diff --git a/src/plasma/containment.cpp b/src/plasma/containment.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/containment.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/containment.cpp
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@
     ContainmentActions *plugin = nullptr;
 
     plugin = containmentActions().value(trigger);
-    if (plugin && plugin->pluginInfo().pluginName() != pluginName) {
+    if (plugin && plugin->metadata().pluginId() != pluginName) {
         containmentActions().remove(trigger);
         delete plugin;
         plugin = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/plasma/containmentactions.h b/src/plasma/containmentactions.h
--- a/src/plasma/containmentactions.h
+++ b/src/plasma/containmentactions.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <plasma/version.h>
 
 class QAction;
+class KPluginMetaData;
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
@@ -67,8 +68,17 @@
      * @return the plugin info for this ContainmentActions instance,
      *         including name, pluginName and icon
      * @since 5.0
+     *
+     * @deprecated use metadata
+     */
+    PLASMA_DEPRECATED KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+
+    /**
+     * @return metadata for this ContainmentActions instance
+     *         including name, pluginName and icon
+     * @since 5.62
      */
-    KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+    KPluginMetaData metadata() const;
 
     /**
      * This method should be called once the plugin is loaded or settings are changed.
diff --git a/src/plasma/containmentactions.cpp b/src/plasma/containmentactions.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/containmentactions.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/containmentactions.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@
     return KPluginInfo(d->containmentActionsDescription);
 }
 
+KPluginMetaData ContainmentActions::metadata() const
+{
+    return d->containmentActionsDescription;
+}
+
 Containment *ContainmentActions::containment()
 {
     if (d->containment) {
diff --git a/src/plasma/dataengine.h b/src/plasma/dataengine.h
--- a/src/plasma/dataengine.h
+++ b/src/plasma/dataengine.h
@@ -72,8 +72,20 @@
      *
      * @param parent The parent object.
      * @param plugin plugin info that describes the engine
+     *
+     * @deprecated since 5.62
      **/
-    explicit DataEngine(const KPluginInfo &plugin, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    PLASMA_DEPRECATED explicit DataEngine(const KPluginInfo &plugin, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+
+    /**
+     * Constructor.
+     *
+     * @param parent The parent object.
+     * @param plugin metadata that describes the engine
+     *
+     * @since 5.62
+     */
+    explicit DataEngine(const KPluginMetaData &plugin, QObject *parent = nullptr);
 
     explicit DataEngine(QObject *parent = nullptr, const QVariantList &args = QVariantList());
 
@@ -97,8 +109,17 @@
 
     /**
      * @return description of the plugin that implements this DataEngine
+     *
+     * @deprecated since 5.62, use metadata
+     */
+    PLASMA_DEPRECATED KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+
+    /**
+     * @return description of the plugin that implements this DataEngine
+     *
+     * @since 5.62
      */
-    KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+    KPluginMetaData metadata() const;
 
     /**
      * Connects a source to an object for data updates. The object must
diff --git a/src/plasma/dataengine.cpp b/src/plasma/dataengine.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/dataengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/dataengine.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
 {
 
 DataEngine::DataEngine(const KPluginInfo &plugin, QObject *parent)
+    : DataEngine(plugin.toMetaData(), parent)
+{}
+
+DataEngine::DataEngine(const KPluginMetaData &plugin, QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent),
       d(new DataEnginePrivate(this, plugin))
 {
@@ -63,7 +67,7 @@
 
 DataEngine::DataEngine(QObject *parent, const QVariantList &args)
     : QObject(parent),
-      d(new DataEnginePrivate(this, KPluginInfo(args), args))
+      d(new DataEnginePrivate(this, KPluginInfo(args).toMetaData(), args))
 {
     if (d->script) {
         d->setupScriptSupport();
@@ -99,6 +103,11 @@
 }
 
 KPluginInfo DataEngine::pluginInfo() const
+{
+    return KPluginInfo(d->dataEngineDescription);
+}
+
+KPluginMetaData DataEngine::metadata() const
 {
     return d->dataEngineDescription;
 }
@@ -408,9 +417,9 @@
 }
 
 // Private class implementations
-DataEnginePrivate::DataEnginePrivate(DataEngine *e, const KPluginInfo &info, const QVariantList &args)
+DataEnginePrivate::DataEnginePrivate(DataEngine *e, const KPluginMetaData &md, const QVariantList &args)
     : q(e),
-      dataEngineDescription(info),
+      dataEngineDescription(md),
       refCount(-1), // first ref
       checkSourcesTimerId(0),
       updateTimerId(0),
@@ -427,12 +436,12 @@
     }
 
     if (dataEngineDescription.isValid()) {
-        QString api = dataEngineDescription.property(QStringLiteral("X-Plasma-API")).toString();
+        QString api = dataEngineDescription.value(QStringLiteral("X-Plasma-API"));
 
         if (!api.isEmpty()) {
             const QString path =
                 QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation,
-                                       QStringLiteral(PLASMA_RELATIVE_DATA_INSTALL_DIR "/dataengines/") + dataEngineDescription.pluginName(),
+                                       QStringLiteral(PLASMA_RELATIVE_DATA_INSTALL_DIR "/dataengines/") + dataEngineDescription.pluginId(),
                                        QStandardPaths::LocateDirectory);
             package = new Package(PluginLoader::self()->loadPackage(QStringLiteral("Plasma/DataEngine"), api));
             package->setPath(path);
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/dataengine_p.h b/src/plasma/private/dataengine_p.h
--- a/src/plasma/private/dataengine_p.h
+++ b/src/plasma/private/dataengine_p.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <QElapsedTimer>
 
