diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@
 qt5_add_dbus_adaptor(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS ${kwin_effects_dbus_xml} effects.h KWin::EffectsHandlerImpl)
 qt5_add_dbus_adaptor(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS org.kde.kwin.OrientationSensor.xml orientation_sensor.h KWin::OrientationSensor)
 qt5_add_dbus_adaptor(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS org.kde.KWin.VirtualDesktopManager.xml dbusinterface.h KWin::VirtualDesktopManagerDBusInterface)
+qt5_add_dbus_adaptor(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS org.kde.KWin.Session.xml sm.h KWin::SessionManager)
 
 qt5_add_dbus_interface(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS ${KSCREENLOCKER_DBUS_INTERFACES_DIR}/kf5_org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.xml screenlocker_interface)
 qt5_add_dbus_interface(kwin_KDEINIT_SRCS ${KSCREENLOCKER_DBUS_INTERFACES_DIR}/org.kde.screensaver.xml kscreenlocker_interface)
diff --git a/activation.cpp b/activation.cpp
--- a/activation.cpp
+++ b/activation.cpp
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@
     if (time == -1U)
         time = c->userTime();
     int level = c->rules()->checkFSP(options->focusStealingPreventionLevel());
-    if (session_saving && level <= FSP::Medium) { // <= normal
+    if (sessionSaving() && level <= FSP::Medium) { // <= normal
         return true;
     }
     AbstractClient* ac = mostRecentlyActivatedClient();
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@
 bool Workspace::allowFullClientRaising(const KWin::AbstractClient *c, xcb_timestamp_t time)
 {
     int level = c->rules()->checkFSP(options->focusStealingPreventionLevel());
-    if (session_saving && level <= 2) { // <= normal
+    if (sessionSaving() && level <= 2) { // <= normal
         return true;
     }
     AbstractClient* ac = mostRecentlyActivatedClient();
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h b/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
--- a/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwinglobals.h
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@
     Right
 };
 
+/**
+ * Represents the state of the session running outside kwin
+ * Under Plasma this is managed by ksmserver
+ */
+enum class SessionState {
+    Normal,
+    Saving,
+    Quitting
+};
+
 inline
 KWIN_EXPORT xcb_connection_t *connection()
 {
diff --git a/main_x11.cpp b/main_x11.cpp
--- a/main_x11.cpp
+++ b/main_x11.cpp
@@ -480,9 +480,6 @@
 
     a.start();
 
-    KWin::SessionSaveDoneHelper helper;
-    Q_UNUSED(helper); // The sessionsavedonehelper opens a side channel to the smserver,
-                      // listens for events and talks to it, so it needs to be created.
     return a.exec();
 }
 
diff --git a/org.kde.KWin.Session.xml b/org.kde.KWin.Session.xml
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.kde.KWin.Session.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<!DOCTYPE node PUBLIC "-//freedesktop//DTD D-BUS Object Introspection 1.0//EN"
+"http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/dbus/1.0/introspect.dtd">
+<node>
+  <interface name="org.kde.KWin.Session">
+      <method name="setState">
+            <!-- set state. One of: normal, saving, quitting -->
+            <arg name="state" type="s" direction="in"/>
+    </method>
+  </interface>
+</node>
diff --git a/sm.h b/sm.h
--- a/sm.h
+++ b/sm.h
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@
 #include <netwm_def.h>
 #include <QRect>
 
-#include <X11/SM/SMlib.h>
-#include <fixx11h.h>
-
 class QSocketNotifier;
 
 namespace KWin
@@ -77,23 +74,14 @@
     SMSavePhase2Full  // complete saving in phase2, there was no phase 0
 };
 
-class KWIN_EXPORT SessionSaveDoneHelper
-    : public QObject
+class SessionManager: public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    SessionSaveDoneHelper();
-    ~SessionSaveDoneHelper() override;
-    SmcConn connection() const {
-        return conn;
-    }
-    void saveDone();
-    void close();
-private Q_SLOTS:
-    void processData();
-private:
-    QSocketNotifier* notifier;
-    SmcConn conn;
+    SessionManager(QObject *parent);
+    ~SessionManager();
+public Q_SLOTS:
+    void setState(const QString &state);
 };
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/sm.cpp b/sm.cpp
--- a/sm.cpp
+++ b/sm.cpp
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@
 #include "workspace.h"
 #include "x11client.h"
 #include <QDebug>
-#include <QFile>
-#include <QSocketNotifier>
 #include <QSessionManager>
 
