diff --git a/src/plasma/data/servicetypes/plasma-applet.desktop b/src/plasma/data/servicetypes/plasma-applet.desktop
--- a/src/plasma/data/servicetypes/plasma-applet.desktop
+++ b/src/plasma/data/servicetypes/plasma-applet.desktop
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@
 [PropertyDef::X-Plasma-Provides]
 Type=QStringList
 
+[PropertyDef::X-Plasma-PreloadWeight]
+Type=int
+
 [PropertyDef::X-Plasma-ConfigPlugins]
 Type=QStringList
 
diff --git a/src/plasmaquick/CMakeLists.txt b/src/plasmaquick/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/plasmaquick/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/plasmaquick/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 set(plasmaquick_LIB_SRC
     appletquickitem.cpp
+    debug_p.cpp
     dialog.cpp
     dialogshadows.cpp
     view.cpp
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@
     ../declarativeimports/core/units.cpp
 )
 
+ecm_qt_declare_logging_category(PlasmaQuick_LIB_SRCS HEADER debug_p.h IDENTIFIER LOG_PLASMAQUICK CATEGORY_NAME org.kde.plasmaquick)
+
 add_library(KF5PlasmaQuick SHARED ${plasmaquick_LIB_SRC})
 add_library(KF5::PlasmaQuick ALIAS KF5PlasmaQuick)
 target_include_directories(KF5PlasmaQuick PUBLIC "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR};${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/..>")
diff --git a/src/plasmaquick/appletquickitem.cpp b/src/plasmaquick/appletquickitem.cpp
--- a/src/plasmaquick/appletquickitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plasmaquick/appletquickitem.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "appletquickitem.h"
 #include "private/appletquickitem_p.h"
+#include "debug_p.h"
 
 #include <QQmlComponent>
 #include <QQmlExpression>
@@ -43,15 +44,24 @@
 
 QHash<QObject *, AppletQuickItem *> AppletQuickItemPrivate::s_rootObjects = QHash<QObject *, AppletQuickItem *>();
 
-
 AppletQuickItemPrivate::AppletQuickItemPrivate(Plasma::Applet *a, AppletQuickItem *item)
     : q(item),
       switchWidth(-1),
       switchHeight(-1),
       applet(a),
       expanded(false),
       activationTogglesExpanded(false)
 {
+    if (qEnvironmentVariableIsSet("KDE_PLASMA_PRELOAD_POLICY")) {
+        const QByteArray policy = qgetenv("KDE_PLASMA_PRELOAD_POLICY");
+        if (policy == "Aggressive") {
+            preloadPolicy = Aggressive;
+        } else if (policy == "None") {
+            preloadPolicy = None;
+        
+        }
+        //leave default as Adaptive, do nothing
+    }
 }
 
 void AppletQuickItemPrivate::init()
@@ -70,6 +80,21 @@
     }
 }
 
+int AppletQuickItemPrivate::preloadWeight() const
+{
+    int defaultWeight;
+    const QStringList provides(KPluginMetaData::readStringList(applet->pluginMetaData().rawData(), QStringLiteral("X-Plasma-Provides")));
+
+    //some applet types we want a bigger weight
+    if (provides.contains(QStringLiteral("org.kde.plasma.launchermenu"))) {
+        defaultWeight = DefaultLauncherPreloadWeight;
+    } else {
+        defaultWeight = DefaultPreloadWeight;
+    }
+    //default widgets to be barely preloaded
+    return qBound(0, applet->config().readEntry(QStringLiteral("PreloadWeight"), qMax(defaultWeight, applet->pluginMetaData().rawData().value(QStringLiteral("X-Plasma-PreloadWeight")).toInt())), 100);
+}
+
 void AppletQuickItemPrivate::connectLayoutAttached(QObject *item)
 {
     QObject *layout = 0;
@@ -218,7 +243,7 @@
 
     if (fullRepresentation && fullRepresentation != qmlObject->mainComponent()) {
         QVariantHash initialProperties;
-        initialProperties[QStringLiteral("parent")] = QVariant::fromValue(q);
+        initialProperties[QStringLiteral("parent")] = QVariant();
         fullRepresentationItem = qobject_cast<QQuickItem*>(qmlObject->createObjectFromComponent(fullRepresentation, QtQml::qmlContext(qmlObject->rootObject()), initialProperties));
     } else {
         fullRepresentation = qmlObject->mainComponent();
@@ -437,6 +462,11 @@
 
