diff --git a/app/helpers/topics_helper.rb b/app/helpers/topics_helper.rb
index 79945b6f..362a5f46 100644
--- a/app/helpers/topics_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/topics_helper.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ module TopicsHelper
       topic['value'] = t.name
       topic['description'] = t.desc.truncate(70) # make this return matched results
       topic['type'] = t.metacode.name
-      topic['typeImageURL'] = asset_path(t.metacode.icon)
+      topic['typeImageURL'] = t.metacode.asset_path_icon
       topic['permission'] = t.permission
       topic['mapCount'] = t.maps.count
       topic['synapseCount'] = t.synapses.count
diff --git a/app/models/metacode.rb b/app/models/metacode.rb
index 5f83cb91..a1184e9c 100644
--- a/app/models/metacode.rb
+++ b/app/models/metacode.rb
@@ -15,15 +15,17 @@ class Metacode < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def asset_path_icon
-    ActionController::Base.helpers.asset_path icon
+    if icon.start_with?('http')
+      icon
+    else
+      ActionController::Base.helpers.asset_path icon
+    end
   end
 
   #output json with asset_paths merged in
   def as_json(options)
     json = super(options.merge!(methods: :asset_path_icon))
-    unless json["icon"].start_with?('http')
-      json["icon"] = json["asset_path_icon"]
-    end
+    json["icon"] = json["asset_path_icon"]
     json.except("asset_path_icon")
   end
 end