diff --git a/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.h b/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.h
--- a/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.h
+++ b/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.h
@@ -24,15 +24,20 @@
 #include "abstractmodel.h"
 #include "appentry.h"
 
+#include <QQmlParserStatus>
+
 #include <KServiceGroup>
 
 class AppGroupEntry;
 
 class QTimer;
 
-class AppsModel : public AbstractModel
+class AppsModel : public AbstractModel, public QQmlParserStatus
 {
     Q_OBJECT
+    Q_INTERFACES(QQmlParserStatus)
+
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool autoPopulate READ autoPopulate WRITE setAutoPopulate NOTIFY autoPopulateChanged)
 
     Q_PROPERTY(bool paginate READ paginate WRITE setPaginate NOTIFY paginateChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(int pageSize READ pageSize WRITE setPageSize NOTIFY pageSizeChanged)
@@ -60,6 +65,9 @@
 
         Q_INVOKABLE bool trigger(int row, const QString &actionId, const QVariant &argument) override;
 
+        bool autoPopulate() const;
+        void setAutoPopulate(bool populate);
+
         Q_INVOKABLE AbstractModel *modelForRow(int row) override;
         Q_INVOKABLE int rowForModel(AbstractModel *model) override;
 
@@ -93,8 +101,12 @@
 
         void entryChanged(AbstractEntry *entry) override;
 
+        void classBegin() override;
+        void componentComplete() override;
+
     Q_SIGNALS:
         void cleared() const;
+        void autoPopulateChanged() const;
         void paginateChanged() const;
         void pageSizeChanged() const;
         void flatChanged() const;
@@ -111,6 +123,8 @@
     protected:
         void refreshInternal();
 
+        bool m_complete;
+
         bool m_paginate;
         int m_pageSize;
 
@@ -129,6 +143,8 @@
         void processServiceGroup(KServiceGroup::Ptr group);
         void sortEntries();
 
+        bool m_autoPopulate;
+
         QString m_description;
         QString m_entryPath;
         bool m_staticEntryList;
diff --git a/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.cpp b/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.cpp
--- a/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.cpp
+++ b/applets/kicker/plugin/appsmodel.cpp
@@ -33,13 +33,15 @@
 AppsModel::AppsModel(const QString &entryPath, bool paginate, int pageSize, bool flat,
     bool sorted, bool separators, QObject *parent)
 : AbstractModel(parent)
+, m_complete(false)
 , m_paginate(paginate)
 , m_pageSize(pageSize)
 , m_deleteEntriesOnDestruction(true)
 , m_separatorCount(0)
 , m_showSeparators(separators)
 , m_showTopLevelItems(false)
 , m_appletInterface(nullptr)
+, m_autoPopulate(true)
 , m_description(i18n("Applications"))
 , m_entryPath(entryPath)
 , m_staticEntryList(false)
@@ -55,13 +57,15 @@
 
 AppsModel::AppsModel(const QList<AbstractEntry *> entryList, bool deleteEntriesOnDestruction, QObject *parent)
 : AbstractModel(parent)
+, m_complete(false)
 , m_paginate(false)
 , m_pageSize(24)
 , m_deleteEntriesOnDestruction(deleteEntriesOnDestruction)
 , m_separatorCount(0)
 , m_showSeparators(false)
 , m_showTopLevelItems(false)
 , m_appletInterface(nullptr)
+, m_autoPopulate(true)
 , m_description(i18n("Applications"))
 , m_entryPath(QString())
 , m_staticEntryList(true)
@@ -97,6 +101,20 @@
     }
 }
 
+bool AppsModel::autoPopulate() const
+{
+    return m_autoPopulate;
+}
+
+void AppsModel::setAutoPopulate(bool populate)
+{
+    if (m_autoPopulate != populate) {
+        m_autoPopulate = populate;
+
+        emit autoPopulateChanged();
+    }
+}
+
 QString AppsModel::description() const
 {
     return m_description;
@@ -419,6 +437,10 @@
 
 void AppsModel::refresh()
 {
+    if (m_complete) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (m_staticEntryList) {
         return;
     }
@@ -691,3 +713,17 @@
         emit dataChanged(idx, idx);
     }
 }
+
+void AppsModel::classBegin()
+{
+
+}
+
+void AppsModel::componentComplete()
+{
+    m_complete = true;
+
+    if (m_autoPopulate) {
+        refresh();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.h b/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.h
--- a/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.h
+++ b/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.h
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "appsmodel.h"
 