 AppletQuickItem::~AppletQuickItem()
 {
+    //decrease weight
+    if (d->preloadPolicy == AppletQuickItemPrivate::Adaptive) {
+        d->applet->config().writeEntry(QStringLiteral("PreloadWeight"), qMax(0, d->preloadWeight() - AppletQuickItemPrivate::PreloadWeightDecrement));
+    }
+
     //Here the order is important
     delete d->compactRepresentationItem;
     delete d->fullRepresentationItem;
@@ -598,6 +628,42 @@
     d->compactRepresentationCheck();
     qmlObject()->engine()->rootContext()->setBaseUrl(qmlObject()->source());
     qmlObject()->engine()->setContextForObject(this, qmlObject()->engine()->rootContext());
+
+    //if we're expanded we don't care about preloading because it will already be the case
+    //as well as for containments
+    if (d->applet->isContainment() ||
+        d->expanded || d->preferredRepresentation == d->fullRepresentation) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    switch (d->preloadPolicy) {
+    case AppletQuickItemPrivate::Adaptive: {
+        const int preloadWeight = d->preloadWeight();
+        qCInfo(LOG_PLASMAQUICK) << "New Applet " << d->applet->title() << "with a weight of" << preloadWeight;
+
+        //don't preload applets less then a certain weigth
+        if (preloadWeight >= AppletQuickItemPrivate::DelayedPreloadWeight) {
+            //spread the creation over a random delay to make it look
+            //plasma started already, and load the popup in the background
+            //without big noticeable freezes, the bigger the weight the smaller is likely
+            //to be the delay, smaller minimum walue, smaller spread
+            const int min = (100 - preloadWeight) * 20;
+            const int max = (100 - preloadWeight) * 100;
+            const int delay = qrand() % ((max + 1) - min) + min;
+            QTimer::singleShot(delay, [this, delay]() {
+                qCInfo(LOG_PLASMAQUICK) << "Delayed preload of " << d->applet->title() << "after" << (qreal)delay/1000 << "seconds";
+                d->createFullRepresentationItem();
+            });
+        }
+        break;
+    }
+    case AppletQuickItemPrivate::Aggressive:
+        d->createFullRepresentationItem();
+        break;
+    case AppletQuickItemPrivate::None:
+    default:
+        break;
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -726,6 +792,7 @@
     }
 
     if (expanded) {
+        qint64 time = QDateTime::currentMSecsSinceEpoch();
         d->createFullRepresentationItem();
         if (!d->applet->isContainment() &&
                 (!d->preferredRepresentation ||
@@ -738,6 +805,14 @@
         } else {
             d->fullRepresentationItem->setProperty("parent", QVariant::fromValue<QObject*>(this));
         }
+
+        //increase on open, ignore containments
+        if (d->preloadPolicy == AppletQuickItemPrivate::Adaptive && !d->applet->isContainment()) {
+            const int newWeight = qMin(d->preloadWeight() + AppletQuickItemPrivate::PreloadWeightIncrement, 100);
+            d->applet->config().writeEntry(QStringLiteral("PreloadWeight"), newWeight);
+            qCInfo(LOG_PLASMAQUICK) << "Increasing score for" << d->applet->title() << "to" << newWeight;
+        }
+        qCInfo(LOG_PLASMAQUICK) << "Applet" << d->applet->title() << "opened after" << ( QDateTime::currentMSecsSinceEpoch() - time) << "msec";
     }
 
     d->expanded = expanded;
diff --git a/src/plasmaquick/private/appletquickitem_p.h b/src/plasmaquick/private/appletquickitem_p.h
--- a/src/plasmaquick/private/appletquickitem_p.h
+++ b/src/plasmaquick/private/appletquickitem_p.h
@@ -55,10 +55,27 @@
 class AppletQuickItemPrivate
 {
 public:
+    //weight values for the logic for when or if to preload
+    enum PreloadWeights {
+        DefaultPreloadWeight = 50,
+        DefaultLauncherPreloadWeight = 100,
+        DelayedPreloadWeight = 25,
+        PreloadWeightIncrement = 5,
+        PreloadWeightDecrement = 8
+    };
+
+    enum PreloadPolicy {
+        None,
+        Adaptive,
+        Aggressive
+    };
+
     AppletQuickItemPrivate(Plasma::Applet *a, AppletQuickItem *item);
 
     void init();
 
+    int preloadWeight() const;
+
     QQuickItem *createCompactRepresentationItem();
     QQuickItem *createFullRepresentationItem();
     QQuickItem *createCompactRepresentationExpanderItem();
@@ -80,6 +97,7 @@
 
     AppletQuickItem *q;
 
+    PreloadPolicy preloadPolicy = Adaptive;
     int switchWidth;
     int switchHeight;