diff --git a/shell/desktopview.cpp b/shell/desktopview.cpp
--- a/shell/desktopview.cpp
+++ b/shell/desktopview.cpp
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@
     QObject::connect(m_activityController, &KActivities::Controller::activityRemoved,
                      this, &DesktopView::candidateContainmentsChanged);
 
-    if (QQuickWindow::sceneGraphBackend() != QLatin1String("software")) {
+    if (rendererInterface()->graphicsApi() != QSGRendererInterface::Software) {
         connect(this, &DesktopView::sceneGraphInitialized, this,
             [this, corona]() {
                 // check whether the GL Context supports OpenGL
                 // Note: hasOpenGLShaderPrograms is broken, see QTBUG--39730
                 if (!QOpenGLShaderProgram::hasOpenGLShaderPrograms(openglContext())) {
                     qWarning() << "GLSL not available, Plasma won't be functional";
-                    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(corona, "showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning", Qt::QueuedConnection);
+                    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(corona, "glInitialisationFailed", Qt::QueuedConnection);
                 }
             }, Qt::DirectConnection);
     }
diff --git a/shell/main.cpp b/shell/main.cpp
--- a/shell/main.cpp
+++ b/shell/main.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <QQuickWindow>
 #include <QSessionManager>
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <QProcess>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QDBusConnection>
 #include <QDBusMessage>
@@ -182,6 +183,29 @@
 
     KDBusService service(KDBusService::Unique);
 
+
+    QObject::connect(ShellManager::instance(), &ShellManager::glInitialisationFailed, &app, [&app]() {
+        //scene graphs errors come from a thread
+        //even though we process them in the main thread, app.exit could still process these events
+        static bool s_multipleInvokations = false;
+        if (s_multipleInvokations) {
+            return;
+        }
+        s_multipleInvokations = true;
+
+        qCritical("Open GL context could not be created");
+        auto configGroup = KSharedConfig::openConfig()->group("QtQuickRendererSettings");
+        if (configGroup.readEntry("SceneGraphBackend") != QLatin1String("software")) {
+            configGroup.writeEntry("SceneGraphBackend", "software", KConfigBase::Global | KConfigBase::Persistent);
+            configGroup.sync();
+            QProcess::startDetached("plasmashell", app.arguments());
+        } else {
+            QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_ForceRasterWidgets);
+            QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, i18n("Plasma Failed To Start"),
+                          i18n("Plasma is unable to start as it could not correctly use OpenGL 2 or software fallback\nPlease check that your graphic drivers are set up correctly."));
+        }
+        app.exit(-1);
+    });
     QObject::connect(QCoreApplication::instance(), &QCoreApplication::aboutToQuit, ShellManager::instance(), &QObject::deleteLater);
 
     return app.exec();
diff --git a/shell/shellcorona.h b/shell/shellcorona.h
--- a/shell/shellcorona.h
+++ b/shell/shellcorona.h
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@
 
     QString defaultContainmentPlugin() const;
 
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void glInitialisationFailed();
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     /**
      * Request saving applicationConfig on disk, it's event compressed, not immediate
@@ -200,7 +203,6 @@
     void primaryOutputChanged();
 
     void panelContainmentDestroyed(QObject* cont);
-    void showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning();
     void interactiveConsoleVisibilityChanged(bool visible);
     void handleScreenRemoved(QScreen* screen);
 
diff --git a/shell/shellcorona.cpp b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
--- a/shell/shellcorona.cpp
+++ b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
@@ -1191,7 +1191,10 @@
     }
 
     DesktopView *view = new DesktopView(this, screen);
-    connect(view, &QQuickWindow::sceneGraphError, this, &ShellCorona::showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning);
+
+    if (view->rendererInterface()->graphicsApi() != QSGRendererInterface::Software) {
+        connect(view, &QQuickWindow::sceneGraphError, this, &ShellCorona::glInitialisationFailed);
+    }
     connect(screen, &QScreen::geometryChanged, this, [=]() {
         const int id = m_screenPool->id(screen->name());
         if (id >= 0) {
@@ -1279,7 +1282,9 @@
         //Q_ASSERT(qBound(0, requestedScreen, m_screenPool->count() - 1) == requestedScreen);
         QScreen *screen = m_desktopViewforId.value(requestedScreen)->screenToFollow();
         PanelView* panel = new PanelView(this, screen);
-        connect(panel, &QQuickWindow::sceneGraphError, this, &ShellCorona::showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning);
+        if (panel->rendererInterface()->graphicsApi() != QSGRendererInterface::Software) {
+            connect(panel, &QQuickWindow::sceneGraphError, this, &ShellCorona::glInitialisationFailed);
+        }
         connect(panel, &QWindow::visibleChanged, this, &Plasma::Corona::availableScreenRectChanged);
         connect(panel, &PanelView::locationChanged, this, &Plasma::Corona::availableScreenRectChanged);
         connect(panel, &PanelView::visibilityModeChanged, this, &Plasma::Corona::availableScreenRectChanged);
@@ -1962,23 +1967,6 @@
     }
 }
 
-void ShellCorona::showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning()
-{
-    static bool s_multipleInvokations = false;
-    if (s_multipleInvokations) {
-        return;
-    }
-    s_multipleInvokations = true;
-
-    QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_ForceRasterWidgets);
-    QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, i18n("Plasma Failed To Start"),
-                          i18n("Plasma is unable to start as it could not correctly use OpenGL 2.\n Please check that your graphic drivers are set up correctly."));
-    qCritical("Open GL context could not be created");
-
-    // this doesn't work and I have no idea why.
-    QCoreApplication::exit(1);
-}
-
 void ShellCorona::setupWaylandIntegration()
 {
     if (!KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
diff --git a/shell/shellmanager.h b/shell/shellmanager.h
--- a/shell/shellmanager.h
+++ b/shell/shellmanager.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void shellChanged(const QString & shell);
+    void glInitialisationFailed();
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void loadHandlers();
diff --git a/shell/shellmanager.cpp b/shell/shellmanager.cpp
--- a/shell/shellmanager.cpp
+++ b/shell/shellmanager.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@
     Q_ASSERT(!d->corona);
 
     d->corona = new ShellCorona(this);
+    connect(d->corona, &ShellCorona::glInitialisationFailed,
+            this, &ShellManager::glInitialisationFailed);
 
     connect(
         this,      &ShellManager::shellChanged,