diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 set(REQUIRED_QT_VERSION 5.7.0)
 find_package(Qt5 ${REQUIRED_QT_VERSION} CONFIG REQUIRED Core)
 
-set(KCoreAddons_AUTOMOC_MACRO_NAMES "K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON" "K_PLUGIN_FACTORY")
+set(KCoreAddons_AUTOMOC_MACRO_NAMES "K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON" "K_PLUGIN_FACTORY" "K_PLUGIN_CLASS_WITH_JSON")
 if(NOT CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.10.0")
   # CMake 3.9+ warns about automoc on files without Q_OBJECT, and doesn't know about other macros.
   # 3.10+ lets us provide more macro names that require automoc.
diff --git a/src/lib/plugin/kpluginfactory.h b/src/lib/plugin/kpluginfactory.h
--- a/src/lib/plugin/kpluginfactory.h
+++ b/src/lib/plugin/kpluginfactory.h
@@ -172,6 +172,44 @@
  */
 #define K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(name, jsonFile, pluginRegistrations)  K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_BASEFACTORY_JSON(name, KPluginFactory, jsonFile, pluginRegistrations)
 
+/**
+ * \relates KPluginFactory
+ *
+ * Create a KPluginFactory subclass and export it as the root plugin object with
+ * JSON metadata.
+ *
+ * This macro does the same as K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON, but you only have to pass the class name and the json file.
+ * The factory name and registerPlugin call are deduced from the class name.
+ *
+ * @code
+ * #include <myplugin.moc>
+ * @endcode
+ * in the same source file when that one has the name "myplugin.cpp".
+ *
+ * Example:
+ * \code
+ * #include <KPluginFactory>
+ * #include <plugininterface.h>
+ *
+ * class MyPlugin : public PluginInterface
+ * {
+ * public:
+ *     MyPlugin(QObject *parent, const QVariantList &args)
+ *         : PluginInterface(parent)
+ *     {}
+ * };
+ *
+ * K_PLUGIN_CLASS_WITH_JSON(MyPlugin, "metadata.json")
+ *
+ * #include <myplugin.moc>
+ * \endcode
+ *
+ * \see K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON
+ *
+ * @since 5.44
+ */
+#define K_PLUGIN_CLASS_WITH_JSON(classname, jsonFile) K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(classname ## Factory, jsonFile, registerPlugin<classname >();)
+
 /**
  * \relates KPluginFactory
  *