diff --git a/ksmserver/startup.h b/ksmserver/startup.h
--- a/ksmserver/startup.h
+++ b/ksmserver/startup.h
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@
 public:
     KCMInitJob(int phase);
     void start() override;
-public Q_SLOTS:
-    void done();
 private:
     int m_phase;
 };
diff --git a/ksmserver/startup.cpp b/ksmserver/startup.cpp
--- a/ksmserver/startup.cpp
+++ b/ksmserver/startup.cpp
@@ -232,38 +232,20 @@
 }
 
 void KCMInitJob::start() {
-    //FIXME - replace all this with just a DBus call with a timeout and make kcminit delay the reply till it's done
-
-    auto kcminitSignals = new QDBusInterface( QStringLiteral( "org.kde.kcminit"),
-                                         QStringLiteral( "/kcminit" ),
-                                         QStringLiteral( "org.kde.KCMInit" ),
-                                         QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this );
-    if( !kcminitSignals->isValid()) {
-        qCWarning(KSMSERVER) << "kcminit not running? If we are running with mobile profile or in another platform other than X11 this is normal.";
-        QTimer::singleShot(0, this, &KCMInitJob::done);
-        return;
-    }
-    if (m_phase == 1) {
-        connect( kcminitSignals, SIGNAL(phase1Done()), this, SLOT(done()));
-    } else {
-        connect( kcminitSignals, SIGNAL(phase2Done()), this, SLOT(done()));
-    }
-    QTimer::singleShot( 10000, this, &KCMInitJob::done); // protection
-
     org::kde::KCMInit kcminit(QStringLiteral("org.kde.kcminit"),
                               QStringLiteral("/kcminit"),
                               QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
+    kcminit.setTimeout(10 * 1000);
 
+    QDBusPendingReply<void> pending;
     if (m_phase == 1) {
-        kcminit.runPhase1();
+        pending = kcminit.runPhase1();
     } else {
-        kcminit.runPhase2();
+        pending = kcminit.runPhase2();
     }
-}
-
-void KCMInitJob::done()
-{
-    emitResult();
+    QDBusPendingCallWatcher *watcher = new QDBusPendingCallWatcher(pending, this);
+    connect(watcher, &QDBusPendingCallWatcher::finished, this, [this]() {emitResult();});
+    connect(watcher, &QDBusPendingCallWatcher::finished, watcher, &QObject::deleteLater);
 }
 
 KDEDInitJob::KDEDInitJob()
diff --git a/startkde/kcminit/main.h b/startkde/kcminit/main.h
--- a/startkde/kcminit/main.h
+++ b/startkde/kcminit/main.h
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@
 	public Q_SLOTS: //dbus
         Q_SCRIPTABLE void runPhase1();
         Q_SCRIPTABLE void runPhase2();
-    Q_SIGNALS: //dbus signal
-	Q_SCRIPTABLE void phase1Done();
-	Q_SCRIPTABLE void phase2Done();
     public:
         explicit KCMInit( const QCommandLineParser& args );
         ~KCMInit() override;
diff --git a/startkde/kcminit/main.cpp b/startkde/kcminit/main.cpp
--- a/startkde/kcminit/main.cpp
+++ b/startkde/kcminit/main.cpp
@@ -197,13 +197,11 @@
 void KCMInit::runPhase1()
 {
   runModules( 1 );
-  emit phase1Done();
 }
 
 void KCMInit::runPhase2()
 {
   runModules( 2 );
-  emit phase2Done();
   qApp->exit( 0 );
 }