diff --git a/shell/CMakeLists.txt b/shell/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/shell/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/shell/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     coronatesthelper.cpp
     debug.cpp
     screenpool.cpp
+    softwarerendernotifier.cpp
     ${scripting_SRC}
 )
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@
  KF5::Package
  KF5::WaylandClient
  KF5::WindowSystem
+ KF5::Notifications
  PW::KWorkspace
 )
 target_include_directories(plasmashell PRIVATE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}")
diff --git a/shell/main.cpp b/shell/main.cpp
--- a/shell/main.cpp
+++ b/shell/main.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "standaloneappcorona.h"
 #include "shellmanager.h"
 #include "coronatesthelper.h"
+#include "softwarerendernotifier.h"
 
 #include <QDir>
 
@@ -183,7 +184,6 @@
 
     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
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@
         }
         app.exit(-1);
     });
+    SoftwareRendererNotifier::notifyIfRelevant();
     QObject::connect(QCoreApplication::instance(), &QCoreApplication::aboutToQuit, ShellManager::instance(), &QObject::deleteLater);
 
     return app.exec();
diff --git a/shell/softwarerendernotifier.h b/shell/softwarerendernotifier.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/softwarerendernotifier.h
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ *  Copyright 2018 David Edmundson <davidedmundson@kde.org>
+ *
+ *  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ *  (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ *  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <KStatusNotifierItem>
+
+/**
+ * Responsible for showing an SNI if the software renderer is used
+ * to allow the a user to open the KCM
+ */
+
+class SoftwareRendererNotifier: public KStatusNotifierItem
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    //only exposed as void static constructor as internally it is self memory managing
+    static void notifyIfRelevant();
+private:
+    SoftwareRendererNotifier(QObject *parent=nullptr);
+    ~SoftwareRendererNotifier();
+};
diff --git a/shell/softwarerendernotifier.cpp b/shell/softwarerendernotifier.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/softwarerendernotifier.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#include "softwarerendernotifier.h"
+#include <QMenu>
+#include <QIcon>
+#include <QProcess>
+#include <QGuiApplication>
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
+#include <KConfigGroup>
+
+#include <QQuickWindow>
+
+void SoftwareRendererNotifier::notifyIfRelevant()
+{
+    if (QQuickWindow::sceneGraphBackend() == QLatin1String("software")) {
+        auto group = KSharedConfig::openConfig()->group(QStringLiteral("softwarerenderer"));
+        bool neverShow = group.readEntry("neverShow", false);
+        if (neverShow) {
+            return;
+        }
+        new SoftwareRendererNotifier(qApp);
+    }
+}
+
+SoftwareRendererNotifier::SoftwareRendererNotifier(QObject *parent)
+    : KStatusNotifierItem(parent)
+{
+    setTitle(i18n("Software Renderer In Use"));
+    setToolTipTitle(i18nc("Tooltip telling user their GL drivers are broken", "Software Renderer In Use"));
+    setToolTipSubTitle(i18nc("Tooltip telling user their GL drivers are broken", "Rendering may be degraded"));
+    setIconByName(QStringLiteral("video-card-inactive"));
+    setStatus(KStatusNotifierItem::Active);
+    setStandardActionsEnabled(false);
+
+    connect(this, &KStatusNotifierItem::activateRequested, this, []() {
+        QProcess::startDetached("kcmshell5 qtquicksettings");
+    });
+
+    auto menu = new QMenu; //ownership is transferred in setContextMenu
+    auto action = new QAction(i18n("Never show again"));
+    connect(action, &QAction::triggered, this, [this]() {
+        auto group = KSharedConfig::openConfig()->group(QStringLiteral("softwarerenderer"));
+        group.writeEntry("neverShow", true);
+        deleteLater();
+    });
+    menu->addAction(action);
+    setContextMenu(menu);
+}
+
+SoftwareRendererNotifier::~SoftwareRendererNotifier() = default;
+