diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp b/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
--- a/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@
     parser.addOption(QCommandLineOption(QStringList() << QStringLiteral("t") << QStringLiteral("theme"),
                 i18n("The name of the theme which the shell will use"),
                 QStringLiteral("themeName")));
+    parser.addOption(QCommandLineOption(QStringList() << QStringLiteral("b") << QStringLiteral("nobuttons"),
+                i18n("Show the button bar")));
 
     parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("externalData"), i18n("Data that should be passed to the applet as 'externalData' event"));
 
@@ -143,6 +145,10 @@
         QPixmapCache::setCacheLimit(parser.value("pixmapcache").toInt());
     }
 
+    if (parser.isSet("nobuttons")) {
+        v->setButtonsVisible(false);
+    }
+
     // emit externalData event so we you can launch e.g. an icon applet already with a proper URL
     if (parser.positionalArguments().count() == 1) {
         v->emitExternalData(parser.positionalArguments().constFirst());
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/Desktop.qml b/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/Desktop.qml
--- a/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/Desktop.qml
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/Desktop.qml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
     SdkButtons {
         id: buttons
+        visible: desktop.buttonsVisible
         z: +1
         anchors {
             fill: backgroundButtons
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
 
     Background {
         id: backgroundButtons
+        visible: buttons.visible
         width: buttons.backgroundWidth
         height: buttons.backgroundHeight
         anchors {
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/SdkButtons.qml b/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/SdkButtons.qml
--- a/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/SdkButtons.qml
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/qmlpackages/shell/contents/views/SdkButtons.qml
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
         PlasmaComponents.Button {
             iconSource: "hide_table_row"
             onClicked: {
-                root.visible = false;
+                desktop.buttonsVisible = false;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/view.h b/plasmoidviewer/view.h
--- a/plasmoidviewer/view.h
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/view.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 {
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY(bool konsoleVisible READ konsoleVisible CONSTANT);
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool buttonsVisible READ buttonsVisible WRITE setButtonsVisible NOTIFY buttonsVisibleChanged);
 
 public:
     View(ViewerCorona *corona, bool konsoleVisible, QWindow *parent = nullptr);
@@ -39,18 +40,25 @@
     void emitExternalData(const QString &data);
     bool konsoleVisible();
 
+    bool buttonsVisible();
+    void setButtonsVisible(bool buttonsVisible);
+
     Q_INVOKABLE void changeFormFactor(int formFactor);
     Q_INVOKABLE void changeLocation(int location);
     Q_INVOKABLE void takeScreenShot();
 
     static ViewerCorona *createCorona();
 
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void buttonsVisibleChanged();
+
 protected:
     QString pluginFromPath(const QString &path) const;
 
 private:
     QString m_lastAppletName;
     bool m_konsoleVisible;
+    bool m_buttonsVisible = true;
 };
 
 #endif // VIEW_H
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp b/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
--- a/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,19 @@
     return m_konsoleVisible;
 }
 
+bool View::buttonsVisible()
+{
+    return m_buttonsVisible;
+}
+
+void View::setButtonsVisible(bool buttonsVisible)
+{
+    if (m_buttonsVisible != buttonsVisible) {
+        m_buttonsVisible = buttonsVisible;
+        emit buttonsVisibleChanged();
+    }
+}
+
 void View::changeLocation(int location)
 {
     QString locationType = "floating";