diff --git a/autotests/kconfigtest.cpp b/autotests/kconfigtest.cpp
--- a/autotests/kconfigtest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/kconfigtest.cpp
@@ -521,7 +521,9 @@
             << "withBraces[$e]=file://${HOME}/foo" << endl
             << "URL[$e]=file://${HOME}/foo" << endl
             << "hostname[$e]=$(hostname)" << endl
-            << "noeol=foo"; // no EOL
+            << "escapes=aaa,bb/b,ccc\\,ccc" << endl
+            << "noeol=foo" // no EOL
+            ;
     }
     KConfig cf2(TEST_SUBDIR "pathtest");
     KConfigGroup group = cf2.group("Test Group");
@@ -547,6 +549,9 @@
 #endif
     QVERIFY(group.hasKey("noeol"));
     QCOMPARE(group.readEntry("noeol", QString()), QString("foo"));
+
+    const auto val = QStringList { QStringLiteral("aaa"), QStringLiteral("bb/b"), QStringLiteral("ccc,ccc")};
+    QCOMPARE(group.readPathEntry("escapes", QStringList()), val);
 }
 
 void KConfigTest::testPersistenceOfExpandFlagForPath()
diff --git a/src/core/kconfiggroup.cpp b/src/core/kconfiggroup.cpp
--- a/src/core/kconfiggroup.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kconfiggroup.cpp
@@ -160,25 +160,24 @@
         return QStringList(QString());
     }
     QStringList value;
-    QString val;
-    val.reserve(data.size());
-    bool quoted = false;
-    for (int p = 0; p < data.length(); p++) {
-        if (quoted) {
-            val += data[p];
-            quoted = false;
-        } else if (data[p].unicode() == '\\') {
-            quoted = true;
-        } else if (data[p].unicode() == ',') {
-            val.squeeze(); // release any unused memory
-            value.append(val);
-            val.clear();
-            val.reserve(data.size() - p);
-        } else {
-            val += data[p];
+    QVector<int> escapedAt;
+    bool escapedLast = false;
+    int last = 0;
+    for (int p = 0; p < data.length() + 1; p++) {
+        if (escapedLast) {
+            escapedLast = false;
+        } else if (data.size() == p || data[p] == QLatin1Char(',')) {
+            auto str = data.mid(last, p-last);
+            while (!escapedAt.isEmpty()) {
+                str.remove(escapedAt.takeLast(), 1);
+            }
+            value.append(str);
+            last = p + 1;
+        } else if (p < data.size() && data[p] == QLatin1Char('\\')) {
+            escapedLast = true;
+            escapedAt.append(p-last);
         }
     }
-    value.append(val);
     return value;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/kconfigini.cpp b/src/core/kconfigini.cpp
--- a/src/core/kconfigini.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kconfigini.cpp
@@ -793,6 +793,12 @@
                 r++;
                 *r = ';';
                 break;
+            case ',':
+                // not really an escape sequence, but allowed in .desktop files, don't strip '\,' from the string
+                *r = '\\';
+                r++;
+                *r = ',';
+                break;
             case 'x':
                 if (i + 2 < l) {
                     *r = charFromHex(str + i + 1, file, line);