diff --git a/docs/THIRDPARTY b/docs/THIRDPARTY
index f5f39d9081..db241e8ebe 100644
--- a/docs/THIRDPARTY
+++ b/docs/THIRDPARTY
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Files: static/third/marked/*
 Copyright: 2011-2013, Christopher Jeffrey
 License: Expat
 
-Files: static/assets/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg
+Files: static/shared/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg
 Copyright: 2017 Fonticons, Inc.
 License: CC-BY-4.0
 Comment: This icon is picked from Version 5.13.0 of Font Awesome
diff --git a/docs/overview/directory-structure.md b/docs/overview/directory-structure.md
index c4dd27e575..0183b3b46f 100644
--- a/docs/overview/directory-structure.md
+++ b/docs/overview/directory-structure.md
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ templating systems.
 
 - `node_modules/` Third-party JavaScript installed via `yarn`.
 
-- `static/assets/` For assets not to be served to the web (e.g. the system to
-  generate our favicons).
+- `static/shared/icons/` Icons placed in this directory are compiled
+  into an icon font.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/static/assets/icons/zulip-icons.font.js b/static/assets/icons/zulip-icons.font.js
index 378083a68d..a92f98e15c 100644
--- a/static/assets/icons/zulip-icons.font.js
+++ b/static/assets/icons/zulip-icons.font.js
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 "use strict";
 
 module.exports = {
-    files: ["./*.svg"],
+    files: [
+        "./*.svg", // For web-only icons.
+        "../../shared/icons/*.svg", // For icons to be shared with the mobile app.
+    ],
     fontName: "zulip-icons",
     classPrefix: "zulip-icon-",
     baseSelector: ".zulip-icon",
diff --git a/static/shared/icons/README.md b/static/shared/icons/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a1173dcf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/shared/icons/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+This directory contains icons used by the Zulip web app that are not
+part of Font Awesome 4.7, our default/primary icon font.
+
+Icons placed in this directory are compiled by the web application
+build system into a custom icon font. You can use them in HTML using
+the following syntax:
+
+`<i class="zulip-icon zulip-icon-ellipsis-v-solid">`
diff --git a/static/assets/icons/bot.svg b/static/shared/icons/bot.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from static/assets/icons/bot.svg
rename to static/shared/icons/bot.svg
diff --git a/static/assets/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg b/static/shared/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from static/assets/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg
rename to static/shared/icons/ellipsis-v-solid.svg
diff --git a/static/assets/icons/gif.svg b/static/shared/icons/gif.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from static/assets/icons/gif.svg
rename to static/shared/icons/gif.svg
diff --git a/static/assets/icons/globe.svg b/static/shared/icons/globe.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from static/assets/icons/globe.svg
rename to static/shared/icons/globe.svg