diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 016a8866..7f5a874f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 =====
 - Move from MANIFEST.MF to MANIFEST.JSON format for apps
 - wificonf: scan and connect to wifi in background thread so app stays responsive
+- appstore: improve icon download handling
 
 0.0.2
 =====
diff --git a/appstore_backend/apps.json b/appstore_backend/apps.json
index 72cf44b1..7bf67c32 100644
--- a/appstore_backend/apps.json
+++ b/appstore_backend/apps.json
@@ -1,72 +1,142 @@
 [
-    {
-        "name": "Animation Tester",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Testing on-display animations",
-        "long_description": "Stress testing multiple concurrent animations on the display by adding more and more spinners",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.lvgltest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.lvgltest_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.lvgltest",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "BTC Ticker",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Bitcoin Price Ticker",
-        "long_description": "Uses a websocket to show the current price of Bitcoin in US Dollar.",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.btcticker_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.btcticker_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.btcticker",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "Camera Tester",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Simple test of the camera",
-        "long_description": "A simple test of the camera makes it possible to validate the hardware.",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.camtest_0.0.2.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.camtest_0.0.2.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.camtest",
-        "version": "0.0.2"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "CPU Tester",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Testing the CPU speed",
-        "long_description": "Experimentally determines how many idle loops and sha256-hashing loops the CPU can perform per second.",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.cputest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.cputest_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.cputest",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "HelloWorld",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Minimal app",
-        "long_description": "Demonstrates the simplest app.",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.helloworld_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.helloworld_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.memtest",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "IMU Tester",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "Test the Inertial Measurement Unit",
-        "long_description": "It is always good to make sure the accelerometer is working properly. How else can you measure acceleration and position?",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.imutest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.imutest_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.imutest",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    },
-    {
-        "name": "Memory Tester",
-        "publisher": "ACME Inc",
-        "short_description": "RAM Memory Test",
-        "long_description": "Experimentally determines how many RAM memory buffers can be allocated.",
-        "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.memtest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
-        "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.memtest_0.0.1.mpk",
-        "fullname": "com.example.memtest",
-        "version": "0.0.1"
-    }
+{
+"name": "BTC Ticker",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Bitcoin Price Ticker",
+"long_description": "Uses a websocket to show the current price of Bitcoin in US Dollar.",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.btcticker_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.btcticker_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.btcticker",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/bitcoin_price.py",
+"category": "money"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "Camera Tester",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Simple test of the camera",
+"long_description": "A simple test of the camera makes it possible to validate the hardware.",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.camtest_0.0.2.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.camtest_0.0.2.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.camtest",
+"version": "0.0.2",
+"entrypoint": "assets/camtest.py",
+"category": "camera"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "CPU Tester",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Testing the CPU speed",
+"long_description": "Experimentally determines how many idle loops and sha256-hashing loops the CPU can perform per second.",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.cputest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.cputest_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.cputest",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/cputest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "HelloWorld",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Minimal app",
+"long_description": "Demonstrates the simplest app.",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.helloworld_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.helloworld_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.memtest",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/hello.py",
+"category": "development"
+}
+,{
+"name": "IMU Tester",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Test the Inertial Measurement Unit",
+"long_description": "It is always good to make sure the accelerometer is working properly. How else can you measure acceleration and position?",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.imutest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.imutest_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.imutest",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/imutest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
+}
+,{
+"name": "Animation Tester",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Testing on-display animations",
+"long_description": "Stress testing multiple concurrent animations on the display by adding more and more spinners",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.lvgltest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.lvgltest_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.lvgltest",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/lvgltest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "Memory Tester",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "RAM Memory Test",
+"long_description": "Experimentally determines how many RAM memory buffers can be allocated.",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.memtest_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.memtest_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.memtest",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/memtest.py"
+"category": "benchmarking"
+}
+,{
+"name": "AppStore",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Store for App(lication)s",
+"long_description": "",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.appstore_0.0.2.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.appstore_0.0.2.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.appstore",
+"version": "0.0.2",
+"entrypoint": "assets/appstore.py",
+"category": "appstore"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "Launcher",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Simple launcher to start apps.",
+"long_description": "",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.launcher_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.launcher_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.launcher",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/launcher.py",
+"category": "launcher"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "OSUpdate",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Operating System Updater",
+"long_description": "",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.osupdate_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.osupdate_0.0.1.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.osupdate",
+"version": "0.0.1",
+"entrypoint": "assets/osupdate.py",
+"category": "osupdate"
+}
+
+,{
+"name": "WiFiConf",
+"publisher": "ACME Inc",
+"short_description": "Wireless Network Configuration",
+"long_description": "",
+"icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.wificonf_0.0.2.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
+"download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.wificonf_0.0.2.mpk",
+"fullname": "com.example.wificonf",
+"version": "0.0.2",
+"entrypoint": "assets/wificonf.py",
+"category": "wificonf"
+}
+
 ]
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.btcticker/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.btcticker/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index d5756be5..9745982b 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.btcticker/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.btcticker/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.btcticker_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.btcticker",
 "version": "0.0.1",
-"entrypoint": "assets/bitcoin_price.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/bitcoin_price.py",
+"category": "money"
 }
 
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.camtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.camtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index 02768061..4763306b 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.camtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.camtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.camtest_0.0.2.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.camtest",
 "version": "0.0.2",
-"entrypoint": "assets/camtest.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/camtest.py",
+"category": "camera"
 }
 
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.cputest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.cputest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index 2722304a..44140b6d 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.cputest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.cputest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.cputest_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.cputest",
 "version": "0.0.1",
-"entrypoint": "assets/cputest.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/cputest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
 }
 