+#include <QDBusConnection>
+#include "sessionadaptor.h"
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 
@@ -93,7 +94,6 @@
     if (!sm.isPhase2()) {
         KConfigGroup cg(config, "Session");
         cg.writeEntry("AllowsInteraction", sm.allowsInteraction());
-        sessionSaveStarted();
         if (gs_sessionManagerIsKSMServer)   // save stacking order etc. before "save file?" etc. dialogs change it
             storeSession(config, SMSavePhase0);
         config->markAsClean(); // don't write Phase #1 data to disk
@@ -111,13 +111,6 @@
     }
 }
 
-// I bet this is broken, just like everywhere else in KDE
-void Workspace::commitData(QSessionManager &sm)
-{
-    if (!sm.isPhase2())
-        sessionSaveStarted();
-}
-
 // Workspace
 
 /**
@@ -361,158 +354,24 @@
     return realInfo;
 }
 
-// KWin's focus stealing prevention causes problems with user interaction
-// during session save, as it prevents possible dialogs from getting focus.
-// Therefore it's temporarily disabled during session saving. Start of
-// session saving can be detected in SessionManager::saveState() above,
-// but Qt doesn't have API for saying when session saved finished (either
-// successfully, or was canceled). Therefore, create another connection
-// to session manager, that will provide this information.
-// Similarly the remember feature of window-specific settings should be disabled
-// during KDE shutdown when windows may move e.g. because of Kicker going away
-// (struts changing). When session saving starts, it can be cancelled, in which
-// case the shutdown_cancelled callback is invoked, or it's a checkpoint that
-// is immediatelly followed by save_complete, or finally it's a shutdown that
-// is immediatelly followed by die callback. So getting save_yourself with shutdown
-// set disables window-specific settings remembering, getting shutdown_cancelled
-// re-enables, otherwise KWin will go away after die.
-static void save_yourself(SmcConn conn_P, SmPointer ptr, int, Bool shutdown, int, Bool)
-{
-    SessionSaveDoneHelper* session = reinterpret_cast< SessionSaveDoneHelper* >(ptr);
-    if (conn_P != session->connection())
-        return;
-    if (shutdown)
-        RuleBook::self()->setUpdatesDisabled(true);
-    SmcSaveYourselfDone(conn_P, True);
-}
-
-static void die(SmcConn conn_P, SmPointer ptr)
+SessionManager::SessionManager(QObject *parent)
+    :QObject(parent)
 {
-    SessionSaveDoneHelper* session = reinterpret_cast< SessionSaveDoneHelper* >(ptr);
-    if (conn_P != session->connection())
-        return;
-    // session->saveDone(); we will quit anyway
-    session->close();
-}
-
-static void save_complete(SmcConn conn_P, SmPointer ptr)
-{
-    SessionSaveDoneHelper* session = reinterpret_cast< SessionSaveDoneHelper* >(ptr);
-    if (conn_P != session->connection())
-        return;
-    session->saveDone();
+    new SessionAdaptor(this);
+    QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject("/Session", this);
 }
 
-static void shutdown_cancelled(SmcConn conn_P, SmPointer ptr)
+SessionManager::~SessionManager()
 {
-    SessionSaveDoneHelper* session = reinterpret_cast< SessionSaveDoneHelper* >(ptr);
-    if (conn_P != session->connection())
-        return;
-    RuleBook::self()->setUpdatesDisabled(false);   // re-enable
-    // no need to differentiate between successful finish and cancel
-    session->saveDone();
 }
 