-#include <kplugininfo.h>
+#include <KPluginMetaData>
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 class DataEnginePrivate
 {
 public:
-    DataEnginePrivate(DataEngine *e, const KPluginInfo &info, const QVariantList &args = QVariantList());
+    DataEnginePrivate(DataEngine *e, const KPluginMetaData &info, const QVariantList &args = QVariantList());
     ~DataEnginePrivate();
     DataContainer *source(const QString &sourceName, bool createWhenMissing = true);
     void connectSource(DataContainer *s, QObject *visualization, uint pollingInterval,
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
     void scheduleSourcesUpdated();
 
     DataEngine *q;
-    KPluginInfo dataEngineDescription;
+    KPluginMetaData dataEngineDescription;
     int refCount;
     int checkSourcesTimerId;
     int updateTimerId;
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/storage.cpp b/src/plasma/private/storage.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/private/storage.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/private/storage.cpp
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
 
         Plasma::DataEngine *engine = qobject_cast<Plasma::DataEngine *>(parentObject);
         if (engine) {
-            m_clientName = engine->pluginInfo().pluginName();
+            m_clientName = engine->metadata().pluginId();
             break;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
--- a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
+++ b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <kimagecache.h>
 #include <kshareddatacache.h>
 #include <kwindowsystem.h>
+#include <KPluginMetaData>
 #include <QTimer>
 
 #include <config-plasma.h>
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@
     static QHash<QString, ThemePrivate *> themes;
 
     QString themeName;
-    KPluginInfo pluginInfo;
+    KPluginMetaData pluginMetaData;
     QList<QString> fallbackThemes;
     KSharedConfigPtr colors;
     KColorScheme colorScheme;
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@
     if (realTheme) {
         const QString metadataPath(QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QLatin1String(PLASMA_RELATIVE_DATA_INSTALL_DIR "/desktoptheme/") % theme % QLatin1String("/metadata.desktop")));
         KConfig metadata(metadataPath, KConfig::SimpleConfig);
-        pluginInfo = KPluginInfo(metadataPath);
+        pluginMetaData = KPluginMetaData(metadataPath);
 
         processContrastSettings(&metadata);
         processBlurBehindSettings(&metadata);
diff --git a/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.h b/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.h
--- a/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.h
+++ b/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.h
@@ -111,10 +111,19 @@
     Package package() const override;
 
     /**
-     * @return the KPluginInfo associated with this plasmoid
+     * @return the KPluginInfo associated with this dataengine
+     *
+     * @deprecated use metadata()
      */
     KPluginInfo description() const;
 
+    /**
+     * @return the KPluginMetaData associated with this dataengine
+     *
+     * @since 5.62
+     */
+    KPluginMetaData metadata() const;
+
     void setData(const QString &source, const QString &key,
                  const QVariant &value);
     void setData(const QString &source, const QVariant &value);
diff --git a/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.cpp b/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/scripting/dataenginescript.cpp
@@ -89,9 +89,14 @@
 }
 
 KPluginInfo DataEngineScript::description() const
+{
+    return KPluginInfo(metadata());
+}
+
+KPluginMetaData DataEngineScript::metadata() const
 {
     Q_ASSERT(d->dataEngine);
-    return d->dataEngine->d->dataEngineDescription;
+    return d->dataEngine->metadata();
 }
 
 void DataEngineScript::setData(const QString &source, const QString &key,
diff --git a/src/plasma/theme.h b/src/plasma/theme.h
--- a/src/plasma/theme.h
+++ b/src/plasma/theme.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 #include <plasma/plasma_export.h>
 
+class KPluginMetaData;
+
 namespace Plasma
 {
 
@@ -317,8 +319,17 @@
      * @return plugin info for this theme, with information such as
      * name, description, author, website etc
      * @since 5.0
+     *
+     * @deprecated use KPluginMetaData
+     */
+    PLASMA_DEPRECATED KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+
+    /**
+     * @return metadata for this theme, with information such as
+     * name, description, author, website etc
+     * @since 5.62
      */
-    KPluginInfo pluginInfo() const;
+    KPluginMetaData metadata() const;
 
     /**
      * @return The default application font
diff --git a/src/plasma/theme.cpp b/src/plasma/theme.cpp
--- a/src/plasma/theme.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/theme.cpp
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@
 
 KPluginInfo Theme::pluginInfo() const
 {
-    return d->pluginInfo;
+    return KPluginInfo(d->pluginMetaData);
 }
 
 QFont Theme::defaultFont() const