diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
     KF5::ItemViews       # KWidgetItemDelegate
     KF5::XmlGui          # KAboutApplicationDialog
     KF5::QuickAddons
+    KF5::Declarative
     KF5::Package
 )
 set_target_properties(KF5KCMUtils PROPERTIES
diff --git a/src/kcmoduleqml.cpp b/src/kcmoduleqml.cpp
--- a/src/kcmoduleqml.cpp
+++ b/src/kcmoduleqml.cpp
@@ -39,21 +39,52 @@
 class KCModuleQmlPrivate
 {
 public:
-    KCModuleQmlPrivate(KQuickAddons::ConfigModule *cm)
-        : quickWindow(nullptr),
+    KCModuleQmlPrivate(KQuickAddons::ConfigModule *cm, KCModuleQml *q)
+        : q(q),
+          quickWindow(nullptr),
           configModule(cm)
     {
+        //ensure the engine is present, then ref it
+        engine();
+        engineRef = s_engine;
     }
 
+    ~KCModuleQmlPrivate()
+    {
+        //when the only remaining are out two refs, reset the pointers, causing deletion
+        //when the refcount is 2, we are sure that the only refs are s_engine and our copy
+        //of engineRef
+        if (engineRef.use_count() == 2) {
+            s_engine.reset();
+        }
+    }
+
+    static QQmlEngine *engine()
+    {
+        if (!s_engine) {
+            s_engine = std::make_shared<QQmlEngine>();
+            KDeclarative::KDeclarative::setupEngine(s_engine.get());
+        }
+        return s_engine.get();
+    }
+
+    KCModuleQml *q;
     QQuickWindow *quickWindow;
     QQuickWidget *quickWidget;
     QQuickItem *rootPlaceHolder;
+    QQuickItem *pageRow;
     KQuickAddons::ConfigModule *configModule;
+
+    //used to delete the engine
+    std::shared_ptr<QQmlEngine> engineRef;
+    static std::shared_ptr<QQmlEngine> s_engine;
 };
 
+std::shared_ptr<QQmlEngine> KCModuleQmlPrivate::s_engine = std::shared_ptr<QQmlEngine>();
+
 KCModuleQml::KCModuleQml(KQuickAddons::ConfigModule *configModule, QWidget* parent, const QVariantList& args)
     : KCModule(parent, args),
-      d(new KCModuleQmlPrivate(configModule))
+      d(new KCModuleQmlPrivate(configModule, this))
 {
 
     connect(configModule, &KQuickAddons::ConfigModule::quickHelpChanged,
@@ -92,25 +123,16 @@
     connect(configModule, &KQuickAddons::ConfigModule::authActionNameChanged, [=] {
         setAuthAction(d->configModule->authActionName());
     });
+    setAboutData(d->configModule->aboutData());
     setFocusPolicy(Qt::StrongFocus);
-}
 
-KCModuleQml::~KCModuleQml()
-{
-    delete d;
-}
 
-void KCModuleQml::showEvent(QShowEvent *event)
-{
-    if (d->quickWindow || !d->configModule->mainUi()) {
-        KCModule::showEvent(event);
-        return;
-    }
 
+    //Build the UI
     QVBoxLayout* layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
     layout->setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
 
-    d->quickWidget = new QQuickWidget(d->configModule->engine(), this);
+    d->quickWidget = new QQuickWidget(d->engine(), this);
     d->quickWidget->setResizeMode(QQuickWidget::SizeRootObjectToView);
     d->quickWidget->setFocusPolicy(Qt::StrongFocus);
     d->quickWidget->installEventFilter(this);
@@ -120,22 +142,39 @@
         d->quickWindow->setColor(QGuiApplication::palette().window().color());
     });
 
-    QQmlComponent *component = new QQmlComponent(d->configModule->engine(), this);
+    QQmlComponent *component = new QQmlComponent(d->quickWidget->engine(), this);
     //this has activeFocusOnTab to notice when the navigation wraps
     //around, so when we need to go outside and inside
-    component->setData(QByteArrayLiteral("import QtQuick 2.3\nItem{activeFocusOnTab:true}"), QUrl());
+    //pushPage/popPage are needed as push of StackView can't be directly invoked from c++
+    //because its parameters are QQmlV4Function which is not public
+    component->setData(QByteArrayLiteral("import QtQuick 2.3\n"
+        "import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami\n"
+        "Kirigami.ApplicationItem{"
+            // allow only one column for now
+            "pageStack.defaultColumnWidth:width;"
+            "pageStack.separatorVisible:false;"
+            "pageStack.globalToolBar.style:Kirigami.ApplicationHeaderStyle.Breadcrumb;"
+            "pageStack.globalToolBar.showNavigationButtons:false;"
+            "pageStack.globalToolBar.preferredHeight:Kirigami.Units.gridUnit*1.6;"
+            "pageStack.globalToolBar.separatorVisible:false;"
+            "activeFocusOnTab:true"
+        "}"), QUrl());
     d->rootPlaceHolder = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(component->create());
     d->quickWidget->setContent(QUrl(), component, d->rootPlaceHolder);
 
-    d->configModule->mainUi()->setParentItem(d->quickWidget->rootObject());
+    QQmlEngine::setContextForObject(d->configModule, QQmlEngine::contextForObject(d->rootPlaceHolder));
 
-    //set anchors
-    QQmlExpression expr(d->configModule->engine()->rootContext(), d->configModule->mainUi(), QStringLiteral("parent"));
-    QQmlProperty prop(d->configModule->mainUi(), QStringLiteral("anchors.fill"));
-    prop.write(expr.evaluate());
+    d->pageRow = d->rootPlaceHolder->property("pageStack").value<QQuickItem *>();
+    if (d->pageRow) {
+        QMetaObject::invokeMethod(d->pageRow, "push", Qt::DirectConnection, Q_ARG(QVariant, QVariant::fromValue(d->configModule->mainUi())), Q_ARG(QVariant, QVariant()));
+    }
 
     layout->addWidget(d->quickWidget);
-    KCModule::showEvent(event);
+}
+
+KCModuleQml::~KCModuleQml()
+{
+    delete d;
 }
 
 bool KCModuleQml::eventFilter(QObject* watched, QEvent* event)
diff --git a/src/kcmoduleqml_p.h b/src/kcmoduleqml_p.h
--- a/src/kcmoduleqml_p.h
+++ b/src/kcmoduleqml_p.h
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
     void defaults() Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
 protected:
-    void showEvent(QShowEvent *event) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
     void focusInEvent(QFocusEvent *event) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
     QSize sizeHint() const Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
     bool eventFilter(QObject* watched, QEvent* event) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;