diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
    ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
    )
 
+add_definitions(-DQT_NO_URL_CAST_FROM_STRING)
 add_definitions (-DTRANSLATION_DOMAIN=\"kactivities5\")
 if (IS_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/po")
     ki18n_install (po)
diff --git a/src/service/plugins/sqlite/ResourceLinking.cpp b/src/service/plugins/sqlite/ResourceLinking.cpp
--- a/src/service/plugins/sqlite/ResourceLinking.cpp
+++ b/src/service/plugins/sqlite/ResourceLinking.cpp
@@ -104,13 +104,13 @@
 
     if (!usedActivity.isEmpty()) {
         // qDebug() << "Sending link event added: activities:/" << usedActivity;
-        org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(QStringLiteral("activities:/")
-                                             + usedActivity);
+        org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/")
+                                             + usedActivity));
 
         if (usedActivity == StatsPlugin::self()->currentActivity()) {
             // qDebug() << "Sending link event added: activities:/current";
             org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(
-                QStringLiteral("activities:/current"));
+                QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/current")));
         }
     }
 
@@ -164,12 +164,12 @@
 
         // qDebug() << "Sending link event removed: activities:/" << usedActivity << '/' << mangled;
         org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesRemoved(
-            { QStringLiteral("activities:/") + usedActivity + '/' + mangled });
+            { QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/") + usedActivity + '/' + mangled) });
 
         if (usedActivity == StatsPlugin::self()->currentActivity()) {
             // qDebug() << "Sending link event removed: activities:/current/" << mangled;
             org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesRemoved({
-                QStringLiteral("activities:/current/") + mangled});
+                QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/current/") + mangled) });
         }
     }
 
@@ -265,15 +265,15 @@
 
     // Notify KIO
     // qDebug() << "Added: activities:/  (" << activity << ")";
-    org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(QStringLiteral("activities:/"));
+    org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/")));
 }
 
 void ResourceLinking::onActivityRemoved(const QString &activity)
 {
     // Notify KIO
     // qDebug() << "Removed: activities:/" << activity;
     org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesRemoved(
-        { QStringLiteral("activities:/") + activity });
+        { QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/") + activity) });
 
     // Remove statistics for the activity
 }
@@ -285,5 +285,5 @@
     // Notify KIO
     // qDebug() << "Changed: activities:/current -> " << activity;
     org::kde::KDirNotify::emitFilesAdded(
-        { QStringLiteral("activities:/current") });
+        { QUrl(QStringLiteral("activities:/current")) });
 }
diff --git a/src/service/plugins/sqlite/StatsPlugin.cpp b/src/service/plugins/sqlite/StatsPlugin.cpp
--- a/src/service/plugins/sqlite/StatsPlugin.cpp
+++ b/src/service/plugins/sqlite/StatsPlugin.cpp
@@ -215,19 +215,15 @@
 
 void StatsPlugin::detectResourceInfo(const QString &_uri)
 {
-    QString file = _uri;
+    const QUrl uri = QUrl::fromUserInput(_uri);
 
-    if (!file.startsWith('/')) {
-        QUrl uri(_uri);
+    if (!uri.isLocalFile()) return;
 
-        if (!uri.isLocalFile()) return;
+    const QString file = uri.toLocalFile();
 
-        file = uri.toLocalFile();
+    if (!QFile::exists(file)) return;
 
-        if (!QFile::exists(file)) return;
-    }
-
-    KFileItem item(file);
+    KFileItem item(uri);
 
     if (insertResourceInfo(file)) {
         saveResourceMimetype(file, item.mimetype(), true);