diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/CMakeLists.txt b/kcms/desktoptheme/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kcms/desktoptheme/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
   kcm.cpp
 )
 
+kconfig_add_kcfg_files(kcm_desktoptheme_SRCS desktopthemesettings.kcfgc GENERATE_MOC)
+
 add_library(kcm_desktoptheme MODULE ${kcm_desktoptheme_SRCS})
 
 target_link_libraries(kcm_desktoptheme
diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfg b/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfg
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfg
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<kcfg xmlns="http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0"
+      xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+      xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0
+      http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0/kcfg.xsd" >
+  <kcfgfile name="plasmarc" />
+  <group name="Theme">
+    <entry name="name" type="String">
+      <label>Name of the current Plasma Style</label>
+      <default>default</default>
+    </entry>
+  </group>
+</kcfg>
diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfgc b/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfgc
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/desktopthemesettings.kcfgc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+File=desktopthemesettings.kcfg
+ClassName=DesktopThemeSettings
+Mutators=true
+DefaultValueGetters=true
+GenerateProperties=true
diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
--- a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 
 class QQuickItem;
 class QStandardItemModel;
+class DesktopThemeSettings;
 
 class KCMDesktopTheme : public KQuickAddons::ConfigModule
 {
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@
 
     void installTheme(const QString &path);
 
+    DesktopThemeSettings *m_settings;
+
     QStandardItemModel *m_model;
     QString m_selectedPlugin;
     QStringList m_pendingRemoval;
diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
--- a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include <KPluginFactory>
 #include <KAboutData>
-#include <KSharedConfig>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <KDesktopFile>
 
@@ -44,14 +43,19 @@
 
 #include <KNewStuff3/KNS3/DownloadDialog>
 
+#include "desktopthemesettings.h"
+
 Q_LOGGING_CATEGORY(KCM_DESKTOP_THEME, "kcm_desktoptheme")
 
 K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(KCMDesktopThemeFactory, "kcm_desktoptheme.json", registerPlugin<KCMDesktopTheme>();)
 
 KCMDesktopTheme::KCMDesktopTheme(QObject *parent, const QVariantList &args)
     : KQuickAddons::ConfigModule(parent, args)
+    , m_settings(new DesktopThemeSettings)
     , m_haveThemeExplorerInstalled(false)
 {
+    // Unfortunately doesn't generate a ctor taking the parent as parameter
+    m_settings->setParent(this);
     qmlRegisterType<QStandardItemModel>();
 
     KAboutData* about = new KAboutData(QStringLiteral("kcm_desktoptheme"), i18n("Plasma Style"),
@@ -280,31 +284,28 @@
     m_model->setSortRole(ThemeNameRole); // FIXME the model should really be just using Qt::DisplayRole
     m_model->sort(0 /*column*/);
 
-    KConfigGroup cg(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("plasmarc")), "Theme");
-    setSelectedPlugin(cg.readEntry("name", QStringLiteral("default")));
+    setSelectedPlugin(m_settings->name());
 
     emit selectedPluginIndexChanged();
 
     updateNeedsSave();
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::save()
 {
-    KConfigGroup cg(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("plasmarc")), "Theme");
-    const auto currentTheme = cg.readEntry("name", QStringLiteral("default"));
-    if (currentTheme != m_selectedPlugin) {
-        cg.writeEntry("name", m_selectedPlugin);
-        cg.sync();
-        Plasma::Theme().setThemeName(m_selectedPlugin);
+    if (m_settings->name() != m_selectedPlugin) {
+        m_settings->setName(m_selectedPlugin);
+        m_settings->save();
+        Plasma::Theme().setThemeName(m_settings->name());
     }
 
     processPendingDeletions();
     updateNeedsSave();
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::defaults()
 {
-    setSelectedPlugin(QStringLiteral("default"));
+    setSelectedPlugin(m_settings->defaultNameValue());
 
     // can this be done more elegantly?
     const auto pendingDeletions = m_model->match(m_model->index(0, 0), PendingDeletionRole, true);
@@ -325,10 +326,8 @@
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::updateNeedsSave()
 {
-    KConfigGroup cg(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("plasmarc")), "Theme");
-    const auto currentTheme = cg.readEntry("name", QStringLiteral("default"));
     setNeedsSave(!m_model->match(m_model->index(0, 0), PendingDeletionRole, true).isEmpty()
-                    || m_selectedPlugin != currentTheme);
+                    || m_selectedPlugin != m_settings->name());
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::processPendingDeletions()