-void SessionSaveDoneHelper::saveDone()
+void SessionManager::setState(const QString &state)
 {
-    if (Workspace::self())
-        Workspace::self()->sessionSaveDone();
-}
-
-SessionSaveDoneHelper::SessionSaveDoneHelper()
-{
-    SmcCallbacks calls;
-    calls.save_yourself.callback = save_yourself;
-    calls.save_yourself.client_data = reinterpret_cast< SmPointer >(this);
-    calls.die.callback = die;
-    calls.die.client_data = reinterpret_cast< SmPointer >(this);
-    calls.save_complete.callback = save_complete;
-    calls.save_complete.client_data = reinterpret_cast< SmPointer >(this);
-    calls.shutdown_cancelled.callback = shutdown_cancelled;
-    calls.shutdown_cancelled.client_data = reinterpret_cast< SmPointer >(this);
-    char* id = nullptr;
-    char err[ 11 ];
-    conn = SmcOpenConnection(nullptr, nullptr, 1, 0,
-                             SmcSaveYourselfProcMask | SmcDieProcMask | SmcSaveCompleteProcMask
-                             | SmcShutdownCancelledProcMask, &calls, nullptr, &id, 10, err);
-    if (id != nullptr)
-        free(id);
-    if (conn == nullptr)
-        return; // no SM
-
-    // detect ksmserver
-    char* vendor = SmcVendor(conn);
-    gs_sessionManagerIsKSMServer = qstrcmp(vendor, "KDE") == 0;
-    free(vendor);
-
-    // set the required properties, mostly dummy values
-    SmPropValue propvalue[ 5 ];
-    SmProp props[ 5 ];
-    propvalue[ 0 ].length = sizeof(unsigned char);
-    unsigned char value0 = SmRestartNever; // so that this extra SM connection doesn't interfere
-    propvalue[ 0 ].value = &value0;
-    props[ 0 ].name = const_cast< char* >(SmRestartStyleHint);
-    props[ 0 ].type = const_cast< char* >(SmCARD8);
-    props[ 0 ].num_vals = 1;
-    props[ 0 ].vals = &propvalue[ 0 ];
-    struct passwd* entry = getpwuid(geteuid());
-    propvalue[ 1 ].length = entry != nullptr ? strlen(entry->pw_name) : 0;
-    propvalue[ 1 ].value = (SmPointer)(entry != nullptr ? entry->pw_name : "");
-    props[ 1 ].name = const_cast< char* >(SmUserID);
-    props[ 1 ].type = const_cast< char* >(SmARRAY8);
-    props[ 1 ].num_vals = 1;
-    props[ 1 ].vals = &propvalue[ 1 ];
-    propvalue[ 2 ].length = 0;
-    propvalue[ 2 ].value = (SmPointer)("");
-    props[ 2 ].name = const_cast< char* >(SmRestartCommand);
-    props[ 2 ].type = const_cast< char* >(SmLISTofARRAY8);
-    props[ 2 ].num_vals = 1;
-    props[ 2 ].vals = &propvalue[ 2 ];
-    propvalue[ 3 ].length = strlen("kwinsmhelper");
-    propvalue[ 3 ].value = (SmPointer)"kwinsmhelper";
-    props[ 3 ].name = const_cast< char* >(SmProgram);
-    props[ 3 ].type = const_cast< char* >(SmARRAY8);
-    props[ 3 ].num_vals = 1;
-    props[ 3 ].vals = &propvalue[ 3 ];
-    propvalue[ 4 ].length = 0;
-    propvalue[ 4 ].value = (SmPointer)("");
-    props[ 4 ].name = const_cast< char* >(SmCloneCommand);
-    props[ 4 ].type = const_cast< char* >(SmLISTofARRAY8);
-    props[ 4 ].num_vals = 1;
-    props[ 4 ].vals = &propvalue[ 4 ];
-    SmProp* p[ 5 ] = { &props[ 0 ], &props[ 1 ], &props[ 2 ], &props[ 3 ], &props[ 4 ] };
-    SmcSetProperties(conn, 5, p);
-    notifier = new QSocketNotifier(IceConnectionNumber(SmcGetIceConnection(conn)),
-                                   QSocketNotifier::Read, this);
-    connect(notifier, SIGNAL(activated(int)), SLOT(processData()));
-}
-
-SessionSaveDoneHelper::~SessionSaveDoneHelper()
-{
-    close();
-}
-
-void SessionSaveDoneHelper::close()
-{
-    if (conn != nullptr) {
-        delete notifier;
-        SmcCloseConnection(conn, 0, nullptr);
-    }
-    conn = nullptr;
-}
-
-void SessionSaveDoneHelper::processData()
-{
-    if (conn != nullptr)
-        IceProcessMessages(SmcGetIceConnection(conn), nullptr, nullptr);
-}
-
-void Workspace::sessionSaveDone()
-{
-    session_saving = false;
-    foreach (X11Client *c, clients) {
-        c->setSessionActivityOverride(false);
-    }
+    static QHash<QString, SessionState> s_stateMap = {
+        {"saving", SessionState::Saving},
+        {"quitting", SessionState::Quitting}
+    };
+    Workspace::self()->setSessionState(s_stateMap.value(state, SessionState::Normal));
 }
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/workspace.h b/workspace.h
--- a/workspace.h
+++ b/workspace.h
@@ -339,8 +339,6 @@
     bool globalShortcutsDisabled() const;
     void disableGlobalShortcutsForClient(bool disable);
 
