diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include <QAbstractItemModel>
 #include <QObject>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
 
 class OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface;
 
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@
     Q_INVOKABLE bool OpenGLIsUnsafe() const;
     Q_INVOKABLE bool OpenGLIsBroken();
     Q_INVOKABLE void reenableOpenGLDetection();
-    int animationSpeed() const;
+    qreal animationSpeed() const;
     int windowThumbnail() const;
     int glScaleFilter() const;
     bool xrScaleFilter() const;
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@
 
     OpenGLPlatformInterfaceModel *openGLPlatformInterfaceModel() const;
 
-    void setAnimationSpeed(int speed);
+    void setAnimationSpeed(qreal speed);
     void setWindowThumbnail(int index);
     void setGlScaleFilter(int index);
     void setXrScaleFilter(bool filter);
@@ -78,13 +79,15 @@
 
     void save();
 
+    static bool isRunningPlasma();
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void reset();
     void defaults();
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void changed();
-    void animationSpeedChanged(int);
+    void animationSpeedChanged(qreal);
     void windowThumbnailChanged(int);
     void glScaleFilterChanged(int);
     void xrScaleFilterChanged(int);
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@
     void windowsBlockCompositingChanged(bool);
 
 private:
-    int m_animationSpeed;
+    qreal m_animationSpeed;
     int m_windowThumbnail;
     int m_glScaleFilter;
     bool m_xrScaleFilter;
@@ -108,6 +111,7 @@
     bool m_windowsBlockCompositing;
     bool m_windowsBlockingCompositing;
     OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface *m_compositingInterface;
+    KSharedConfigPtr m_config;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 Compositing::Compositing(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
-    , m_animationSpeed(0)
+    , m_animationSpeed(1.0)
     , m_windowThumbnail(0)
     , m_glScaleFilter(0)
     , m_xrScaleFilter(false)
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
     , m_openGLPlatformInterface(0)
     , m_windowsBlockCompositing(true)
     , m_compositingInterface(new OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KWin"), QStringLiteral("/Compositor"), QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this))
+    , m_config(KSharedConfig::openConfig("kwinrc"))
 {
     reset();
     connect(this, &Compositing::animationSpeedChanged,       this, &Compositing::changed);
@@ -68,8 +69,10 @@
 
 void Compositing::reset()
 {
-    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kwinrc")), QStringLiteral("Compositing"));
-    setAnimationSpeed(kwinConfig.readEntry("AnimationSpeed", 3));
+    KConfigGroup globalConfig(m_config, QStringLiteral("KDE"));
+    setAnimationSpeed(globalConfig.readEntry("AnimationDurationFactor", 1.0));
+
+    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(m_config, QStringLiteral("Compositing"));
     setWindowThumbnail(kwinConfig.readEntry("HiddenPreviews", 5) - 4);
     setGlScaleFilter(kwinConfig.readEntry("GLTextureFilter", 2));
     setXrScaleFilter(kwinConfig.readEntry("XRenderSmoothScale", false));
@@ -119,7 +122,7 @@
 
 void Compositing::defaults()
 {
-    setAnimationSpeed(3);
+    setAnimationSpeed(1.0);
     setWindowThumbnail(1);
     setGlScaleFilter(2);
     setXrScaleFilter(false);
@@ -133,13 +136,13 @@
 
 bool Compositing::OpenGLIsUnsafe() const
 {
-    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig("kwinrc"), "Compositing");
+    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(m_config, "Compositing");
     return kwinConfig.readEntry("OpenGLIsUnsafe", true);
 }
 
 bool Compositing::OpenGLIsBroken()
 {
-    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig("kwinrc"), "Compositing");
+    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(m_config, "Compositing");
 
     QString oldBackend = kwinConfig.readEntry("Backend", "OpenGL");
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("Backend", "OpenGL");
@@ -158,12 +161,12 @@
 
 void Compositing::reenableOpenGLDetection()
 {
-    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig("kwinrc"), "Compositing");
+    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(m_config, "Compositing");
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("OpenGLIsUnsafe", false);
     kwinConfig.sync();
 }
 
