diff --git a/src/kdeinitinterface.cpp b/src/kdeinitinterface.cpp
--- a/src/kdeinitinterface.cpp
+++ b/src/kdeinitinterface.cpp
@@ -41,10 +41,13 @@
     qCDebug(KDBUSADDONS_LOG) << "klauncher not running... launching kdeinit";
 
     QLockFile lock(QDir::tempPath() + QLatin1Char('/') + QLatin1String("startkdeinitlock"));
+    // If we can't get the lock, then someone else is already in the process of starting kdeinit.
     if (!lock.tryLock()) {
+        // Wait for that to happen, by locking again
         lock.lock();
+        // Check that the DBus name is up, i.e. the other process did manage to do it successfully.
         if (dbusDaemon->isServiceRegistered(QStringLiteral("org.kde.klauncher5"))) {
-            return;    // whoever held the lock has already started it
+            return;
         }
     }
     // Try to launch kdeinit.
@@ -65,6 +68,8 @@
 #ifndef Q_OS_WIN
     args += QStringLiteral("--suicide");
 #endif
-    QProcess::execute(srv, args);
+    QProcess proc;
+    // started asynchronously, so even if kdeinit5 takes forever to start, the lock will be released
+    proc.start(srv, args);
 }