diff --git a/kwin.kcfg b/kwin.kcfg
--- a/kwin.kcfg
+++ b/kwin.kcfg
@@ -304,4 +304,9 @@
             <default>thumbnails</default>
         </entry>
     </group>
+    <group name="TabletMode">
+        <entry name="TabletModeOnTouchPadRemoval" type="Bool">
+            <default>false</default>
+        </entry>
+    </group>
 </kcfg>
diff --git a/libinput/connection.h b/libinput/connection.h
--- a/libinput/connection.h
+++ b/libinput/connection.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 class Device;
 class Context;
 
-class Connection : public QObject
+class KWIN_EXPORT Connection : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
diff --git a/libinput/device.h b/libinput/device.h
--- a/libinput/device.h
+++ b/libinput/device.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <QMatrix4x4>
 #include <QSizeF>
 #include <QVector>
+#include "kwin_export.h"
 
 struct libinput_device;
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
 {
 enum class ConfigKey;
 
-class Device : public QObject
+class KWIN_EXPORT Device : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_CLASSINFO("D-Bus Interface", "org.kde.KWin.InputDevice")
diff --git a/settings.kcfgc b/settings.kcfgc
--- a/settings.kcfgc
+++ b/settings.kcfgc
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 # placement.h is needed for Placement::Policy
 IncludeFiles=\"options.h\", \"placement.h\"
 UseEnumTypes=true
+Visibility=Q_DECL_EXPORT
diff --git a/tabletmodemanager.h b/tabletmodemanager.h
--- a/tabletmodemanager.h
+++ b/tabletmodemanager.h
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@
 
 namespace KWin {
 
-class TabletModeInputEventSpy;
-
 class TabletModeManager : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@
 private:
     bool m_tabletModeAvailable = false;
     bool m_isTabletMode = false;
-    TabletModeInputEventSpy *m_spy;
+    bool m_detecting = false;
     KWIN_SINGLETON_VARIABLE(TabletModeManager, s_manager)
 };
 }
diff --git a/tabletmodemanager.cpp b/tabletmodemanager.cpp
--- a/tabletmodemanager.cpp
+++ b/tabletmodemanager.cpp
@@ -23,55 +23,99 @@
 #include "input.h"
 #include "input_event.h"
 #include "input_event_spy.h"
+#include "settings.h"
 
 #include "libinput/device.h"
+#include "libinput/connection.h"
 
+#include <QTimer>
 #include <QDBusConnection>
 
 using namespace KWin;
 
 KWIN_SINGLETON_FACTORY_VARIABLE(TabletModeManager, s_manager)
 
-class KWin::TabletModeInputEventSpy : public InputEventSpy
+class TabletModeSwitchEventSpy : public QObject, public InputEventSpy
 {
 public:
-    explicit TabletModeInputEventSpy(TabletModeManager *parent);
+    explicit TabletModeSwitchEventSpy(TabletModeManager *parent)
+        : QObject(parent)
+        , m_parent(parent)
+    {
+    }
+
+    void switchEvent(SwitchEvent *event) override
+    {
+        if (!event->device()->isTabletModeSwitch()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        switch (event->state()) {
+        case SwitchEvent::State::Off:
+            m_parent->setIsTablet(false);
+            break;
+        case SwitchEvent::State::On:
+            m_parent->setIsTablet(true);
+            break;
+        default:
+            Q_UNREACHABLE();
+        }
+    }
 
-    void switchEvent(SwitchEvent *event) override;
 private:
-    TabletModeManager *m_parent;
+    TabletModeManager * const m_parent;
 };
 
-TabletModeInputEventSpy::TabletModeInputEventSpy(TabletModeManager *parent)
-    : m_parent(parent)
-{
-}
 
-void TabletModeInputEventSpy::switchEvent(SwitchEvent *event)
+class TabletModeTouchpadRemovedSpy : public QObject
 {
-    if (!event->device()->isTabletModeSwitch()) {
-        return;
+public:
+    explicit TabletModeTouchpadRemovedSpy(TabletModeManager *parent)
+        : QObject(parent)
+        , m_parent(parent)
+    {
+        auto c = LibInput::Connection::self();
+        connect(c, &LibInput::Connection::deviceAdded, this, &TabletModeTouchpadRemovedSpy::refresh);
+        connect(c, &LibInput::Connection::deviceRemoved, this, &TabletModeTouchpadRemovedSpy::refresh);
+
+        check();
     }
 
-    switch (event->state()) {
-    case SwitchEvent::State::Off:
-        m_parent->setIsTablet(false);
-        break;
-    case SwitchEvent::State::On:
-        m_parent->setIsTablet(true);
-        break;
-    default:
-        Q_UNREACHABLE();
+    void refresh(LibInput::Device* d) {
+        if (!d->isTouch() && !d->isPointer())
+            return;
+        check();
     }
-}
 
+    void check() {
+        if (!LibInput::Connection::self()) {
+            qDebug() << "no libinput :(";
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const auto devices = LibInput::Connection::self()->devices();
+        const bool hasPointer = std::any_of(devices.constBegin(), devices.constEnd(), [](LibInput::Device* device){ return device->isPointer(); });
+        const bool hasTouch = std::any_of(devices.constBegin(), devices.constEnd(), [](LibInput::Device* device){ return device->isTouch(); });
+        m_parent->setIsTablet(hasTouch && !hasPointer);
+    }
 
+private:
+    TabletModeManager * const m_parent;
+};
 
 TabletModeManager::TabletModeManager(QObject *parent)
-    : QObject(parent),
-      m_spy(new TabletModeInputEventSpy(this))
+    : QObject(parent)
 {
-    input()->installInputEventSpy(m_spy);
+    if (input()->hasTabletModeSwitch()) {
+        input()->installInputEventSpy(new TabletModeSwitchEventSpy(this));
+    } else {
+        // to enable: kwriteconfig5 --file kwin.cfg --group TabletMode --key TabletModeOnTouchPadRemoval true
+        Settings settings(kwinApp()->config());
+        if (settings.tabletModeOnTouchPadRemoval()) {
+            m_detecting = true;
+            QTimer::singleShot(2000, this, [this] {new TabletModeTouchpadRemovedSpy(this);});
+        }
+    }
 
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject(QStringLiteral("/org/kde/KWin"),
                                                  QStringLiteral("org.kde.KWin.TabletModeManager"),
@@ -84,7 +128,7 @@
 
 bool TabletModeManager::isTabletModeAvailable() const
 {
-    return input()->hasTabletModeSwitch();
+    return input()->hasTabletModeSwitch() || m_detecting;
 }
 
 bool TabletModeManager::isTablet() const