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.helloworld/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.helloworld/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index e5b8978a..7838d78e 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.helloworld/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.helloworld/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.helloworld_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.memtest",
 "version": "0.0.1",
-"entrypoint": "assets/hello.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/hello.py",
+"category": "development"
 }
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.imutest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.imutest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index 1d02d79a..15d5eed7 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.imutest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.imutest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.imutest_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.imutest",
 "version": "0.0.1",
-"entrypoint": "assets/imutest.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/imutest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
 }
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.lvgltest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.lvgltest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index 18dcf17e..0d4cf34f 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.lvgltest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.lvgltest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.lvgltest_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.lvgltest",
 "version": "0.0.1",
-"entrypoint": "assets/lvgltest.py"
+"entrypoint": "assets/lvgltest.py",
+"category": "benchmarking"
 }
 
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.memtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.memtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index 15e7b975..2dab86f8 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.memtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/apps/com.example.memtest/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@
 "fullname": "com.example.memtest",
 "version": "0.0.1",
 "entrypoint": "assets/memtest.py"
+"category": "benchmarking"
 }
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.appstore/assets/appstore.py b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.appstore/assets/appstore.py
index 9acd2983..d4c02e9d 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.appstore/assets/appstore.py
+++ b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.appstore/assets/appstore.py
@@ -49,20 +49,22 @@ def is_installed_by_name(app_fullname):
     return is_installed_by_path(f"/apps/{app_fullname}") or is_installed_by_path(f"/builtin/apps/{app_fullname}")
 
 def download_icon(url):
-    print(f"downloading icon from {url}")
-    response = urequests.get(url, timeout=5)
-    if response.status_code == 200:
-        image_data = response.content
-        print("Downloaded image, size:", len(image_data), "bytes")
-        image_dsc = lv.image_dsc_t({
-            'data_size': len(image_data),
-            'data': image_data
-        })
-        return image_dsc
-    else:
-        print("Failed to download image: Status code", response.status_code)
-        return None
-
+    print(f"Downloading icon from {url}")
+    try:
+        response = urequests.get(url, timeout=5)
+        if response.status_code == 200:
+            image_data = response.content
+            print("Downloaded image, size:", len(image_data), "bytes")
+            image_dsc = lv.image_dsc_t({
+                'data_size': len(image_data),
+                'data': image_data
+            })
+            return image_dsc
+        else:
+            print("Failed to download image: Status code", response.status_code)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Exception during download of icon: {e}")
+    return None
 
 try:
     import zipfile
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.osupdate/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.osupdate/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index fbbce7f5..edd988a9 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.osupdate/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.osupdate/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 "name": "OSUpdate",
 "publisher": "ACME Inc",
 "short_description": "Operating System Updater",
-"long_description": ""
+"long_description": "",
 "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.osupdate_0.0.1.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.osupdate_0.0.1.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.osupdate",
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.wificonf/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.wificonf/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
index e04b623b..f9675635 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.wificonf/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+++ b/internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.example.wificonf/META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 "name": "WiFiConf",
 "publisher": "ACME Inc",
 "short_description": "Wireless Network Configuration",
-"long_description": ""
+"long_description": "",
 "icon_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.wificonf_0.0.2.mpk_icon_64x64.png",
 "download_url": "http://demo.lnpiggy.com:2121/apps/com.example.wificonf_0.0.2.mpk",
 "fullname": "com.example.wificonf",
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/main.py b/internal_filesystem/main.py
index c7055dad..da4338ab 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/main.py
+++ b/internal_filesystem/main.py
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ def parse_manifest(manifest_path):
             app_info=ujson.load(f)
             name = app_info.get("name")
             start_script = app_info.get("entrypoint")
-            print(f"parse_manifest: got app_info: {app_info}")
+            #print(f"parse_manifest: got app_info: {app_info}")
     except OSError:
         access_points={}
         print(f"parse_manifest: error loading manifest_path: {manifest_path}")
diff --git a/scripts/bundleapps.sh b/scripts/bundleapps.sh
index 573b3dda..6ddc6788 100755
--- a/scripts/bundleapps.sh
+++ b/scripts/bundleapps.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,24 @@
 output=appstore_backend/bundled_apps/
+outputjson=appstore_backend/apps.json
 output=$(readlink -f "$output")
+outputjson=$(readlink -f "$outputjson")
+
 mkdir -p "$output"
+
 rm "$output"/*.mpk
+rm "$outputjson"
+
+echo "[" | tee -a "$outputjson"
 
 for apprepo in internal_filesystem/apps internal_filesystem/builtin/apps; do
 	echo "Listing apps in $apprepo"
 	ls -1 "$apprepo" | while read appdir; do
 	    echo "Bundling $apprepo/$appdir"
 	    pushd "$apprepo"/"$appdir"
-	    version=$( grep "^Version:" META-INF/MANIFEST.MF | cut -d " " -f 2)
+	    manifest=META-INF/MANIFEST.JSON
+	    version=$( jq -r '.version' "$manifest" )
+            cat "$manifest" | tee -a "$outputjson"
+	    echo -n "," | tee -a "$outputjson"
 	    mpkname="$output"/"$appdir"_"$version".mpk
 	    echo "Creating $mpkname"
 	    zip -r0 "$mpkname" .
@@ -16,3 +26,9 @@ for apprepo in internal_filesystem/apps internal_filesystem/builtin/apps; do
 	    popd
 	done
 done
+
+# remove the last , to have valid json:
+
+truncate -s -1 "$outputjson"
+
+echo "]" | tee -a "$outputjson"