diff --git a/sddmauthhelper.cpp b/sddmauthhelper.cpp
--- a/sddmauthhelper.cpp
+++ b/sddmauthhelper.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
 ActionReply SddmAuthHelper::save(const QVariantMap &args)
 {
     ActionReply reply = ActionReply::HelperErrorReply();
-    QSharedPointer<KConfig> sddmConfig = openConfig(args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf")].toString());
+    QSharedPointer<KConfig> sddmConfig = openConfig(args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf")].toString());
+    QSharedPointer<KConfig> sddmOldConfig = openConfig(args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf")].toString());
     QSharedPointer<KConfig> themeConfig;
     QString themeConfigFile = args[QStringLiteral("theme.conf.user")].toString();
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@
     QMap<QString, QVariant>::const_iterator iterator;
 
     for (iterator = args.constBegin() ; iterator != args.constEnd() ; ++iterator) {
-        if (iterator.key() == QLatin1String("sddm.conf") || iterator.key() == QLatin1String("theme.conf.user"))
+        if (iterator.key() == QLatin1String("kde_settings.conf") || iterator.key() == QLatin1String("theme.conf.user"))
             continue;
 
         QStringList configFields = iterator.key().split(QLatin1Char('/'));
@@ -73,8 +74,12 @@
         QString groupName = configFields[1];
         QString keyName = configFields[2];
 
-        if (fileName == QLatin1String("sddm.conf")) {
+        // if there is an identical keyName in "sddm.conf" we want to delete it so SDDM doesn't read from the old file
+        // hierarchically SDDM prefers "etc/sddm.conf" to "/etc/sddm.conf.d/some_file.conf"
+        
+        if (fileName == QLatin1String("kde_settings.conf")) {
             sddmConfig->group(groupName).writeEntry(keyName, iterator.value());
+            sddmOldConfig->group(groupName).deleteEntry(keyName);
         } else if (fileName == QLatin1String("theme.conf.user") && !themeConfig.isNull()) {
             QFileInfo themeConfigFileInfo(themeConfigFile);
             QDir configRootDirectory = themeConfigFileInfo.absoluteDir();
@@ -109,6 +114,7 @@
         }
     }
 
+    sddmOldConfig->sync();
     sddmConfig->sync();
 
     if (!themeConfig.isNull())
diff --git a/src/advanceconfig.cpp b/src/advanceconfig.cpp
--- a/src/advanceconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/advanceconfig.cpp
@@ -120,24 +120,24 @@
     if (cursorIndex.isValid()) {
         const CursorTheme *cursorTheme = proxyCursorModel->theme(cursorIndex);
         if (cursorTheme)
-            args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Theme/CursorTheme")] = cursorTheme->name();
+            args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Theme/CursorTheme")] = cursorTheme->name();
     }
 
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Autologin/User")] = ( configUi->autoLogin->isChecked() ) ? configUi->userList->currentText() : QString();
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Autologin/Session")] = ( configUi->autoLogin->isChecked() ) ? configUi->sessionList->currentData() : QString();
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Autologin/User")] = ( configUi->autoLogin->isChecked() ) ? configUi->userList->currentText() : QString();
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Autologin/Session")] = ( configUi->autoLogin->isChecked() ) ? configUi->sessionList->currentData() : QString();
 
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Autologin/Relogin")] = configUi->reloginAfterQuit->isChecked();
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Autologin/Relogin")] = configUi->reloginAfterQuit->isChecked();
     //TODO session
 
     int minUid = configUi->minimumUid->text().toInt();
     int maxUid = configUi->maximumUid->text().toInt();
     if (isUidRangeValid(minUid, maxUid)) {
-        args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Users/MinimumUid")] = configUi->minimumUid->text();
-        args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Users/MaximumUid")] = configUi->maximumUid->text();
+        args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Users/MinimumUid")] = configUi->minimumUid->text();
+        args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Users/MaximumUid")] = configUi->maximumUid->text();
     }
 
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/General/HaltCommand")] = configUi->haltCommand->url().toLocalFile();
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/General/RebootCommand")] = configUi->rebootCommand->url().toLocalFile();
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/General/HaltCommand")] = configUi->haltCommand->url().toLocalFile();
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/General/RebootCommand")] = configUi->rebootCommand->url().toLocalFile();
 
     return args;
 }
diff --git a/src/sddmkcm.h b/src/sddmkcm.h
--- a/src/sddmkcm.h
+++ b/src/sddmkcm.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 private:
     KSharedConfigPtr mSddmConfig;
+    KSharedConfigPtr mSddmOldConfig;
     ThemeConfig *mThemeConfig;
     AdvanceConfig *mAdvanceConfig;
 };
diff --git a/src/sddmkcm.cpp b/src/sddmkcm.cpp
--- a/src/sddmkcm.cpp
+++ b/src/sddmkcm.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
 
     mSddmConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral(SDDM_CONFIG_FILE), KConfig::CascadeConfig);
 
+    mSddmOldConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("sddm.conf"), KConfig::CascadeConfig);
+
     // This does not listen for new config files in the directory.
     QStringList configFiles = QDir(QLatin1String(SDDM_CONFIG_DIR)).entryList(QDir::Files | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot, QDir::LocaleAware),
                 systemConfigFiles = QDir(QLatin1String(SDDM_SYSTEM_CONFIG_DIR)).entryList(QDir::Files | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot, QDir::LocaleAware);
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@
                     [](const QString &filename) -> QString { return QStringLiteral(SDDM_CONFIG_DIR "/") + filename; });
 
     mSddmConfig->addConfigSources(systemConfigFiles + configFiles);
+    mSddmOldConfig->addConfigSources(systemConfigFiles + configFiles);
 
     prepareUi();
 }
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@
 {
     QVariantMap args;
 
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf")] = QString {QLatin1String(SDDM_CONFIG_DIR "/") + QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf")};
     args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf")] = QLatin1String(SDDM_CONFIG_FILE);
 
     if (!mThemeConfig->themeConfigPath().isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/themeconfig.cpp b/src/themeconfig.cpp
--- a/src/themeconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/themeconfig.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
     QVariantMap args;
 
-    args[QStringLiteral("sddm.conf/Theme/Current")] = index.data(ThemesModel::IdRole);
+    args[QStringLiteral("kde_settings.conf/Theme/Current")] = index.data(ThemesModel::IdRole);
 
     if (!mThemeConfigPath.isEmpty()) {
         if (!mBackgroundPath.isEmpty()) {