diff --git a/core.windows/src/org/netbeans/core/windows/view/ui/MainWindow.java b/core.windows/src/org/netbeans/core/windows/view/ui/MainWindow.java
--- a/core.windows/src/org/netbeans/core/windows/view/ui/MainWindow.java
+++ b/core.windows/src/org/netbeans/core/windows/view/ui/MainWindow.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 import java.awt.Rectangle;
 import java.awt.event.*;
 import java.io.File;
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -139,6 +140,23 @@
        if (mainMenuBar == null) {
            mainMenuBar = createMenuBar();
            ToolbarPool.getDefault().waitFinished();
+           if ("gnome-shell".equals(System.getenv("DESKTOP_SESSION"))) {
+               try {
+                   Class<?> xwm = Class.forName("sun.awt.X11.XWM");
+                   Field awt_wmgr = xwm.getDeclaredField("awt_wmgr");
+                   awt_wmgr.setAccessible(true);
+                   Field other_wm = xwm.getDeclaredField("OTHER_WM");
+                   other_wm.setAccessible(true);
+                   if (awt_wmgr.get(null).equals(other_wm.get(null))) {
+                       Field metacity_wm = xwm.getDeclaredField("METACITY_WM");
+                       metacity_wm.setAccessible(true);
+                       awt_wmgr.set(null, metacity_wm.get(null));
+                       LOGGER.info("installed #198639 workaround");
+                   }
+               } catch (Exception x) {
+                   LOGGER.log(Level.FINE, null, x);
+               }
+           }
        }
    }