-int Compositing::animationSpeed() const
+qreal Compositing::animationSpeed() const
 {
     return m_animationSpeed;
 }
@@ -198,7 +201,7 @@
     return m_compositingEnabled;
 }
 
-void Compositing::setAnimationSpeed(int speed)
+void Compositing::setAnimationSpeed(qreal speed)
 {
     if (speed == m_animationSpeed) {
         return;
@@ -267,8 +270,14 @@
 
 void Compositing::save()
 {
-    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kwinrc")), "Compositing");
-    kwinConfig.writeEntry("AnimationSpeed", animationSpeed());
+    // this writes to the KDE group of the kwinrc, when loading we rely on kconfig cascading to
+    // load a global value, or allow a kwin override
+    KConfigGroup generalConfig(m_config, "KDE");
+    if (!isRunningPlasma()) {
+        generalConfig.writeEntry("AnimationDurationFactor", animationSpeed());
+    }
+    KConfigGroup kwinConfig(m_config, "Compositing");
+
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("HiddenPreviews", windowThumbnail() + 4);
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("GLTextureFilter", glScaleFilter());
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("XRenderSmoothScale", xrScaleFilter());
@@ -365,6 +374,11 @@
     return m_compositingInterface->platformRequiresCompositing();
 }
 
+bool Compositing::isRunningPlasma()
+{
+    return qgetenv("XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP") == "KDE";
+}
+
 CompositingType::CompositingType(QObject *parent)
     : QAbstractItemModel(parent) {
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.ui b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.ui
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.ui
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.ui
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>462</width>
-    <height>349</height>
+    <width>526</width>
+    <height>395</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout">
@@ -78,72 +78,21 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="2" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+   <item row="3" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="animationSpeedLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Animation speed:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="2" column="1">
-    <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_3">
-     <item>
-      <widget class="QSlider" name="animationSpeed">
-       <property name="maximum">
-        <number>6</number>
-       </property>
-       <property name="orientation">
-        <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
-       </property>
-       <property name="tickPosition">
-        <enum>QSlider::TicksBelow</enum>
-       </property>
-       <property name="tickInterval">
-        <number>1</number>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
-     </item>
-     <item>
-      <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
-       <item>
-        <widget class="QLabel" name="label_3">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string>Instant</string>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
-       </item>
-       <item>
-        <spacer name="horizontalSpacer">
-         <property name="orientation">
-          <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
-         </property>
-         <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-          <size>
-           <width>40</width>
-           <height>20</height>
-          </size>
-         </property>
-        </spacer>
-       </item>
-       <item>
-        <widget class="QLabel" name="label_4">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string>Very slow</string>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
-       </item>
-      </layout>
-     </item>
-    </layout>
-   </item>
-   <item row="4" column="0">
+   <item row="5" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="glScaleFilterLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Scale method:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="4" column="1">
+   <item row="5" column="1">
     <widget class="QComboBox" name="glScaleFilter">
      <item>
       <property name="text">
@@ -162,14 +111,14 @@
      </item>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="5" column="0">
+   <item row="6" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="xrScaleFilterLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Scale method:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="5" column="1">
+   <item row="6" column="1">
     <widget class="QComboBox" name="xrScaleFilter">
      <item>
       <property name="text">
@@ -183,38 +132,38 @@
      </item>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="6" column="0" colspan="2">
+   <item row="7" column="0" colspan="2">
     <widget class="Line" name="line">
      <property name="orientation">
       <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="7" column="0">
+   <item row="8" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_2">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Rendering backend:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="7" column="1">
+   <item row="8" column="1">
     <widget class="QComboBox" name="type"/>
    </item>
-   <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2">
+   <item row="9" column="0" colspan="2">
     <widget class="Line" name="line_2">
      <property name="orientation">
       <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="9" column="0">
+   <item row="10" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_5">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Tearing prevention (&quot;vsync&quot;):</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="9" column="1">
+   <item row="10" column="1">
     <widget class="QComboBox" name="tearingPrevention">
      <item>
       <property name="text">
@@ -243,14 +192,14 @@
      </item>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="10" column="0">
+   <item row="11" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_6">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Keep window thumbnails:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="10" column="1">
+   <item row="11" column="1">
     <widget class="QComboBox" name="windowThumbnail">
      <item>
       <property name="text">
@@ -269,7 +218,7 @@
      </item>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="12" column="1">
+   <item row="13" column="1">
     <widget class="QCheckBox" name="windowsBlockCompositing">
      <property name="toolTip">
       <string>Applications can set a hint to block compositing when the window is open.
@@ -281,6 +230,68 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="3" column="1">
+    <widget class="QWidget" name="animationSpeedControls" native="true">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Fixed">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
+     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QSlider" name="animationSpeed">
+        <property name="minimum">
+         <number>0</number>
+        </property>
+        <property name="maximum">
+         <number>0</number>
+        </property>
+        <property name="orientation">
+         <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+        </property>
+        <property name="tickPosition">
+         <enum>QSlider::TicksBelow</enum>
+        </property>
+        <property name="tickInterval">
+         <number>1</number>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+      <item>
+       <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="_3">
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QLabel" name="label_3">
+          <property name="text">
+           <string>Very slow</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <spacer name="horizontalSpacer">
+          <property name="orientation">
+           <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+          </property>
+          <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+           <size>
+            <width>40</width>
+            <height>20</height>
+           </size>
+          </property>
+         </spacer>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+          <property name="text">
+           <string>Instant</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+       </layout>
+      </item>
+     </layout>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #include <kcmodule.h>
 #include <kservice.h>
 
