diff --git a/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt b/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 target_link_libraries(plasma-changeicons PRIVATE Qt5::Core KF5::KIOWidgets KF5::IconThemes)
 
 kcoreaddons_desktop_to_json(kcm_icons "kcm_icons.desktop")
+install(FILES icons_remove_effects.upd DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/kconf_update)
 install(FILES kcm_icons.desktop DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_KSERVICES5DIR})
 install(TARGETS kcm_icons DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_PLUGINDIR}/kcms)
 
diff --git a/kcms/icons/icons_remove_effects.upd b/kcms/icons/icons_remove_effects.upd
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kcms/icons/icons_remove_effects.upd
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+Version=5
+Id=IconsRemoveEffects
+File=kdeglobals
+Group=DesktopIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
+Group=ToolbarIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
+Group=MainToolbarIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
+Group=SmallIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
+Group=PanelIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
+Group=DialogIcons
+RemoveKey=Animated
+RemoveKey=DefaultEffect
+RemoveKey=DefaultValue
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor
+RemoveKey=DefaultColor2
+RemoveKey=DefaultSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=ActiveEffect
+RemoveKey=ActiveValue
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor
+RemoveKey=ActiveColor2
+RemoveKey=ActiveSemiTransparent
+RemoveKey=DisabledEffect
+RemoveKey=DisabledValue
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor
+RemoveKey=DisabledColor2
+RemoveKey=DisabledSemiTransparent
diff --git a/kcms/icons/main.h b/kcms/icons/main.h
--- a/kcms/icons/main.h
+++ b/kcms/icons/main.h
@@ -112,9 +112,6 @@
     bool m_selectedThemeDirty = false;
     bool m_iconSizesDirty = false;
 
-    // set when user hits "Defaults" button at which point we'll remove all custom icon effects on Apply
-    bool m_revertIconEffects = false;
-
     QVector<int> m_iconSizes;
 
     QStringList m_iconGroups;
diff --git a/kcms/icons/main.cpp b/kcms/icons/main.cpp
--- a/kcms/icons/main.cpp
+++ b/kcms/icons/main.cpp
@@ -164,41 +164,17 @@
         QProcess::startDetached(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR "/plasma-changeicons", {m_model->selectedTheme()});
     }
 
-    if (m_iconSizesDirty || m_revertIconEffects) {
+    if (m_iconSizesDirty) {
         auto cfg = KSharedConfig::openConfig();
         for (int i = 0; i < m_iconGroups.count(); ++i) {
             const QString &group = m_iconGroups.at(i);
             KConfigGroup cg(cfg, group + QLatin1String("Icons"));
             cg.writeEntry("Size", m_iconSizes.at(i), KConfig::Normal | KConfig::Global);
-
-            if (m_revertIconEffects) {
-                cg.revertToDefault("Animated");
-
-                const QStringList states = {
-                    QStringLiteral("Default"),
-                    QStringLiteral("Active"),
-                    QStringLiteral("Disabled")
-                };
-
-                const QStringList keys = {
-                    QStringLiteral("Effect"),
-                    QStringLiteral("Value"),
-                    QStringLiteral("Color"),
-                    QStringLiteral("Color2"),
-                    QStringLiteral("SemiTransparent")
-                };
-
-                for (const QString &state : states) {
-                    for (const QString &key : keys) {
-                        cg.revertToDefault(state + key);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
         }
         cfg->sync();
     }
 
-    if (m_selectedThemeDirty || m_iconSizesDirty || m_revertIconEffects) {
+    if (m_selectedThemeDirty || m_iconSizesDirty) {
         exportToKDE4();
     }
 
@@ -209,7 +185,6 @@
     setNeedsSave(false);
     m_selectedThemeDirty = false;
     m_iconSizesDirty = false;
-    m_revertIconEffects = false;
 }
 
 void IconModule::processPendingDeletions()
@@ -249,7 +224,6 @@
         setThemeIfAvailable(QStringLiteral("breeze"));
     }
 
-    m_revertIconEffects = true;
     setNeedsSave(true);
 }