diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fd910838b..5f714f959 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ autom4te.cache
 m4
 gnome-doc-utils.make
 hamster-time-tracker-*.tar.gz
-org.gnome.hamster.service
 .lock-wscript
 .lock-waf*
 build
diff --git a/data/hamster.metainfo.xml b/data/hamster.metainfo.xml
index 9667aa0f4..9f24402c3 100644
--- a/data/hamster.metainfo.xml
+++ b/data/hamster.metainfo.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     </ul>
   </description>
 
-  <launchable type="desktop-id">hamster.desktop</launchable>
+  <launchable type="desktop-id">org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop</launchable>
 
   <screenshots>
     <screenshot type="default">
diff --git a/data/hamster.desktop.in b/data/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop.in
similarity index 50%
rename from data/hamster.desktop.in
rename to data/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop.in
index 78fc314af..29ea925d4 100644
--- a/data/hamster.desktop.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop.in
@@ -5,5 +5,15 @@ Terminal=false
 Name=Hamster
 Comment=Your personal time keeping tool
 Icon=hamster
+DBusActivatable=true
 Exec=@BINDIR@/hamster
 Categories=GNOME;GTK;Utility;
+Actions=overview;add;
+
+[Desktop Action overview]
+Exec= @BINDIR@/hamster overview
+Name=overview
+
+[Desktop Action add]
+Exec= @BINDIR@/hamster add
+Name=add
diff --git a/data/wscript_build b/data/wscript_build
index a2b0afcf6..46c6d48c0 100644
--- a/data/wscript_build
+++ b/data/wscript_build
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps','art/scalable/hamster
 
 bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/metainfo', 'hamster.metainfo.xml')
 
-for filename in ["hamster.desktop"]:
+for filename in ["org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop"]:
     bld(features = "subst",
         source= "%s.in" % filename,
         target= "%s" % filename,
diff --git a/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.service.in b/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ddb9e21db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[D-BUS Service]
+Name=org.gnome.Hamster.GUI
+Exec=@BINDIR@/hamster --gapplication-service
diff --git a/org.gnome.hamster.Windows.service.in b/org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer.service.in
similarity index 100%
rename from org.gnome.hamster.Windows.service.in
rename to org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer.service.in
diff --git a/org.gnome.hamster.service.in b/org.gnome.Hamster.service.in
similarity index 100%
rename from org.gnome.hamster.service.in
rename to org.gnome.Hamster.service.in
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index d2a97e337..beba40947 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 data/date_range.ui
 data/edit_activity.ui
 data/preferences.ui
-data/hamster.desktop.in
+data/org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.desktop.in
 data/org.gnome.hamster.gschema.xml
 src/hamster-cli.py
 src/hamster/about.py
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.skip b/po/POTFILES.skip
index 921bfdc8e..567609b12 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.skip
+++ b/po/POTFILES.skip
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-data/hamster.desktop.in
 build/
diff --git a/src/hamster-cli.py b/src/hamster-cli.py
index af75d53b0..e6d71537d 100644
--- a/src/hamster-cli.py
+++ b/src/hamster-cli.py
@@ -92,18 +92,23 @@ def fact_dict(fact_data, with_date):
 
 
 class Hamster(gtk.Application):
+    """Hamster gui.
+
+    Can be accessed across D-Bus with the 'org.gnome.Hamster.GUI' id.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self):
         # inactivity_timeout: How long (ms) the service should stay alive
         #                     after all windows have been closed.
         gtk.Application.__init__(self,
-                                 application_id="org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer",
+                                 application_id="org.gnome.Hamster.GUI",
                                  #inactivity_timeout=10000,
                                  register_session=True)
 
         self.about_controller = None  # 'about' window controller
         self.add_controller = None  # "add activity" window controller
         self.overview_controller = None  # overview window controller
-        self.prefs_controller = None  # settings window controller
+        self.preferences_controller = None  # settings window controller
 
         self.connect("startup", self.on_startup)
         self.connect("activate", self.on_activate)
@@ -114,7 +119,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.add_actions()
 
     def add_actions(self):
-        for name in ("about", "add", "overview", "prefs"):
+        for name in ("about", "add", "overview", "preferences"):
             action = gio.SimpleAction.new(name, None)
             action.connect("activate", self.on_activate_window)
             self.add_action(action)
@@ -158,11 +163,11 @@ def _open_window(self, name, data=None):
                 self.overview_controller = Overview()
                 logger.debug("new Overview")
             controller = self.overview_controller
-        elif name == "prefs":
-            if not self.prefs_controller:
-                self.prefs_controller = PreferencesEditor()
+        elif name == "preferences":
+            if not self.preferences_controller:
+                self.preferences_controller = PreferencesEditor()
                 logger.debug("new PreferencesEditor")
-            controller = self.prefs_controller
+            controller = self.preferences_controller
 
         window = controller.window
         if window not in self.get_windows():
@@ -376,7 +381,7 @@ def version(self):
     * activities: List all the activities names, one per line.
     * categories: List all the categories names, one per line.
 