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <functional>
+
 class KWinCompositingSettings : public KCModule
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -46,6 +49,8 @@
     Ui_CompositingForm m_form;
 };
 
+static const QVector<qreal> s_animationMultipliers = {8, 4, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0};
+
 KWinCompositingSettings::KWinCompositingSettings(QWidget *parent, const QVariantList &args)
     : KCModule(parent, args)
     , m_compositing(new KWin::Compositing::Compositing(this))
@@ -79,9 +84,22 @@
     connect(m_form.compositingEnabled, &QCheckBox::toggled, m_compositing, &Compositing::setCompositingEnabled);
 
     // animation speed
-    m_form.animationSpeed->setValue(m_compositing->animationSpeed());
-    connect(m_compositing, &Compositing::animationSpeedChanged, m_form.animationSpeed, &QSlider::setValue);
-    connect(m_form.animationSpeed, &QSlider::valueChanged, m_compositing, &Compositing::setAnimationSpeed);
+    m_form.animationSpeed->setMaximum(s_animationMultipliers.size() - 1);
+    auto setSpeed = [this](const qreal multiplier) {
+        auto const it = std::lower_bound(s_animationMultipliers.begin(), s_animationMultipliers.end(), multiplier, std::greater<qreal>());
+        const int index = std::distance(s_animationMultipliers.begin(), it);
+        m_form.animationSpeed->setValue(index);
+    };
+    setSpeed(m_compositing->animationSpeed());
+    connect(m_compositing, &Compositing::animationSpeedChanged, m_form.animationSpeed, setSpeed);
+    connect(m_form.animationSpeed, &QSlider::valueChanged, m_compositing, [this](int index) {
+        m_compositing->setAnimationSpeed(s_animationMultipliers[index]);
+    });
+
+    if (Compositing::isRunningPlasma()) {
+        m_form.animationSpeedLabel->hide();
+        m_form.animationSpeedControls->hide();
+    }
 
     // gl scale filter
     m_form.glScaleFilter->setCurrentIndex(m_compositing->glScaleFilter());