diff --git a/ui/presentationwidget.h b/ui/presentationwidget.h
--- a/ui/presentationwidget.h
+++ b/ui/presentationwidget.h
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@
         void leaveEvent( QEvent * e ) override;
         bool gestureEvent (QGestureEvent * e );
 
+        // Catch TabletEnterProximity and TabletLeaveProximity events from the QApplication
+        bool eventFilter (QObject * o, QEvent *ev ) override;
+
     private:
         const void * getObjectRect( Okular::ObjectRect::ObjectType type, int x, int y, QRect * geometry = nullptr ) const;
         const Okular::Action * getLink( int x, int y, QRect * geometry = nullptr ) const;
diff --git a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
--- a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
+++ b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
@@ -277,6 +277,9 @@
 
     // setFocus() so KCursor::setAutoHideCursor() goes into effect if it's enabled
     setFocus( Qt::OtherFocusReason );
+
+    // Catch TabletEnterProximity and TabletLeaveProximity events from the QApplication
+    qApp->installEventFilter( this );
 }
 
 PresentationWidget::~PresentationWidget()
@@ -308,6 +311,8 @@
     QVector< PresentationFrame * >::iterator fIt = m_frames.begin(), fEnd = m_frames.end();
     for ( ; fIt != fEnd; ++fIt )
         delete *fIt;
+
+    qApp->removeEventFilter( this );
 }
 
 
@@ -532,6 +537,29 @@
     }
 }
 
+bool PresentationWidget::eventFilter (QObject * o, QEvent *e )
+{
+    if ( o == qApp )
+    {
+        if ( e->type() == QTabletEvent::TabletEnterProximity )
+        {
+            setCursor( QCursor( Qt::CrossCursor ) );
+        }
+        if ( e->type() == QTabletEvent::TabletLeaveProximity )
+        {
+            if ( Okular::Settings::slidesCursor() == Okular::Settings::EnumSlidesCursor::Visible )
+            {
+                setCursor( QCursor( Qt::ArrowCursor ) );
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                setCursor( QCursor( Qt::BlankCursor ) );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 // <widget events>
 bool PresentationWidget::event( QEvent * e )
 {
@@ -748,6 +776,12 @@
     if ( !m_drawingEngine && Okular::Settings::slidesCursor() != Okular::Settings::EnumSlidesCursor::Hidden )
         testCursorOnLink( e->x(), e->y() );
 
+    // Explicitly show the cursor, it may have been hidden by a recent TabletLeaveProximity event
+    if ( e->source() == Qt::MouseEventNotSynthesized && Okular::Settings::slidesCursor() != Okular::Settings::EnumSlidesCursor::Hidden )
+    {
+        setCursor( QCursor( Qt::ArrowCursor ) );
+    }
+
     if ( !m_topBar->isHidden() )
     {
         // hide a shown bar when exiting the area
@@ -1336,8 +1370,9 @@
         // manually disable and re-enable the pencil mode, so we can do
         // cleaning of the actual drawer and create a new one just after
         // that - that gives continuous drawing
-        slotChangeDrawingToolEngine( QDomElement() );
-        slotChangeDrawingToolEngine( m_currentDrawingToolElement );
+        delete m_drawingEngine;
+        m_drawingRect = QRect();
+        m_drawingEngine = new SmoothPathEngine( m_currentDrawingToolElement );
 
         // schedule repaint
         update();