diff --git a/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.cpp b/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.cpp
index e612f2cae7..bf084c1ba7 100644
--- a/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ PairsView::AttachedToWindow()
 }
 
 
+bool
+PairsView::_HasBitmap(BList& bitmaps, BBitmap* bitmap)
+{
+	// TODO: if this takes too long, we could build a hash value for each
+	// bitmap in a separate list
+	for (int32 i = bitmaps.CountItems(); i-- > 0;) {
+		BBitmap* item = (BBitmap*)bitmaps.ItemAtFast(i);
+		if (!memcmp(item->Bits(), bitmap->Bits(), item->BitsLength()))
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+
 void
 PairsView::_ReadRandomIcons()
 {
@@ -125,10 +140,9 @@ PairsView::_ReadRandomIcons()
 
 		delete[] data;
 
-		if (!bitmaps.AddItem(bitmap))
+		if (_HasBitmap(bitmaps, bitmap) || !bitmaps.AddItem(bitmap))
 			delete bitmap;
-
-		if (bitmaps.CountItems() >= 128) {
+		else if (bitmaps.CountItems() >= 128) {
 			// this is enough to choose from, stop eating memory...
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.h b/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.h
index e5f4137b90..cdce7df4f0 100644
--- a/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.h
+++ b/src/apps/pairs/PairsView.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ private:
 			void				_SetPairsBoard();
 			void				_ReadRandomIcons();
 			void				_GenerateCardPos();
+			bool				_HasBitmap(BList& bitmaps, BBitmap* bitmap);
 
 			BMessage*			fButtonMessage;
 			BBitmap*			fCard[8];