diff --git a/dbusinterface.h b/dbusinterface.h
--- a/dbusinterface.h
+++ b/dbusinterface.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
      * Values depend on operation mode and compile time options.
      **/
     Q_PROPERTY(QStringList supportedOpenGLPlatformInterfaces READ supportedOpenGLPlatformInterfaces)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool platformRequiresCompositing READ platformRequiresCompositing)
 public:
     explicit CompositorDBusInterface(Compositor *parent);
     virtual ~CompositorDBusInterface() = default;
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@
     bool isOpenGLBroken() const;
     QString compositingType() const;
     QStringList supportedOpenGLPlatformInterfaces() const;
+    bool platformRequiresCompositing() const;
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
     /**
diff --git a/dbusinterface.cpp b/dbusinterface.cpp
--- a/dbusinterface.cpp
+++ b/dbusinterface.cpp
@@ -235,6 +235,11 @@
     return kwinApp()->platform()->openGLCompositingIsBroken();
 }
 
+bool CompositorDBusInterface::platformRequiresCompositing() const
+{
+    return kwinApp()->platform()->requiresCompositing();
+}
+
 void CompositorDBusInterface::resume()
 {
     m_compositor->resume(Compositor::ScriptSuspend);
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <QAbstractItemModel>
 #include <QObject>
 
+class OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface;
+
 namespace KWin {
 namespace Compositing {
 
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@
     Q_PROPERTY(KWin::Compositing::OpenGLPlatformInterfaceModel *openGLPlatformInterfaceModel READ openGLPlatformInterfaceModel CONSTANT)
     Q_PROPERTY(int openGLPlatformInterface READ openGLPlatformInterface WRITE setOpenGLPlatformInterface NOTIFY openGLPlatformInterfaceChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool windowsBlockCompositing READ windowsBlockCompositing WRITE setWindowsBlockCompositing NOTIFY windowsBlockCompositingChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool compositingRequired READ compositingRequired CONSTANT)
 public:
     explicit Compositing(QObject *parent = 0);
 
@@ -61,6 +64,7 @@
     bool compositingEnabled() const;
     int openGLPlatformInterface() const;
     bool windowsBlockCompositing() const;
+    bool compositingRequired() const;
 
     OpenGLPlatformInterfaceModel *openGLPlatformInterfaceModel() const;
 
@@ -107,6 +111,8 @@
     OpenGLPlatformInterfaceModel *m_openGLPlatformInterfaceModel;
     int m_openGLPlatformInterface;
     bool m_windowsBlockCompositing;
+    bool m_windowsBlockingCompositing;
+    OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface *m_compositingInterface;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
     , m_openGLPlatformInterfaceModel(new OpenGLPlatformInterfaceModel(this))
     , m_openGLPlatformInterface(0)
     , m_windowsBlockCompositing(true)
+    , m_compositingInterface(new OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KWin"), QStringLiteral("/Compositor"), QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this))
 {
     reset();
     connect(this, &Compositing::animationSpeedChanged,       this, &Compositing::changed);
@@ -142,16 +143,13 @@
 
 bool Compositing::OpenGLIsBroken()
 {
-    OrgKdeKwinCompositingInterface interface(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KWin"),
-                                             QStringLiteral("/Compositor"),
-                                             QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
     KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig("kwinrc"), "Compositing");
 
     QString oldBackend = kwinConfig.readEntry("Backend", "OpenGL");
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("Backend", "OpenGL");
     kwinConfig.sync();
 
-    if (interface.openGLIsBroken()) {
+    if (m_compositingInterface->openGLIsBroken()) {
         kwinConfig.writeEntry("Backend", oldBackend);
         kwinConfig.sync();
         return true;
@@ -274,6 +272,9 @@
 
 void Compositing::setCompositingEnabled(bool enabled)
 {
+    if (compositingRequired()) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (enabled == m_compositingEnabled) {
         return;
     }
@@ -289,7 +290,9 @@
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("HiddenPreviews", windowThumbnail() + 4);
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("GLTextureFilter", glScaleFilter());
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("XRenderSmoothScale", xrScaleFilter());
-    kwinConfig.writeEntry("Enabled", compositingEnabled());
+    if (!compositingRequired()) {
+        kwinConfig.writeEntry("Enabled", compositingEnabled());
+    }
     auto swapStrategy = [this] {
         switch (glSwapStrategy()) {
             case 0:
@@ -329,7 +332,9 @@
     if (glIndex.isValid()) {
         kwinConfig.writeEntry("GLPlatformInterface", glIndex.data(Qt::UserRole).toString());
     }
-    kwinConfig.writeEntry("WindowsBlockCompositing", windowsBlockCompositing());
+    if (!compositingRequired()) {
+        kwinConfig.writeEntry("WindowsBlockCompositing", windowsBlockCompositing());
+    }
     kwinConfig.sync();
 
     if (m_changed) {
@@ -368,13 +373,21 @@
 
 void Compositing::setWindowsBlockCompositing(bool set)
 {
+    if (compositingRequired()) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (m_windowsBlockCompositing == set) {
         return;
     }
     m_windowsBlockCompositing = set;
     emit windowsBlockCompositingChanged(set);
 }
 
+bool Compositing::compositingRequired() const
+{
+    return m_compositingInterface->platformRequiresCompositing();
+}
+
 CompositingType::CompositingType(QObject *parent)
     : QAbstractItemModel(parent) {
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/main.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@
     m_form.tearingWarning->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QStringLiteral("dialog-warning")));
     m_form.windowThumbnailWarning->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QStringLiteral("dialog-warning")));
 
+    m_form.compositingEnabled->setVisible(!m_compositing->compositingRequired());
+    m_form.windowsBlockCompositing->setVisible(!m_compositing->compositingRequired());
+
     init();
 }
 
diff --git a/org.kde.kwin.Compositing.xml b/org.kde.kwin.Compositing.xml
--- a/org.kde.kwin.Compositing.xml
+++ b/org.kde.kwin.Compositing.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     <property name="openGLIsBroken" type="b" access="read"/>
     <property name="compositingType" type="s" access="read"/>
     <property name="supportedOpenGLPlatformInterfaces" type="as" access="read"/>
+    <property name="platformRequiresCompositing" type="b" access="read"/>
     <signal name="compositingToggled">
       <arg name="active" type="b" direction="out"/>
     </signal>