diff --git a/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.h b/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.h
--- a/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.h
+++ b/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.h
@@ -119,8 +119,6 @@
     ColorScope *findParentScope();
     void itemChange(ItemChange change, const ItemChangeData &value) override;
 
-    bool eventFilter(QObject * watched, QEvent * event) override;
-
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void colorGroupChanged();
     void colorsChanged();
diff --git a/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.cpp b/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.cpp
--- a/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.cpp
+++ b/src/declarativeimports/core/colorscope.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <QQmlEngine>
 #include <QColor>
 
+#include <PlasmaQuick/AppletQuickItem>
+
 QHash<QObject *, ColorScope *> ColorScope::s_attachedScopes = QHash<QObject *, ColorScope *>();
 
 QWeakPointer<Plasma::Theme> ColorScope::s_theme;
@@ -47,11 +49,12 @@
 
     connect(this, &ColorScope::colorGroupChanged, this, &ColorScope::colorsChanged);
 
-    QQuickItem *parentItem = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(parentObject);
-    if (parentItem) {
-        connect(parentItem, &QQuickItem::parentChanged, this, &ColorScope::checkColorGroupChanged);
-    } else if (m_parent) {
-        m_parent->installEventFilter(this);
+    if (parentObject && qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(parentObject)) {
+        connect(static_cast<QQuickItem *>(parentObject), &QQuickItem::parentChanged,
+            this, &ColorScope::checkColorGroupChanged);
+    } else if (parent) {
+        connect(parent, &QQuickItem::parentChanged,
+            this, &ColorScope::checkColorGroupChanged);
     }
 }
 
@@ -76,15 +79,6 @@
     return s;
 }
 
-bool ColorScope::eventFilter(QObject* watched, QEvent* event)
-{
-    Q_ASSERT(watched == m_parent && !qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(watched));
-    if (event->type() == QEvent::ParentChange) {
-        checkColorGroupChanged();
-    }
-    return QQuickItem::eventFilter(watched, event);
-}
-
 void ColorScope::setParentScope(ColorScope* parentScope)
 {
     if (parentScope == m_parentScope)
@@ -105,29 +99,24 @@
 
 ColorScope *ColorScope::findParentScope()
 {
-    QObject *p = nullptr;
-    if (m_parent) {
-        QQuickItem *gp = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(m_parent);
-        if (gp) {
-            p = gp->parentItem();
-        } else {
-            p = m_parent->parent();
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (!p || !m_parent) {
-        setParentScope(nullptr);
-        return nullptr;
+    QQuickItem *candidate = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(parentItem());
+    if (!candidate) {
+        candidate = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(parent());
     }
+    while (candidate) {
+        candidate = candidate->parentItem();
+        ColorScope *s = qobject_cast<ColorScope *>(candidate);
+        if (!s) {
+            // Make sure AppletInterface always has a ColorScope
+            s = static_cast<ColorScope *>(qmlAttachedPropertiesObject<ColorScope>(candidate, qobject_cast<PlasmaQuick::AppletQuickItem *>(candidate)));
+        }
 
