diff --git a/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp b/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
--- a/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
+++ b/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@
         if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XLibinput) {
             m_plugin = new TouchpadConfigLibinput(this, backend);
         }
-        else if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XSynaptics) {
+        // For now, if no touchpad is found, always fall back to synaptics frontend,
+        // which has a "no touchpad found" message.
+        // TODO: show a disabled version of the Libinput frontend as appropriate
+        else {
             m_plugin = new TouchpadConfigXlib(this, backend);
         }
     } else if (KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
diff --git a/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h b/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
--- a/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
+++ b/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
@@ -25,17 +25,18 @@
 #include <QVariantHash>
 
 enum class TouchpadInputBackendMode {
-    WaylandLibinput = 0,
-    XLibinput = 1,
-    XSynaptics = 2
+    Unset = 0,
+    WaylandLibinput = 1,
+    XLibinput = 2,
+    XSynaptics = 3
 };
 
 class Q_DECL_EXPORT TouchpadBackend : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
 protected:
-    explicit TouchpadBackend(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent) {}
+    explicit TouchpadBackend(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent), m_mode(TouchpadInputBackendMode::Unset) {}
     void setMode(TouchpadInputBackendMode mode);
 
 public: