diff --git a/ksmserver/org.kde.KSMServerInterface.xml b/ksmserver/org.kde.KSMServerInterface.xml
--- a/ksmserver/org.kde.KSMServerInterface.xml
+++ b/ksmserver/org.kde.KSMServerInterface.xml
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@
     <method name="saveCurrentSessionAs">
       <arg type="s" direction="in"/>
     </method>
-    <method name="suspendStartup">
-      <arg type="s" direction="in"/>
-    </method>
-    <method name="resumeStartup">
-      <arg type="s" direction="in"/>
-    </method>
     <method name="wmChanged"/>
     <method name="saveSubSession">
       <arg type="s" direction="in"/>
diff --git a/ksmserver/server.h b/ksmserver/server.h
--- a/ksmserver/server.h
+++ b/ksmserver/server.h
@@ -117,9 +117,6 @@
                    KWorkSpace::ShutdownType sdtype,
                    KWorkSpace::ShutdownMode sdmode );
 
-    virtual void suspendStartup( const QString &app );
-    virtual void resumeStartup( const QString &app );
-
     void launchWM( const QList< QStringList >& wmStartCommands );
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
@@ -140,7 +137,6 @@
     void autoStart1();
     void autoStart2();
     void tryRestoreNext();
-    void startupSuspendTimeout();
     void wmProcessChange();
     void autoStart0Done();
     void autoStart1Done();
@@ -199,9 +195,7 @@
     WId windowWmClientLeader(WId w);
     QByteArray windowSessionId(WId w, WId leader);
 
-    bool checkStartupSuspend();
     void finishStartup();
-    void resumeStartupInternal();
     void setupShortcuts();
 
     void runShutdownScripts();
@@ -249,7 +243,6 @@
     bool saveSession;
     int wmPhase1WaitingCount;
     int saveType;
-    QMap< QString, int > startupSuspendCount;
 
     KWorkSpace::ShutdownType shutdownType;
     KWorkSpace::ShutdownMode shutdownMode;
@@ -265,7 +258,6 @@
     QTimer protectionTimer;
     QTimer restoreTimer;
     QString xonCommand;
-    QTimer startupSuspendTimeoutTimer;
     bool waitAutoStart2;
     bool waitKcmInit2;
     QTimer pendingShutdown;
diff --git a/ksmserver/server.cpp b/ksmserver/server.cpp
--- a/ksmserver/server.cpp
+++ b/ksmserver/server.cpp
@@ -633,7 +633,6 @@
 
     selectWm( windowManager );
 
-    connect(&startupSuspendTimeoutTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &KSMServer::startupSuspendTimeout);
     connect(&pendingShutdown, &QTimer::timeout, this, &KSMServer::pendingShutdownTimeout);
 
     only_local = flags.testFlag(InitFlag::OnlyLocal);
diff --git a/ksmserver/startup.cpp b/ksmserver/startup.cpp
--- a/ksmserver/startup.cpp
+++ b/ksmserver/startup.cpp
@@ -249,8 +249,6 @@
 {
     if( state != LaunchingWM )
         return;
-    if( !checkStartupSuspend())
-        return;
     state = AutoStart0;
 #ifdef KSMSERVER_STARTUP_DEBUG1
     qCDebug(KSMSERVER) << t.elapsed();
@@ -263,8 +261,6 @@
 {
     if( state != AutoStart0 )
         return;
-    if( !checkStartupSuspend())
-        return;
     qCDebug(KSMSERVER) << "Autostart 0 done";
 #ifdef KSMSERVER_STARTUP_DEBUG1
     qCDebug(KSMSERVER) << t.elapsed();
@@ -325,8 +321,6 @@
 {
     if( state != AutoStart1 )
         return;
-    if( !checkStartupSuspend())
-        return;
     qCDebug(KSMSERVER) << "Autostart 1 done";
     setupShortcuts(); // done only here, because it needs kglobalaccel :-/
     lastAppStarted = 0;
@@ -353,7 +347,6 @@
     if( state != Restoring && state != RestoringSubSession )
         return;
     restoreTimer.stop();
-    startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.stop();
     KConfigGroup config(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), sessionGroup );
 
     while ( lastAppStarted < appsToStart ) {
@@ -406,8 +399,6 @@
 {
     if( state != Restoring )
         return;
-    if( !checkStartupSuspend())
-        return;
     state = FinishingStartup;
 #ifdef KSMSERVER_STARTUP_DEBUG1
     qCDebug(KSMSERVER)<< t.elapsed();
@@ -574,67 +565,6 @@
     setupXIOErrorHandler(); // From now on handle X errors as normal shutdown.
 }
 
-bool KSMServer::checkStartupSuspend()
-{
-    if( startupSuspendCount.isEmpty())
-        return true;
-    // wait for the phase to finish
-    if( !startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.isActive())
-    {
-        startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.setSingleShot( true );
-        startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.start( 10000 );
-    }
-    return false;
-}
-
-void KSMServer::suspendStartup( const QString &app )
-{
-    if( !startupSuspendCount.contains( app ))
-        startupSuspendCount[ app ] = 0;
-    ++startupSuspendCount[ app ];
-}
-
-void KSMServer::resumeStartup( const QString &app )
-{
-    if( !startupSuspendCount.contains( app ))
-        return;
-    if( --startupSuspendCount[ app ] == 0 ) {
-        startupSuspendCount.remove( app );
-        if( startupSuspendCount.isEmpty() && startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.isActive()) {
-            startupSuspendTimeoutTimer.stop();
-            resumeStartupInternal();
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-void KSMServer::startupSuspendTimeout()
-{
-    qCDebug(KSMSERVER) << "Startup suspend timeout:" << state;
-    resumeStartupInternal();
-}
-
-void KSMServer::resumeStartupInternal()
-{
-    startupSuspendCount.clear();
-    switch( state ) {
-        case LaunchingWM:
-            autoStart0();
-          break;
-        case AutoStart0:
-            autoStart0Done();
-          break;
-        case AutoStart1:
-            autoStart1Done();
-          break;
-        case Restoring:
-            autoStart2();
-          break;
-        default:
-            qCWarning(KSMSERVER) << "Unknown resume startup state" ;
-          break;
-    }
-}
-
 void KSMServer::upAndRunning( const QString& msg )
 {
     QDBusMessage ksplashProgressMessage = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KSplash"),