diff --git a/lookandfeel/contents/components/ActionButton.qml b/lookandfeel/contents/components/ActionButton.qml
--- a/lookandfeel/contents/components/ActionButton.qml
+++ b/lookandfeel/contents/components/ActionButton.qml
@@ -18,11 +18,17 @@
  */
 
 import QtQuick 2.2
+import QtGraphicalEffects 1.0
 import org.kde.plasma.core 2.0 as PlasmaCore
 import org.kde.plasma.components 2.0 as PlasmaComponents
 
 Item {
     id: root
+    
+    // If we're using software rendering, draw outlines instead of shadows
+    // See https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=398317
+    readonly property bool softwareRendering: GraphicsInfo.api === GraphicsInfo.Software
+    
     property alias text: label.text
     property alias iconSource: icon.source
     property alias containsMouse: mouseArea.containsMouse
@@ -48,6 +54,20 @@
         colorGroup: PlasmaCore.ColorScope.colorGroup
         active: mouseArea.containsMouse || root.activeFocus
     }
+        
+    DropShadow {
+            id: labelShadow
+            visible: !softwareRendering
+            anchors.fill: label
+            source: label
+            horizontalOffset: 1
+            verticalOffset: 1
+            radius: 4
+            samples: 9
+            spread: 0.35
+            color: "black" // the same settings as desktop containment
+    } // shadow must be rendered before Label, otherwise it ends up on top
+    
     PlasmaComponents.Label {
         id: label
         anchors {
diff --git a/lookandfeel/contents/components/UserDelegate.qml b/lookandfeel/contents/components/UserDelegate.qml
--- a/lookandfeel/contents/components/UserDelegate.qml
+++ b/lookandfeel/contents/components/UserDelegate.qml
@@ -147,6 +147,19 @@
         "
     }
 
+    DropShadow {
+            id: usernameShadow
+            visible: !softwareRendering
+            anchors.fill: usernameDelegate
+            source: usernameDelegate
+            horizontalOffset: 1
+            verticalOffset: 1
+            radius: 4
+            samples: 9
+            spread: 0.35
+            color: "black" // the same settings as desktop containment
+    } // shadow must be rendered before Label, otherwise it ends up on top
+    
     PlasmaComponents.Label {
         id: usernameDelegate
         anchors {
@@ -162,16 +175,6 @@
         horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignHCenter
         //make an indication that this has active focus, this only happens when reached with keyboard navigation
         font.underline: wrapper.activeFocus
-
-        layer.enabled: !softwareRendering
-        layer.effect: DropShadow {
-            horizontalOffset: 0
-            verticalOffset: 1
-            radius: 12
-            samples: 32
-            spread: 0.35
-            color: ColorScope.backgroundColor
-        }
     }
 
     MouseArea {