diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/local/feed/notifications/NotificationHelper.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/local/feed/notifications/NotificationHelper.kt
index 3a08b3e4a..351975486 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/local/feed/notifications/NotificationHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/local/feed/notifications/NotificationHelper.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import android.app.NotificationManager
 import android.app.PendingIntent
 import android.content.Context
 import android.content.Intent
+import android.graphics.Bitmap
+import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable
 import android.net.Uri
 import android.os.Build
 import android.provider.Settings
@@ -11,6 +13,8 @@ import androidx.core.app.NotificationCompat
 import androidx.core.app.NotificationManagerCompat
 import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
 import androidx.preference.PreferenceManager
+import com.squareup.picasso.Picasso
+import com.squareup.picasso.Target
 import org.schabi.newpipe.R
 import org.schabi.newpipe.extractor.stream.StreamInfoItem
 import org.schabi.newpipe.local.feed.service.FeedUpdateInfo
@@ -27,6 +31,8 @@ class NotificationHelper(val context: Context) {
         Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE
     ) as NotificationManager
 
+    private val iconLoadingTargets = ArrayList<Target>()
+
     /**
      * Show a notification about new streams from a single channel.
      * Opening the notification will open the corresponding channel page.
@@ -77,10 +83,29 @@ class NotificationHelper(val context: Context) {
             )
         )
 
-        PicassoHelper.loadNotificationIcon(data.avatarUrl) { bitmap ->
-            bitmap?.let { builder.setLargeIcon(it) } // set only if != null
-            manager.notify(data.pseudoId, builder.build())
+        // a Target is like a listener for image loading events
+        val target = object : Target {
+            override fun onBitmapLoaded(bitmap: Bitmap, from: Picasso.LoadedFrom) {
+                builder.setLargeIcon(bitmap) // set only if there is actually one
+                manager.notify(data.pseudoId, builder.build())
+                iconLoadingTargets.remove(this) // allow it to be garbage-collected
+            }
+
+            override fun onBitmapFailed(e: Exception, errorDrawable: Drawable) {
+                manager.notify(data.pseudoId, builder.build())
+                iconLoadingTargets.remove(this) // allow it to be garbage-collected
+            }
+
+            override fun onPrepareLoad(placeHolderDrawable: Drawable) {
+                // Nothing to do
+            }
         }
+
+        // add the target to the list to hold a strong reference and prevent it from being garbage
+        // collected, since Picasso only holds weak references to targets
+        iconLoadingTargets.add(target)
+
+        PicassoHelper.loadNotificationIcon(data.avatarUrl).into(target)
     }
 
     companion object {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/PicassoHelper.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/PicassoHelper.java
index 54140b0fb..fc7600d4b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/PicassoHelper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/util/PicassoHelper.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import static org.schabi.newpipe.extractor.utils.Utils.isBlank;
 import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.graphics.Bitmap;
-import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
 
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ import com.squareup.picasso.LruCache;
 import com.squareup.picasso.OkHttp3Downloader;
 import com.squareup.picasso.Picasso;
 import com.squareup.picasso.RequestCreator;
-import com.squareup.picasso.Target;
 import com.squareup.picasso.Transformation;
 
 import org.schabi.newpipe.R;
@@ -22,7 +20,6 @@ import org.schabi.newpipe.R;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import okhttp3.OkHttpClient;
 
@@ -120,6 +117,10 @@ public final class PicassoHelper {
         return picassoInstance.load(url);
     }
 
+    public static RequestCreator loadNotificationIcon(final String url) {
+        return loadImageDefault(url, R.drawable.ic_newpipe_triangle_white);
+    }
+
 
     public static RequestCreator loadScaledDownThumbnail(final Context context, final String url) {
         // scale down the notification thumbnail for performance
@@ -170,27 +171,6 @@ public final class PicassoHelper {
         return picassoCache.get(imageUrl + "\n");
     }
 
-    public static void loadNotificationIcon(final String url,
-                                            final Consumer<Bitmap> bitmapConsumer) {
-        loadImageDefault(url, R.drawable.ic_newpipe_triangle_white)
-                .into(new Target() {
-                    @Override
-                    public void onBitmapLoaded(final Bitmap bitmap, final Picasso.LoadedFrom from) {
-                        bitmapConsumer.accept(bitmap);
-                    }
-
-                    @Override
-                    public void onBitmapFailed(final Exception e, final Drawable errorDrawable) {
-                        bitmapConsumer.accept(null);
-                    }
-
-                    @Override
-                    public void onPrepareLoad(final Drawable placeHolderDrawable) {
-                        // Nothing to do
-                    }
-                });
-    }
-
 
     private static RequestCreator loadImageDefault(final String url, final int placeholderResId) {
         return loadImageDefault(url, placeholderResId, true);