diff --git a/keditfiletype/tests/filetypestest.cpp b/keditfiletype/tests/filetypestest.cpp
--- a/keditfiletype/tests/filetypestest.cpp
+++ b/keditfiletype/tests/filetypestest.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <kconfiggroup.h>
 #include <kdesktopfile.h>
+#include <kdirwatch.h>
 #include <ksycoca.h>
 
 // Qt
@@ -383,11 +384,28 @@
         QVERIFY(!kbuildsycoca.isEmpty());
         QStringList args;
         args << "--testmode";
+
+        // KSycoca internally will not be able to notify us of changes if this is
+        // the first time it is run (e.g. in isolated testbeds), so bypass KSycoca
+        // if it is reported not valid or we can't read the supposedly used file.
+        // Subsequent runs should then be able to use KSycoca directly, if not as long
+        // as the supposed cache file changes we should be fine either way.
+        QFileInfo info(KSycoca::absoluteFilePath());
+        QScopedPointer<KDirWatch> watcher;
+        QScopedPointer<QSignalSpy> spy;
+        if (KSycoca::isAvailable() && info.isReadable()) {
+            qDebug() << "spying databaseChanged signal";
+            spy.reset(new QSignalSpy(KSycoca::self(), SIGNAL(databaseChanged(QStringList))));
+        } else {
+            qDebug() << "spying dirwatch because KSycoca is not available!";
+            watcher.reset(new KDirWatch);
+            watcher->addFile(KSycoca::absoluteFilePath());
+            spy.reset(new QSignalSpy(watcher.data(), &KDirWatch::created));
+        }
         proc.start(kbuildsycoca, args);
-        QSignalSpy spy(KSycoca::self(), SIGNAL(databaseChanged(QStringList)));
         proc.waitForFinished();
         qDebug() << "waiting for signal";
-        QVERIFY(spy.wait(10000));
+        QVERIFY(spy->wait(10000));
         qDebug() << "got signal";
     }