diff --git a/autotests/tabbox/mock_tabboxhandler.h b/autotests/tabbox/mock_tabboxhandler.h
--- a/autotests/tabbox/mock_tabboxhandler.h
+++ b/autotests/tabbox/mock_tabboxhandler.h
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@
     }
     virtual void grabbedKeyEvent(QKeyEvent *event) const;
 
+    void highlightWindows(TabBox::TabBoxClient *window = nullptr, QWindow *controller = nullptr) override {
+        Q_UNUSED(window)
+        Q_UNUSED(controller)
+    }
+
     // mock methods
     QWeakPointer<TabBox::TabBoxClient> createMockWindow(const QString &caption, WId id);
     void closeWindow(TabBox::TabBoxClient *client);
diff --git a/effects.h b/effects.h
--- a/effects.h
+++ b/effects.h
@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@
     bool touchMotion(quint32 id, const QPointF &pos, quint32 time);
     bool touchUp(quint32 id, quint32 time);
 
+    void highlightWindows(const QVector<EffectWindow *> &windows);
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void slotCurrentTabAboutToChange(EffectWindow* from, EffectWindow* to);
     void slotTabAdded(EffectWindow* from, EffectWindow* to);
diff --git a/effects.cpp b/effects.cpp
--- a/effects.cpp
+++ b/effects.cpp
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
     , m_effectLoader(new EffectLoader(this))
     , m_trackingCursorChanges(0)
 {
+    qRegisterMetaType<QVector<KWin::EffectWindow*>>();
     connect(m_effectLoader, &AbstractEffectLoader::effectLoaded, this,
         [this](Effect *effect, const QString &name) {
             effect_order.insert(effect->requestedEffectChainPosition(), EffectPair(name, effect));
@@ -1549,6 +1550,15 @@
     return m_scene->animationsSupported();
 }
 
+void EffectsHandlerImpl::highlightWindows(const QVector<EffectWindow *> &windows)
+{
+    Effect *e = provides(Effect::HighlightWindows);
+    if (!e) {
+        return;
+    }
+    e->performFeature(Effect::HighlightWindows, QVariantList{QVariant::fromValue(windows)});
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // EffectWindowImpl
 //****************************************
diff --git a/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.h b/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.h
--- a/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.h
+++ b/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.h
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
         return 70;
     }
 
+    bool provides(Feature feature) override;
+    bool performFeature(Feature feature, const QVariantList &arguments) override;
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void slotWindowAdded(KWin::EffectWindow* w);
     void slotWindowClosed(KWin::EffectWindow *w);
@@ -52,6 +55,8 @@
     void prepareHighlighting();
     void finishHighlighting();
 
+    void highlightWindows(const QVector<KWin::EffectWindow *> &windows);
+
     bool m_finishing;
 
     float m_fadeDuration;
diff --git a/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.cpp b/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.cpp
--- a/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.cpp
+++ b/effects/highlightwindow/highlightwindow.cpp
@@ -258,9 +258,47 @@
         m_windowOpacity.constBegin().key()->addRepaintFull();
 }
 
+void HighlightWindowEffect::highlightWindows(const QVector<KWin::EffectWindow *> &windows)
+{
+    if (windows.isEmpty()) {
+        finishHighlighting();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    m_monitorWindow = nullptr;
+    m_highlightedWindows.clear();
+    m_highlightedIds.clear();
+    for (auto w : windows) {
+        m_highlightedWindows << w;
+    }
+    prepareHighlighting();
+}
+
 bool HighlightWindowEffect::isActive() const
 {
     return !(m_windowOpacity.isEmpty() || effects->isScreenLocked());
 }
 
+bool HighlightWindowEffect::provides(Feature feature)
+{
+    switch (feature) {
+    case HighlightWindows:
+        return true;
+    default:
+        return false;
+    }
+}
+
+bool HighlightWindowEffect::performFeature(Feature feature, const QVariantList &arguments)
+{
+    if (feature != HighlightWindows) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (arguments.size() != 1) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    highlightWindows(arguments.first().value<QVector<EffectWindow*>>());
+    return true;
+}
+
 } // namespace
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
--- a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
     };
 
     enum Feature {
-        Nothing = 0, Resize, GeometryTip, Outline, ScreenInversion, Blur, Contrast
+        Nothing = 0, Resize, GeometryTip, Outline, ScreenInversion, Blur, Contrast, HighlightWindows
     };
 
