_root (GTK_WIDGET (view));
-    if (window == NULL || GTK_WINDOW (window) != gtk_application_get_active_window (app))
+    if (gtk_widget_get_root (GTK_WIDGET (view)) == NULL)
     {
         return;
     }
@@ -1335,7 +1331,7 @@ nautilus_files_view_preview_update (NautilusFilesView *view)
 
     g_autofree gchar *uri = nautilus_file_get_uri (selection->data);
 
-    nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (uri, window, FALSE);
+    nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (uri, priv->slot, FALSE);
 }
 
 void
@@ -1839,14 +1835,14 @@ action_preview_selection (GSimpleAction *action,
                           gpointer       user_data)
 {
     NautilusFilesView *view = NAUTILUS_FILES_VIEW (user_data);
+    NautilusFilesViewPrivate *priv = nautilus_files_view_get_instance_private (view);
     g_autolist (NautilusFile) selection = NULL;
-    GtkRoot *window = gtk_widget_get_root (GTK_WIDGET (view));
 
     selection = nautilus_view_get_selection (NAUTILUS_VIEW (view));
 
     g_autofree gchar *uri = nautilus_file_get_uri (selection->data);
 
-    nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (uri, window, TRUE);
+    nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (uri, priv->slot, TRUE);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/nautilus-previewer.c b/src/nautilus-previewer.c
index ae69708f4cc20443f766182b3b518976e2c081e7..c361f9f24516c99aa16b97c0d8a8fd6cfe95581a 100644
--- a/src/nautilus-previewer.c
+++ b/src/nautilus-previewer.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ static guint subscription_id = 0;
 
 static GCancellable *cancellable = NULL;
 
+static NautilusWindowSlot *current_slot = NULL; /* weak ref */
 static GtkRoot *current_window = NULL; /* weak ref */
 static gchar *exported_window_handle = NULL;
 
@@ -239,10 +240,14 @@ previewer2_method_ready_cb (GObject      *source,
 }
 
 void
-nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (const gchar *uri,
-                                   GtkRoot     *window,
-                                   gboolean     close_if_already_visible)
+nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (const gchar        *uri,
+                                   NautilusWindowSlot *slot,
+                                   gboolean            close_if_already_visible)
 {
+    g_set_weak_pointer (&current_slot, slot);
+
+    GtkRoot *window = gtk_widget_get_root (GTK_WIDGET (slot));
+
     /* Reuse existing handle if called again for the same window. */
     if (current_window == window &&
         exported_window_handle != NULL)
@@ -343,29 +348,13 @@ previewer_selection_event (GDBusConnection *connection,
                            GVariant        *parameters,
                            gpointer         user_data)
 {
-    GApplication *application = g_application_get_default ();
-    GList *l, *windows = gtk_application_get_windows (GTK_APPLICATION (application));
-    NautilusWindow *window = NULL;
-    NautilusWindowSlot *slot;
-    NautilusView *view;
-    GtkDirectionType direction;
-
-    for (l = windows; l != NULL; l = l->next)
-    {
-        if (NAUTILUS_IS_WINDOW (l->data))
-        {
-            window = l->data;
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (window == NULL)
+    if (current_slot == NULL)
     {
         return;
     }
 
-    slot = nautilus_window_get_active_slot (window);
-    view = nautilus_window_slot_get_current_view (slot);
+    NautilusView *view = nautilus_window_slot_get_current_view (current_slot);
+    GtkDirectionType direction;
 
     if (!NAUTILUS_IS_FILES_VIEW (view))
     {
@@ -395,6 +384,7 @@ nautilus_previewer_teardown (GDBusConnection *connection)
     g_clear_object (&previewer_proxy);
     clear_exported_window_handle ();
     g_clear_weak_pointer (&current_window);
+    g_clear_weak_pointer (&current_slot);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/nautilus-previewer.h b/src/nautilus-previewer.h
index 57800e56adfff81cb620e645bb7e57923d5ee646..65bb10afdd4b746e3eb2065f8d1bc92849f09990 100644
--- a/src/nautilus-previewer.h
+++ b/src/nautilus-previewer.h
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
+#include "nautilus-types.h"
+
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-void nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (const gchar *uri,
-                                        GtkRoot     *window,
-                                        gboolean     close_if_already_visible);
+void nautilus_previewer_call_show_file (const gchar        *uri,
+                                        NautilusWindowSlot *window,
+                                        gboolean            close_if_already_visible);
 void nautilus_previewer_call_close     (void);
 
 gboolean nautilus_previewer_is_visible (void);