-    ColorScope *c = qobject_cast<ColorScope *>(p);
-    if (!c) {
-        c = qmlAttachedProperties(p);
+        if (s) {
+            setParentScope(s);
+            return s;
+        }
     }
-
-    setParentScope(c);
-
-    return m_parentScope;
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 void ColorScope::setColorGroup(Plasma::Theme::ColorGroup group)
diff --git a/src/desktoptheme/breeze/widgets/configuration-icons.svg b/src/desktoptheme/breeze/widgets/configuration-icons.svg
--- a/src/desktoptheme/breeze/widgets/configuration-icons.svg
+++ b/src/desktoptheme/breeze/widgets/configuration-icons.svg
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
    viewBox="0 0 32.808331 13.758333"
    id="svg2"
    version="1.1"
-   inkscape:version="0.48.5 r10040"
-   sodipodi:docname="configuration-icons.svgz">
+   inkscape:version="0.92.2 5c3e80d, 2017-08-06"
+   sodipodi:docname="configuration-icons.svg">
   <defs
      id="defs4">
     <style
@@ -89,18 +89,18 @@
      inkscape:pageopacity="0"
      inkscape:pageshadow="2"
      inkscape:zoom="5.6568543"
-     inkscape:cx="99.567016"
-     inkscape:cy="20.265624"
+     inkscape:cx="77.028937"
+     inkscape:cy="12.789538"
      inkscape:document-units="px"
      inkscape:current-layer="layer1"
      showgrid="true"
      units="px"
      inkscape:showpageshadow="false"
      borderlayer="true"
      inkscape:window-width="1920"
-     inkscape:window-height="1029"
+     inkscape:window-height="1015"
      inkscape:window-x="0"
-     inkscape:window-y="-3"
+     inkscape:window-y="0"
      inkscape:window-maximized="1"
      fit-margin-top="0"
      fit-margin-left="0"
@@ -115,19 +115,23 @@
     <sodipodi:guide
        position="2.4294816e-09,13.758295"
        orientation="16.000015,0"
-       id="guide4136" />
+       id="guide4136"
+       inkscape:locked="false" />
     <sodipodi:guide
        position="2.4294816e-09,9.524957"
        orientation="0,16"
-       id="guide4138" />
+       id="guide4138"
+       inkscape:locked="false" />
     <sodipodi:guide
        position="4.2333331,9.524957"
        orientation="-16.000015,0"
-       id="guide4140" />
+       id="guide4140"
+       inkscape:locked="false" />
     <sodipodi:guide
        position="4.2333331,13.758295"
        orientation="0,-16"
-       id="guide4142" />
+       id="guide4142"
+       inkscape:locked="false" />
   </sodipodi:namedview>
   <metadata
      id="metadata7">
@@ -658,13 +662,54 @@
          cx="25.400003"
          id="path4139"
          style="opacity:1;fill:currentColor;fill-opacity:1;stroke:none"
-         class="ColorScheme-Background"
-         d="m 26.458337,261.0166 c 0,0.5845 -0.473832,1.05833 -1.058334,1.05833 -0.584501,0 -1.058333,-0.47383 -1.058333,-1.05833 0,-0.5845 0.473832,-1.05833 1.058333,-1.05833 0.584502,0 1.058334,0.47383 1.058334,1.05833 z" />
+         class="ColorScheme-Background" />
       <path
          inkscape:connector-curvature="0"
          id="path4142"
          d="m 25.400004,259.42911 a 1.5875,1.5875 0 0 0 -1.5875,1.5875 1.5875,1.5875 0 0 0 1.5875,1.5875 1.5875,1.5875 0 0 0 1.5875,-1.5875 1.5875,1.5875 0 0 0 -1.5875,-1.5875 z m -0.606682,0.79375 0.606682,0.60668 0.606681,-0.60668 0.187069,0.18707 -0.606682,0.60668 0.606682,0.60668 -0.187069,0.18707 -0.606681,-0.60668 -0.606682,0.60668 -0.187068,-0.18707 0.606681,-0.60668 -0.606681,-0.60668 0.187068,-0.18707 z"
          style="opacity:1;fill:#da4453;fill-opacity:1;stroke:none" />
     </g>
+    <g
+       id="showbackground">
+      <g
+         id="g942">
+        <rect
+           class="ColorScheme-Background"
+           ry="0.12427091"
+           y="259.69373"
+           x="28.574997"
+           height="2.6458437"
+           width="2.6458342"
+           id="rect929"