     /**
@@ -483,6 +483,19 @@
     virtual bool provides(Feature);
 
     /**
+     * Performs the @p feature with the @p arguments.
+     *
+     * This allows to have specific protocols between KWin core and an Effect.
+     *
+     * The method is supposed to return @c true if it performed the features,
+     * @c false otherwise.
+     *
+     * The default implementation returns @c false.
+     * @since 5.8
+     **/
+    virtual bool performFeature(Feature feature, const QVariantList &arguments);
+
+    /**
      * Can be called to draw multiple copies (e.g. thumbnails) of a window.
      * You can change window's opacity/brightness/etc here, but you can't
      *  do any transformations.
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
--- a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
@@ -695,6 +695,13 @@
     return false;
 }
 
+bool Effect::performFeature(Feature feature, const QVariantList &arguments)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(feature)
+    Q_UNUSED(arguments)
+    return false;
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // EffectFactory
 //****************************************
diff --git a/tabbox/tabbox.h b/tabbox/tabbox.h
--- a/tabbox/tabbox.h
+++ b/tabbox/tabbox.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
     virtual QWeakPointer< TabBoxClient > clientToAddToList(KWin::TabBox::TabBoxClient* client, int desktop) const;
     virtual QWeakPointer< TabBoxClient > desktopClient() const;
     virtual void activateAndClose();
+    void highlightWindows(TabBoxClient *window = nullptr, QWindow *controller = nullptr) override;
 
 private:
     bool checkDesktop(TabBoxClient* client, int desktop) const;
diff --git a/tabbox/tabbox.cpp b/tabbox/tabbox.cpp
--- a/tabbox/tabbox.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/tabbox.cpp
@@ -343,6 +343,21 @@
     m_tabBox->accept();
 }
 
+void TabBoxHandlerImpl::highlightWindows(TabBoxClient *window, QWindow *controller)
+{
+    if (!effects) {
+        return;
+    }
+    QVector<EffectWindow*> windows;
+    if (window) {
+        windows << static_cast<TabBoxClientImpl*>(window)->client()->effectWindow();
+    }
+    if (auto t = Workspace::self()->findToplevel(controller)) {
+        windows << t->effectWindow();
+    }
+    static_cast<EffectsHandlerImpl*>(effects)->highlightWindows(windows);
+}
+
 /*********************************************************
 * TabBoxClientImpl
 *********************************************************/
diff --git a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.h b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.h
--- a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.h
+++ b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.h
@@ -187,6 +187,8 @@
      */
     virtual void shadeClient(TabBoxClient *c, bool b) const = 0;
 
+    virtual void highlightWindows(TabBoxClient *window = nullptr, QWindow *controller = nullptr) = 0;
+
     /**
     * @return The current stacking order of TabBoxClients
     */
diff --git a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
--- a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@
     */
     bool isShown;
     TabBoxClient *lastRaisedClient, *lastRaisedClientSucc;
-    Xcb::Atom m_highlightWindowsAtom;
 
 private:
     QObject *createSwitcherItem(bool desktopMode);
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@
     : m_qmlContext()
     , m_qmlComponent()
     , m_mainItem(nullptr)
-    , m_highlightWindowsAtom(QByteArrayLiteral("_KDE_WINDOW_HIGHLIGHT"))
 {
     this->q = q;
     isShown = false;
@@ -199,19 +197,11 @@
         }
     }
 
-    xcb_window_t wId;
-    QVector< xcb_window_t > data;
     if (config.isShowTabBox() && w) {
-        wId = w->winId();
-        data.resize(2);
-        data[ 1 ] = wId;
+        q->highlightWindows(currentClient, w);
     } else {
-        wId = rootWindow();
-        data.resize(1);
+        q->highlightWindows(currentClient);
     }
-    data[ 0 ] = currentClient ? currentClient->window() : 0L;
-    xcb_change_property(connection(), XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE, wId, m_highlightWindowsAtom,
-                        m_highlightWindowsAtom, 32, data.size(), data.constData());
 }
 
 void TabBoxHandlerPrivate::endHighlightWindows(bool abort)
@@ -232,7 +222,7 @@
     lastRaisedClient = nullptr;
     lastRaisedClientSucc = nullptr;
     // highlight windows
-    xcb_delete_property(connection(), config.isShowTabBox() && w ? w->winId() : rootWindow(), m_highlightWindowsAtom);
+    q->highlightWindows();
 }
 
 #ifndef KWIN_UNIT_TEST