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
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
     property alias iconSource: icon.source
     property alias containsMouse: mouseArea.containsMouse
     property alias font: label.font
+    property alias circleOpacity: iconCircle.opacity
+    property alias labelAnchors: label.anchors
     signal clicked
 
     activeFocusOnTab: true
@@ -36,6 +38,30 @@
     implicitWidth: Math.max(iconSize + units.largeSpacing * 2, label.contentWidth)
     implicitHeight: iconSize + units.smallSpacing + label.implicitHeight
 
+    opacity: activeFocus || containsMouse ? 1 : 0.85
+    Behavior on opacity {
+        OpacityAnimator {
+            duration: units.longDuration * 2
+            easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad
+        }
+    }
+
+    Rectangle {
+        id: iconCircle
+        anchors.centerIn: icon
+        width: iconSize + units.smallSpacing
+        height: width
+        radius: width
+        color: PlasmaCore.ColorScope.textColor
+        opacity: activeFocus || containsMouse ? 0.15 : 0
+        Behavior on opacity {
+                OpacityAnimator {
+                    duration: units.longDuration * 3
+                    easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad
+                }
+        }
+    }
+
     PlasmaCore.IconItem {
         id: icon
         anchors {
@@ -48,7 +74,7 @@
         colorGroup: PlasmaCore.ColorScope.colorGroup
         active: mouseArea.containsMouse || root.activeFocus
     }
-    
+
     PlasmaComponents.Label {
         id: label
         font.pointSize: 11
diff --git a/lookandfeel/contents/logout/LogoutButton.qml b/lookandfeel/contents/logout/LogoutButton.qml
--- a/lookandfeel/contents/logout/LogoutButton.qml
+++ b/lookandfeel/contents/logout/LogoutButton.qml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
     onClicked: action()
     Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignTop
     iconSize: units.iconSizes.huge
+    circleOpacity: 0.15 // circles are always visible
+    labelAnchors.topMargin : units.smallSpacing * 1.5 // adjust for circleBackground
     opacity: activeFocus || containsMouse ? 1 : 0.5
     font.underline: false
     Behavior on opacity {