diff --git a/src/kiconloader.cpp b/src/kiconloader.cpp
--- a/src/kiconloader.cpp
+++ b/src/kiconloader.cpp
@@ -560,9 +560,8 @@
 {
     KSharedConfig::Ptr sharedConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig();
     sharedConfig->reparseConfiguration();
-
     const QString newThemeName = sharedConfig->group("Icons")
-                                               .readEntry("Theme", QString());
+                                               .readEntry("Theme", QStringLiteral("breeze"));
     if (!newThemeName.isEmpty()) {
         // If we're refreshing icons the Qt platform plugin has probably
         // already cached the old theme, which will accidentally filter back
diff --git a/src/kicontheme.cpp b/src/kicontheme.cpp
--- a/src/kicontheme.cpp
+++ b/src/kicontheme.cpp
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@
     if (theme.isEmpty() || theme == QLatin1String("hicolor")) {
         // Still no theme, try config with kdeglobals.
         KConfigGroup cg(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "Icons");
-        theme = cg.readEntry("Theme", QString());
+        theme = cg.readEntry("Theme", QStringLiteral("breeze"));
     }
     if (theme.isEmpty() || theme == QLatin1String("hicolor")) {
         // Still no good theme, use default.