+           style="opacity:0.8;fill:currentColor" />
+        <rect
+           y="258.89993"
+           x="27.858765"
+           height="4.2333322"
+           width="4.2333336"
+           id="rect908"
+           style="opacity:1;fill:none;fill-opacity:1;stroke:none" />
+        <path
+           inkscape:connector-curvature="0"
+           class="ColorScheme-Text"
+           style="opacity:0.4;fill:currentColor"
+           d="m 110,38 c -0.55407,0 -1,0.445928 -1,1 v 10 c 0,0.554072 0.44593,1 1,1 h 10 c 0.55407,0 1,-0.445928 1,-1 V 39 c 0,-0.554072 -0.44593,-1 -1,-1 z m 0.46875,1 h 9.0625 C 119.79146,39 120,39.210497 120,39.470703 V 48.53125 C 120,48.791456 119.79146,49 119.53125,49 h -9.0625 C 110.20854,49 110,48.791456 110,48.53125 V 39.470703 C 110,39.210497 110.20854,39 110.46875,39 Z"
+           transform="matrix(0.26458332,0,0,0.26458332,-0.5291667,249.37493)"
+           id="rect910" />
+        <g
+           aria-label="a"
+           transform="scale(0.92487808,1.0812236)"
+           style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:2.64862061px;line-height:125%;font-family:'Noto Sans';-inkscape-font-specification:'Noto Sans';letter-spacing:0px;word-spacing:0px;fill:#000000;fill-opacity:1;stroke:none;stroke-width:0.26458335px;stroke-linecap:butt;stroke-linejoin:miter;stroke-opacity:1"
+           id="text927">
+          <path
+             class="ColorScheme-Text"
+             d="m 32.390856,240.67151 c 0.173043,0 0.30106,0.038 0.38405,0.11389 0.08299,0.0759 0.124486,0.19688 0.124486,0.36286 v 0.99379 H 32.72988 l -0.04503,-0.22834 h -0.01059 c -0.0618,0.0777 -0.127133,0.13508 -0.195998,0.17216 -0.06886,0.0371 -0.162449,0.0556 -0.280754,0.0556 -0.1289,0 -0.235727,-0.0335 -0.320483,-0.10065 -0.08476,-0.0689 -0.122393,-0.17569 -0.122393,-0.32048 0,-0.14126 0.05088,-0.28618 0.162122,-0.3621 0.111242,-0.0777 0.282519,-0.11816 0.513833,-0.12522 l 0.241024,-0.008 v -0.0504 c 0,-0.11831 -0.0256,-0.20042 -0.07681,-0.24633 -0.05121,-0.0459 -0.123603,-0.0689 -0.217187,-0.0689 -0.07416,0 -0.144791,0.0115 -0.211889,0.0344 -0.0671,0.0212 -0.129783,0.0459 -0.188052,0.0742 l -0.07151,-0.17481 c 0.0618,-0.0335 0.135078,-0.0618 0.219835,-0.0848 0.08476,-0.0247 0.173043,-0.0371 0.264862,-0.0371 z m 0.278106,0.73618 -0.209242,0.008 c -0.176575,0.007 -0.299294,0.0334 -0.368158,0.0829 -0.0671,0.0495 -0.100647,0.1345 -0.100647,0.22453 0,0.0795 0.02384,0.13773 0.07151,0.17481 0.04944,0.0371 0.112124,0.0556 0.188052,0.0556 0.118305,0 0.217187,-0.0327 0.296646,-0.098 0.08122,-0.0671 0.121837,-0.16951 0.121837,-0.30724 z"
+             style="fill:currentColor"
+             id="path934"
+             inkscape:connector-curvature="0"
+             sodipodi:nodetypes="ccscccccscscccscscccccccccscsccc" />
+        </g>
+      </g>
+    </g>
   </g>
 </svg>
diff --git a/src/plasma/plasma.h b/src/plasma/plasma.h
--- a/src/plasma/plasma.h
+++ b/src/plasma/plasma.h
@@ -280,9 +280,13 @@
         NoBackground = 0,         /**< Not drawing a background under the applet, the applet has its own implementation */
         StandardBackground = 1,   /**< The standard background from the theme is drawn */
         TranslucentBackground = 2, /**< An alternate version of the background is drawn, usually more translucent */
+        ShadowBackground = 4, /**< The applet won't have a svg background but a drop shadow of its content done via a shader */
+        ConfigurableBackground = 8, /** If the hint has this flag, the user is able to configure this background */
         DefaultBackground = StandardBackground /**< Default settings: both standard background */
     };
     Q_ENUM(BackgroundHints)
+    //TODO KF6: BackgroundHint and BackgroundHints
+    Q_DECLARE_FLAGS(BackgroundFlags, BackgroundHints)
 