-    * overview / prefs / add / about: launch specific window
+    * overview / preferences / add / about: launch specific window
 
     * version: Show the Hamster version
 
@@ -430,10 +435,13 @@ def version(self):
 
     if args.action in ("start", "track"):
         action = "add"  # alias
+    elif args.action == "prefs":
+        # for backward compatibility
+        action = "preferences"
     else:
         action = args.action
 
-    if action in ("about", "add", "overview", "prefs"):
+    if action in ("about", "add", "overview", "preferences"):
         if action == "add" and args.action_args:
             assert not unknown_args, "unknown options: {}".format(unknown_args)
             # directly add fact from arguments
@@ -443,8 +451,9 @@ def version(self):
         else:
             app.register()
             app.activate_action(action)
-            logger.debug("run")
-            status = app.run([sys.argv[0]] + unknown_args)
+            run_args = [sys.argv[0]] + unknown_args
+            logger.debug("run {}".format(run_args))
+            status = app.run(run_args)
             logger.debug("app exited")
             sys.exit(status)
     elif hasattr(hamster_client, action):
diff --git a/src/hamster-windows-service.py b/src/hamster-windows-service.py
index ec1a82ae1..7954213a6 100644
--- a/src/hamster-windows-service.py
+++ b/src/hamster-windows-service.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 # nicked off hamster-service
 
-from gi.repository import GLib as glib
-import dbus, dbus.service
+import dbus
+import dbus.service
+import subprocess
+
 from dbus.mainloop.glib import DBusGMainLoop
+from gi.repository import GLib as glib
 
 DBusGMainLoop(set_as_default=True)
 loop = glib.MainLoop()
@@ -13,7 +16,12 @@
     quit()
 
 
-# maintain just one instance. this code feels hackish again
+# Legacy server. Still used by the shell-extension.
+# new code could access the org.gnome.Hamster.GUI actions directly
+# http://lazka.github.io/pgi-docs/Gio-2.0/classes/Application.html#Gio.Application
+# > The actions are also exported on the session bus,
+#   and GIO provides the Gio.DBusActionGroup wrapper
+#   to conveniently access them remotely.
 class WindowServer(dbus.service.Object):
     __dbus_object_path__ = "/org/gnome/Hamster/WindowServer"
 
@@ -29,24 +37,21 @@ def Quit(self):
         """Shutdown the service"""
         self.mainloop.quit()
 
-
-    @dbus.service.method("org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer")
-    def edit(self, id=None):
-        dialogs.edit.show(self.app, fact_id = id)
+    def _open_window(self, name):
+        subprocess.run("hamster {} &".format(name),
+                       shell=True)
 
     @dbus.service.method("org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer")
     def overview(self):
-        dialogs.overview.show(self.app)
+        self._open_window("overview")
 
     @dbus.service.method("org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer")
     def about(self):
-        dialogs.about.show(self.app)
+        self._open_window("about")
 
     @dbus.service.method("org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer")
     def preferences(self):
-        dialogs.prefs.show(self.app)
-
-
+        self._open_window("prefs")
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index c39d4655d..f0be657f0 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -66,14 +66,20 @@ def build(bld):
         )
 
     bld(features="subst",
-        source= "org.gnome.hamster.service.in",
-        target= "org.gnome.hamster.service",
+        source= "org.gnome.Hamster.service.in",
+        target= "org.gnome.Hamster.service",
         install_path="${DATADIR}/dbus-1/services",
         )
 
     bld(features="subst",
-        source= "org.gnome.hamster.Windows.service.in",
-        target= "org.gnome.hamster.Windows.service",
+        source= "org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.service.in",
+        target= "org.gnome.Hamster.GUI.service",
+        install_path="${DATADIR}/dbus-1/services",
+        )
+
+    bld(features="subst",
+        source= "org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer.service.in",
+        target= "org.gnome.Hamster.WindowServer.service",
         install_path="${DATADIR}/dbus-1/services",
         )