-#include <QQmlParserStatus>
-
 class KAStatsFavoritesModel;
 class RecentContactsModel;
 class RecentUsageModel;
@@ -49,12 +47,9 @@
         QPointer<AbstractModel> m_childModel;
 };
 
-class RootModel : public AppsModel, public QQmlParserStatus
+class RootModel : public AppsModel
 {
     Q_OBJECT
-    Q_INTERFACES(QQmlParserStatus)
-
-    Q_PROPERTY(bool autoPopulate READ autoPopulate WRITE setAutoPopulate NOTIFY autoPopulateChanged)
 
     Q_PROPERTY(QObject* systemFavoritesModel READ systemFavoritesModel NOTIFY systemFavoritesModelChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool showAllApps READ showAllApps WRITE setShowAllApps NOTIFY showAllAppsChanged)
@@ -72,9 +67,6 @@
 
         Q_INVOKABLE bool trigger(int row, const QString &actionId, const QVariant &argument) override;
 
-        bool autoPopulate() const;
-        void setAutoPopulate(bool populate);
-
         bool showAllApps() const;
         void setShowAllApps(bool show);
 
@@ -96,13 +88,9 @@
         AbstractModel* favoritesModel() override;
         AbstractModel* systemFavoritesModel();
 
-        void classBegin() override;
-        void componentComplete() override;
-
     Q_SIGNALS:
         void refreshed() const;
         void systemFavoritesModelChanged() const;
-        void autoPopulateChanged() const;
         void showAllAppsChanged() const;
         void showRecentAppsChanged() const;
         void showRecentDocsChanged() const;
@@ -115,13 +103,9 @@
         void refresh() override;
 
     private:
-        bool m_complete;
-
         KAStatsFavoritesModel *m_favorites;
         SystemModel *m_systemModel;
 
-        bool m_autoPopulate;
-
         bool m_showAllApps;
         bool m_showRecentApps;
         bool m_showRecentDocs;
diff --git a/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.cpp b/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.cpp
--- a/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.cpp
+++ b/applets/kicker/plugin/rootmodel.cpp
@@ -63,10 +63,8 @@
 }
 
 RootModel::RootModel(QObject *parent) : AppsModel(QString(), parent)
-, m_complete(false)
 , m_favorites(new KAStatsFavoritesModel(this))
 , m_systemModel(nullptr)
-, m_autoPopulate(true)
 , m_showAllApps(false)
 , m_showRecentApps(true)
 , m_showRecentDocs(true)
@@ -145,20 +143,6 @@
     return AppsModel::trigger(row, actionId, argument);
 }
 
-bool RootModel::autoPopulate() const
-{
-    return m_autoPopulate;
-}
-
-void RootModel::setAutoPopulate(bool populate)
-{
-    if (m_autoPopulate != populate) {
-        m_autoPopulate = populate;
-
-        emit autoPopulateChanged();
-    }
-}
-
 bool RootModel::showAllApps() const
 {
     return m_showAllApps;
@@ -269,19 +253,6 @@
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-void RootModel::classBegin()
-{
-}
-
-void RootModel::componentComplete()
-{
-    m_complete = true;
-
-    if (m_autoPopulate) {
-        refresh();
-    }
-}
-
 void RootModel::refresh()
 {
     if (!m_complete) {
diff --git a/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml b/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
--- a/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
+++ b/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/FullRepresentation.qml
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@
     Kicker.AppsModel {
         id: rootModel
 
+        autoPopulate: false
+
         appletInterface: plasmoid
 
         appNameFormat: plasmoid.configuration.showAppsByName ? 0 : 1