 private:
     Types(QObject *parent = nullptr);
@@ -311,5 +315,5 @@
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(Plasma::Types::Constraints)
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(Plasma::Types::Flip)
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(Plasma::Types::ComponentTypes)
-
+Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(Plasma::Types::BackgroundFlags)
 #endif // multiple inclusion guard
diff --git a/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.h b/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.h
--- a/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.h
+++ b/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.h
@@ -147,6 +147,16 @@
      */
     Q_PROPERTY(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints backgroundHints WRITE setBackgroundHints READ backgroundHints NOTIFY backgroundHintsChanged)
 
+    /**
+     * The containment (and/or the user) may decide to use another kind of background instead (if supported by the applet)
+     */
+    Q_PROPERTY(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints userBackgroundHints WRITE setUserBackgroundHints READ userBackgroundHints NOTIFY userBackgroundHintsChanged)
+
+    /**
+     * The effective background hints the applet has, internally decided how to mix with userBackgroundHints
+     */
+    Q_PROPERTY(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints effectiveBackgroundHints READ effectiveBackgroundHints NOTIFY effectiveBackgroundHintsChanged)
+
     /**
      * Whether the Corona is immutable. The plasmoid implementation should avoid allowing "dangerous" modifications from the user when in an immutable mode
      *
@@ -368,6 +378,11 @@
     Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints backgroundHints() const;
     void setBackgroundHints(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints hint);
 
+    Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints userBackgroundHints() const;
+    void setUserBackgroundHints(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints hint);
+
+    Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints effectiveBackgroundHints() const;
+
     void setAssociatedApplication(const QString &string);
     QString associatedApplication() const;
 
@@ -436,6 +451,8 @@
     void immutabilityChanged();
     void statusChanged();
     void backgroundHintsChanged();
+    void userBackgroundHintsChanged();
+    void effectiveBackgroundHintsChanged();
     void busyChanged();
     void screenChanged();
     void screenGeometryChanged();
@@ -486,6 +503,8 @@
     QPointer<QQuickItem> m_toolTipItem;
     QVariantList m_args;
     Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints m_backgroundHints;
+    Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints m_userBackgroundHints;
+    bool m_userBackgroundHintsInitialized = false;
     bool m_hideOnDeactivate : 1;
     bool m_loading = false;
     //this is used to build an emacs style shortcut
diff --git a/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.cpp b/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.cpp
--- a/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.cpp
+++ b/src/scriptengines/qml/plasmoid/appletinterface.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
       m_toolTipItem(nullptr),
       m_args(args),
       m_backgroundHints(Plasma::Types::StandardBackground),
+      m_userBackgroundHints(Plasma::Types::StandardBackground),
       m_hideOnDeactivate(true),
       m_oldKeyboardShortcut(0),
       m_dummyNativeInterface(nullptr),
@@ -193,6 +194,19 @@
     } else if (!m_args.isEmpty()) {
         emit externalData(QString(), m_args);
     }
+
+    QByteArray hintsString = applet()->config().readEntry("UserBackgroundHints", QString()).toUtf8();
+    QMetaEnum hintEnum = QMetaEnum::fromType<Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints>();
+    bool ok;
+    int value = hintEnum.keyToValue(hintsString.constData(), &ok);
+    if (ok) {
+        m_userBackgroundHints = Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints(value);
+        m_userBackgroundHintsInitialized = true;
+        emit userBackgroundHintsChanged();
+        if (m_backgroundHints & Plasma::Types::ConfigurableBackground) {
+            emit effectiveBackgroundHintsChanged();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 void AppletInterface::destroyedChanged(bool destroyed)
@@ -395,8 +409,50 @@
         return;
     }
 
+    Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints oldeffectiveHints = effectiveBackgroundHints();
+
     m_backgroundHints = hint;
     emit backgroundHintsChanged();
+
+    if (oldeffectiveHints != effectiveBackgroundHints()) {
+        emit effectiveBackgroundHintsChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints AppletInterface::effectiveBackgroundHints() const
+{
+    if (m_userBackgroundHintsInitialized
+        && (m_backgroundHints & Plasma::Types::ConfigurableBackground)) {
+        return m_userBackgroundHints;
+    } else {
+        return m_backgroundHints;
+    }
+}
+
+Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints AppletInterface::userBackgroundHints() const
+{
+    return m_userBackgroundHints;
+}
+
+void AppletInterface::setUserBackgroundHints(Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints hint)
+{
+    if (m_userBackgroundHints == hint && m_userBackgroundHintsInitialized) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    m_userBackgroundHints = hint;
+    m_userBackgroundHintsInitialized = true;
+    QMetaEnum hintEnum = QMetaEnum::fromType<Plasma::Types::BackgroundHints>();
+    applet()->config().writeEntry("UserBackgroundHints", hintEnum.valueToKey(m_userBackgroundHints));
+    if (applet()->containment() && applet()->containment()->corona()) {
+        applet()->containment()->corona()->requestConfigSync();
+    }
+
+    emit userBackgroundHintsChanged();
+
+    if (m_backgroundHints & Plasma::Types::ConfigurableBackground) {
+        emit effectiveBackgroundHintsChanged();
+    }
 }
 
 void AppletInterface::setConfigurationRequired(bool needsConfiguring, const QString &reason)