-    void sessionSaveStarted();
-    void sessionSaveDone();
     void setWasUserInteraction();
     bool wasUserInteraction() const;
     bool sessionSaving() const;
@@ -479,6 +477,13 @@
 
     void updateClientArea();
 
+    /**
+     * Updates kwin's internal knowledge of the state of the
+     * session outside.
+     */
+    void setSessionState(SessionState state);
+    SessionState sessionState() const;
+
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void desktopResized();
     void selectWmInputEventMask();
@@ -492,7 +497,6 @@
 
     // session management
     void saveState(QSessionManager &sm);
-    void commitData(QSessionManager &sm);
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     /**
@@ -531,6 +535,8 @@
      */
     void internalClientRemoved(KWin::InternalClient *client);
 
+    void sessionStateChanged();
+
 private:
     void init();
     void initWithX11();
@@ -616,7 +622,8 @@
 
     bool was_user_interaction;
     QScopedPointer<X11EventFilter> m_wasUserInteractionFilter;
-    bool session_saving;
+
+    SessionState m_sessionState = SessionState::Normal;
     int session_active_client;
     int session_desktop;
 
@@ -742,14 +749,9 @@
     return was_user_interaction;
 }
 
-inline void Workspace::sessionSaveStarted()
-{
-    session_saving = true;
-}
-
 inline bool Workspace::sessionSaving() const
 {
-    return session_saving;
+    return m_sessionState == SessionState::Saving;
 }
 
 inline bool Workspace::showingDesktop() const
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@
     , force_restacking(false)
     , showing_desktop(false)
     , was_user_interaction(false)
-    , session_saving(false)
     , block_focus(0)
     , m_userActionsMenu(new UserActionsMenu(this))
     , client_keys_dialog(nullptr)
@@ -156,7 +155,6 @@
 
     if (!sessionKey.isEmpty())
         loadSessionInfo(sessionKey);
-    connect(qApp, &QGuiApplication::commitDataRequest, this, &Workspace::commitData);
     connect(qApp, &QGuiApplication::saveStateRequest, this, &Workspace::saveState);
 
     RuleBook::create(this)->load();
@@ -189,6 +187,7 @@
     connect(this, &Workspace::configChanged, decorationBridge, &Decoration::DecorationBridge::reconfigure);
 
     new DBusInterface(this);
+    new SessionManager(this);
 
     Outline::create(this);
 
@@ -1827,4 +1826,29 @@
     emit internalClientRemoved(client);
 }
 
+void Workspace::setSessionState(SessionState state)
+{
+    if (state == m_sessionState) {
+        return;
+    }
+    //starting session save
+    if (state == SessionState::Saving) {
+        RuleBook::self()->setUpdatesDisabled(true);
+    }
+    //Session save is done
+    if (m_sessionState == SessionState::Saving) {
+        foreach (X11Client *c, clients) {
+            RuleBook::self()->setUpdatesDisabled(false);
+            c->setSessionActivityOverride(false);
+        }
+    }
+    m_sessionState = state;
+    emit sessionStateChanged();
+}
+
+SessionState Workspace::sessionState() const
+{
+    return m_sessionState;
+}
+
 } // namespace