diff --git a/kio/CMakeLists.txt b/kio/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kio/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kio/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,5 +17,6 @@
 )
 
 ########### install files ###############
-install(TARGETS kio_kdeconnect DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR})
-install(FILES kdeconnect.protocol DESTINATION ${SERVICES_INSTALL_DIR})
+set_target_properties(kio_kdeconnect PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME "kdeconnect")
+set_target_properties(kio_kdeconnect PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin/kf5/kio")
+install(TARGETS kio_kdeconnect DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_PLUGINDIR}/kf5/kio)
diff --git a/kio/kdeconnect.json b/kio/kdeconnect.json
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kio/kdeconnect.json
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+    "KDE-KIO-Protocols": {
+        "kdeconnect": {
+            "Class": ":internet", 
+            "Icon": "kdeconnect", 
+            "copyFromFile": false, 
+            "copyToFile": false, 
+            "deleting": false, 
+            "exec": "kdeconnect", 
+            "input": "none", 
+            "listing": [
+                "Name", 
+                "Type", 
+                "Access", 
+                ""
+            ], 
+            "makedir": false, 
+            "maxInstances": 2, 
+            "moving": false, 
+            "output": "filesystem", 
+            "protocol": "kdeconnect", 
+            "reading": true, 
+            "writing": false
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/kio/kdeconnect.protocol b/kio/kdeconnect.protocol
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/kio/kdeconnect.protocol
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-[Protocol]
-exec=kio_kdeconnect
-protocol=kdeconnect
-input=none
-output=filesystem
-copyToFile=false
-copyFromFile=false
-listing=Name,Type,Access
-reading=true
-writing=false
-makedir=false
-deleting=false
-moving=false
-Icon=kdeconnect
-maxInstances=2
-
diff --git a/kio/kiokdeconnect.cpp b/kio/kiokdeconnect.cpp
--- a/kio/kiokdeconnect.cpp
+++ b/kio/kiokdeconnect.cpp
@@ -27,11 +27,21 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <QtPlugin>
 
 Q_LOGGING_CATEGORY(KDECONNECT_KIO, "kdeconnect.kio")
 
+class KIOPluginForMetaData : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+    Q_PLUGIN_METADATA(IID "org.kde.kio.slave.kdeconnect" FILE "kdeconnect.json")
+};
+
 extern "C" int Q_DECL_EXPORT kdemain(int argc, char** argv)
 {
+    QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
+    app.setApplicationName(QStringLiteral("kio_kdeconnect"));
+    
     if (argc != 4) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Usage: kio_kdeconnect protocol pool app\n");
         exit(-1);
@@ -232,3 +242,5 @@
 
 }
 
+//needed for JSON file embedding
+#include "kiokdeconnect.moc"