diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/SConscript b/selfdrive/ui/SConscript
index 0f28f5ccc..a8c8463bd 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/SConscript
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/SConscript
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ assets_src = "#selfdrive/assets/assets.qrc"
 qt_env.Command(assets, assets_src, f"rcc $SOURCES -o $TARGET")
 qt_env.Depends(assets, Glob('#selfdrive/assets/*', exclude=[assets, assets_src, "#selfdrive/assets/assets.o"]))
 asset_obj = qt_env.Object("assets", assets)
-Export('asset_obj')
 
 # build soundd
 qt_env.Program("soundd/_soundd", ["soundd/main.cc", "soundd/sound.cc"], LIBS=qt_libs)
diff --git a/tools/cabana/SConscript b/tools/cabana/SConscript
index 166b3d554..ddd6208c0 100644
--- a/tools/cabana/SConscript
+++ b/tools/cabana/SConscript
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 Import('env', 'qt_env', 'arch', 'common', 'messaging', 'visionipc', 'replay_lib',
-       'cereal', 'transformations', 'widgets', 'opendbc', 'asset_obj')
+       'cereal', 'transformations', 'widgets', 'opendbc')
 
 base_frameworks = qt_env['FRAMEWORKS']
 base_libs = [common, messaging, cereal, visionipc, transformations, 'zmq',
@@ -20,11 +20,17 @@ cabana_env = qt_env.Clone()
 opendbc_path = '-DOPENDBC_FILE_PATH=\'"%s"\'' % (cabana_env.Dir("../../opendbc").abspath)
 cabana_env['CXXFLAGS'] += [opendbc_path]
 
+# build assets
+assets = "assets/assets.cc"
+assets_src = "assets/assets.qrc"
+cabana_env.Command(assets, assets_src, f"rcc $SOURCES -o $TARGET")
+cabana_env.Depends(assets, Glob('/assets/*', exclude=[assets, assets_src, "assets/assets.o"]))
+
 prev_moc_path = cabana_env['QT_MOCHPREFIX']
 cabana_env['QT_MOCHPREFIX'] = os.path.dirname(prev_moc_path) + '/cabana/moc_'
 cabana_lib = cabana_env.Library("cabana_lib", ['mainwin.cc', 'streams/livestream.cc', 'streams/abstractstream.cc', 'streams/replaystream.cc', 'binaryview.cc', 'chartswidget.cc', 'historylog.cc', 'videowidget.cc', 'signaledit.cc', 'dbcmanager.cc',
                                                'commands.cc', 'messageswidget.cc', 'route.cc', 'settings.cc', 'util.cc', 'detailwidget.cc', 'tools/findsimilarbits.cc'], LIBS=cabana_libs, FRAMEWORKS=base_frameworks)
-cabana_env.Program('_cabana', ['cabana.cc', cabana_lib, asset_obj], LIBS=cabana_libs, FRAMEWORKS=base_frameworks)
+cabana_env.Program('_cabana', ['cabana.cc', cabana_lib, assets], LIBS=cabana_libs, FRAMEWORKS=base_frameworks)
 
 if arch == "Darwin":
   cabana_env.Execute('install_name_tool -change opendbc/can/libdbc.dylib @loader_path/../../opendbc/can/libdbc.dylib ./_cabana')
diff --git a/tools/cabana/assets/.gitignore b/tools/cabana/assets/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..283034ca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/cabana/assets/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.cc
diff --git a/tools/cabana/assets/assets.qrc b/tools/cabana/assets/assets.qrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b42f2a82b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/cabana/assets/assets.qrc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<!DOCTYPE RCC><RCC version="1.0">
+<qresource>
+  <file alias="bootstrap-icons.svg">../../../third_party/bootstrap/bootstrap-icons.svg</file>
+</qresource>
+</RCC>