diff --git a/libs/create-badgen-handler-next.ts b/libs/create-badgen-handler-next.ts
index 6d6621d..9b18c4d 100644
--- a/libs/create-badgen-handler-next.ts
+++ b/libs/create-badgen-handler-next.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import matchRoute from 'my-way'
 
 import { serveBadgeNext } from './serve-badge-next'
 import serveDoc from './serve-doc-next'
+import fetchIcon from './fetch-icon'
 import sentry from './sentry'
 
 import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from 'next'
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ export interface BadgenServeConfig {
     help?: string;
     examples: { [url: string]: string };
     handlers: { [pattern: string]: BadgenHandler };
-  }
+}
 
 export function createBadgenHandler (badgenServerConfig: BadgenServeConfig) {
   const { handlers, title, help, examples } = badgenServerConfig
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ export function createBadgenHandler (badgenServerConfig: BadgenServeConfig) {
       return serveDoc(badgenServerConfig)(req, res)
     }
 
+    // Fetch external icon early, before invoking badgen handler
+    let externalIconPromise: Promise<string | undefined> = Promise.resolve(undefined)
+    if (req.query.icon?.toString().startsWith('https://')) {
+      externalIconPromise = fetchIcon(req.query.icon.toString())
+    }
+
     // Find matched badgen handler
     let matchedArgs: PathArgs | null = null
     const matchedScheme = Object.keys(handlers).find(scheme => {
@@ -56,6 +63,14 @@ export function createBadgenHandler (badgenServerConfig: BadgenServeConfig) {
       return
     }
 
+    // Apply external icon if available
+    const externalIcon = await externalIconPromise
+    if (externalIcon) {
+      req.query.icon = externalIcon
+    } else if (req.query.icon === '') {
+      req.query.icon = badgenResponse.subject
+    }
+
     serveBadgeNext(req, res, { params: badgenResponse })
   }
 
diff --git a/libs/fetch-icon.ts b/libs/fetch-icon.ts
index 88e86de..0e4646e 100644
--- a/libs/fetch-icon.ts
+++ b/libs/fetch-icon.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import got from 'got'
 
-export default async function (iconUrl) {
+export default async function (iconUrl: string) {
   return got(iconUrl).then(res => {
     const type = res.headers['content-type']
     if (!type!.startsWith('image')) { return }
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ export default async function (iconUrl) {
     const base64 = Buffer.from(res.body).toString('base64')
     const encoded = `data:${type};base64,${base64}`
     return encoded
-  }).catch(err => undefined)
+  }).catch(() => undefined)
 }