diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
--- a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #ifndef _KCM_DESKTOPTHEME_H
 #define _KCM_DESKTOPTHEME_H
 
-#include <KQuickAddons/ConfigModule>
+#include <KQuickAddons/ManagedConfigModule>
 
 #include <KNewStuff3/KNS3/DownloadDialog>
 
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 class QStandardItemModel;
 class DesktopThemeSettings;
 
-class KCMDesktopTheme : public KQuickAddons::ConfigModule
+class KCMDesktopTheme : public KQuickAddons::ManagedConfigModule
 {
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY(DesktopThemeSettings *desktopThemeSettings READ desktopThemeSettings CONSTANT)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
     void defaults() override;
 
 private:
-    void updateNeedsSave();
+    bool isSaveNeeded() const override;
 
     void processPendingDeletions();
 
diff --git a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
--- a/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
+++ b/kcms/desktoptheme/kcm.cpp
@@ -50,15 +50,10 @@
 K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(KCMDesktopThemeFactory, "kcm_desktoptheme.json", registerPlugin<KCMDesktopTheme>();)
 
 KCMDesktopTheme::KCMDesktopTheme(QObject *parent, const QVariantList &args)
-    : KQuickAddons::ConfigModule(parent, args)
+    : KQuickAddons::ManagedConfigModule(parent, args)
     , m_settings(new DesktopThemeSettings(this))
     , m_haveThemeExplorerInstalled(false)
 {
-    connect(m_settings, &DesktopThemeSettings::configChanged,
-            this, &KCMDesktopTheme::updateNeedsSave);
-    connect(m_settings, &DesktopThemeSettings::nameChanged,
-            this, &KCMDesktopTheme::updateNeedsSave);
-
     qmlRegisterType<DesktopThemeSettings>();
     qmlRegisterType<QStandardItemModel>();
 
@@ -224,6 +219,8 @@
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::load()
 {
+    ManagedConfigModule::load();
+
     m_pendingRemoval.clear();
 
     // Get all desktop themes
@@ -275,22 +272,20 @@
     m_model->setSortRole(ThemeNameRole); // FIXME the model should really be just using Qt::DisplayRole
     m_model->sort(0 /*column*/);
 
-    m_settings->load();
-
     // Model has been cleared so pretend the theme name changed to force view update
     emit m_settings->nameChanged();
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::save()
 {
-    m_settings->save();
+    ManagedConfigModule::save();
     Plasma::Theme().setThemeName(m_settings->name());
     processPendingDeletions();
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::defaults()
 {
-    m_settings->setDefaults();
+    ManagedConfigModule::defaults();
 
     // can this be done more elegantly?
     const auto pendingDeletions = m_model->match(m_model->index(0, 0), PendingDeletionRole, true);
@@ -309,10 +304,9 @@
     QProcess::startDetached(QStringLiteral("plasmathemeexplorer -t ") % theme);
 }
 
-void KCMDesktopTheme::updateNeedsSave()
+bool KCMDesktopTheme::isSaveNeeded() const
 {
-    setNeedsSave(!m_model->match(m_model->index(0, 0), PendingDeletionRole, true).isEmpty()
-                    || m_settings->isSaveNeeded());
+    return !m_model->match(m_model->index(0, 0), PendingDeletionRole, true).isEmpty();
 }
 
 void KCMDesktopTheme::processPendingDeletions()