diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistgroupheader.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistgroupheader.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistgroupheader.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistgroupheader.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@
 
 void KItemListGroupHeader::setStyleOption(const KItemListStyleOption& option)
 {
+    if (m_styleOption == option) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     const KItemListStyleOption previous = m_styleOption;
     m_styleOption = option;
     m_dirtyCache = true;
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h b/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@
     bool extendedSelectionRegion;
     int maxTextLines;
     int maxTextWidth;
+
+    bool operator==(const KItemListStyleOption& other) const;
+    bool operator!=(const KItemListStyleOption& other) const;
+
+
 };
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.cpp
@@ -53,3 +53,23 @@
 KItemListStyleOption::~KItemListStyleOption()
 {
 }
+
+bool KItemListStyleOption::operator==(const KItemListStyleOption& other) const
+{
+    return rect == other.rect
+            && font == other.font
+            && fontMetrics == other.fontMetrics
+            && palette == other.palette
+            && padding == other.padding
+            && horizontalMargin == other.horizontalMargin
+            && verticalMargin == other.verticalMargin
+            && iconSize == other.iconSize
+            && extendedSelectionRegion == other.extendedSelectionRegion
+            && maxTextLines == other.maxTextLines
+            && maxTextWidth == other.maxTextWidth;
+}
+
+bool KItemListStyleOption::operator!=(const KItemListStyleOption& other) const
+{
+    return !(*this == other);
+}
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistview.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistview.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistview.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistview.cpp
@@ -752,6 +752,10 @@
 
 void KItemListView::setStyleOption(const KItemListStyleOption& option)
 {
+    if (m_styleOption == option) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     const KItemListStyleOption previousOption = m_styleOption;
     m_styleOption = option;
 
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistwidget.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistwidget.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistwidget.cpp
@@ -191,10 +191,13 @@
 
 void KItemListWidget::setStyleOption(const KItemListStyleOption& option)
 {
+    if (m_styleOption == option) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     const KItemListStyleOption previous = m_styleOption;
     clearHoverCache();
     m_styleOption = option;
-
     styleOptionChanged(option, previous);
     update();
 }
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kstandarditemlistview.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kstandarditemlistview.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kstandarditemlistview.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kstandarditemlistview.cpp
@@ -146,27 +146,20 @@
 {
     KItemListStyleOption option = styleOption();
 
-    bool changed = false;
     if (option.iconSize < 0) {
         option.iconSize = iconSize;
-        changed = true;
     }
     if (option.padding < 0) {
         option.padding = padding;
-        changed = true;
     }
     if (option.horizontalMargin < 0) {
         option.horizontalMargin = horizontalMargin;
-        changed = true;
     }
     if (option.verticalMargin < 0) {
         option.verticalMargin = verticalMargin;
-        changed = true;
     }
 
-    if (changed) {
-        setStyleOption(option);
-    }
+    setStyleOption(option);
 }
 
 void KStandardItemListView::updateLayoutOfVisibleItems()