diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/kcm.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/kcm.cpp
--- a/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/kcm.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/kcm.cpp
@@ -106,14 +106,15 @@
     m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("leftButtons", m_leftButtons);
     m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("rightButtons", m_rightButtons);
     m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("availableButtons", m_availableButtons);
+    m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("initialThemeIndex", -1);
 
     m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("titleFont", QFontDatabase::systemFont(QFontDatabase::TitleFont));
     m_quickView->setResizeMode(QQuickView::SizeRootObjectToView);
     m_quickView->setSource(QUrl::fromLocalFile(QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral("kwin/kcm_kwindecoration/main.qml"))));
     if (m_quickView->status() == QQuickView::Ready) {
         auto listView = m_quickView->rootObject()->findChild<QQuickItem*>("listView");
         if (listView) {
-            connect(listView, SIGNAL(currentIndexChanged()), this, SLOT(changed()));
+            connect(listView, SIGNAL(userChangedSelection()), this, SLOT(changed()));
         }
     }
 
@@ -313,7 +314,7 @@
     m_ui->borderSizesCombo->setCurrentIndex(m_ui->borderSizesCombo->findData(border));
 
     int themeIndex = m_proxyModel->mapFromSource(m_model->findDecoration(plugin, theme)).row();
-    m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("savedIndex", themeIndex);
+    m_quickView->rootContext()->setContextProperty("initialThemeIndex", themeIndex);
 
     // buttons
     const auto &left = readDecorationButtons(config, "ButtonsOnLeft", QVector<KDecoration2::DecorationButtonType >{
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/qml/Previews.qml b/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/qml/Previews.qml
--- a/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/qml/Previews.qml
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwindecoration/qml/Previews.qml
@@ -28,16 +28,17 @@
     GridView {
         id: gridView
         objectName: "listView"
+        signal userChangedSelection()
         model: decorationsModel
         cellWidth: 20 * units.gridUnit
         cellHeight: cellWidth / 1.6
+        highlightFollowsCurrentItem: true
         onContentHeightChanged: {
-            if (gridView.currentIndex == -1) {
-                gridView.currentIndex = savedIndex;
+            if (gridView.currentIndex == -1 && initialThemeIndex != -1) {
+                gridView.currentIndex = initialThemeIndex
             }
-            gridView.positionViewAtIndex(gridView.currentIndex, GridView.Visible);
+            gridView.positionViewAtIndex(gridView.currentIndex, GridView.Visible)
         }
-
         Rectangle {
             z: -1
             anchors.fill: parent
@@ -63,11 +64,17 @@
                 bridge: bridgeItem.bridge
                 borderSizesIndex: gridView.borderSizesIndex
             }
+            Component.onCompleted: {
+                if (gridView.currentIndex == -1 && initialThemeIndex != -1) {
+                    gridView.currentIndex = initialThemeIndex
+                }
+            }
             MouseArea {
                 hoverEnabled: false
                 anchors.fill: parent
                 onClicked: {
-                    gridView.currentIndex = index;
+                    gridView.currentIndex = index
+                    gridView.userChangedSelection()
                 }
             }
             ColumnLayout {
@@ -107,7 +114,8 @@
                         hoverEnabled: false
                         anchors.fill: parent
                         onClicked: {
-                            gridView.currentIndex = index;
+                            gridView.currentIndex = index
+                            gridView.userChangedSelection()
                         }
                     }
                     Layout.fillWidth: true
@@ -138,6 +146,7 @@
                             text: i18n("Configure %1...", decorationPreviews.themeName)
                             onClicked: {
                                 gridView.currentIndex = index
+                                gridView.userChangedSelection()
                                 bridgeItem.bridge.configure()
                             }
                         }