diff --git a/libtaskmanager/autotests/launchertasksmodeltest.cpp b/libtaskmanager/autotests/launchertasksmodeltest.cpp
--- a/libtaskmanager/autotests/launchertasksmodeltest.cpp
+++ b/libtaskmanager/autotests/launchertasksmodeltest.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
         void shouldRoundTripLauncherUrlList();
         void shouldIgnoreInvalidUrls();
+        void shouldAcceptSpaces();
         void shouldRejectDuplicates();
         void shouldAddRemoveLauncher();
         void shouldReturnValidLauncherPositions();
@@ -91,6 +92,25 @@
     QCOMPARE(m.launcherList(), QStringList());
 }
 
+void LauncherTasksModelTest::shouldAcceptSpaces()
+{
+    LauncherTasksModel m;
+
+    const QStringList urlStrings{
+        QLatin1String("applications:App with spaces.desktop")
+    };
+
+    QSignalSpy launcherListChangedSpy(&m, &LauncherTasksModel::launcherListChanged);
+    QVERIFY(launcherListChangedSpy.isValid());
+
+    const bool added = m.requestAddLauncher(QUrl(urlStrings.at(0)));
+
+    QVERIFY(added);
+    QCOMPARE(launcherListChangedSpy.count(), 1);
+
+    QCOMPARE(m.launcherList(), QStringList() << urlStrings.at(0));
+}
+
 void LauncherTasksModelTest::shouldRejectDuplicates()
 {
     LauncherTasksModel m;
diff --git a/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel.cpp b/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel.cpp
--- a/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel.cpp
+++ b/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel.cpp
@@ -143,15 +143,13 @@
 
 bool LauncherTasksModel::Private::requestAddLauncherToActivities(const QUrl &_url, const QStringList &_activities)
 {
-    // isValid() for the passed-in URL might return true if it was
-    // constructed in TolerantMode, but we want to reject invalid URLs.
-    QUrl url(_url.toString(), QUrl::StrictMode);
-    const auto activities = ActivitiesSet::fromList(_activities);
-
-    if (url.isEmpty() || !url.isValid()) {
+    QUrl url(_url);
+    if (!isValidLauncherUrl(url)) {
         return false;
     }
 
+    const auto activities = ActivitiesSet::fromList(_activities);
+
     if (url.isLocalFile() && KDesktopFile::isDesktopFile(url.toLocalFile())) {
         KDesktopFile f(url.toLocalFile());
 
@@ -409,7 +407,9 @@
         auto activities = ActivitiesSet::fromList(_activities);
 
         // Is url is not valid, ignore it
-        if (!url.isValid()) continue;
+        if (!isValidLauncherUrl(url)) {
+            continue;
+        }
 
         // If we have a null uuid, it means we are on all activities
         // and we should contain only the null uuid
diff --git a/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel_p.h b/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel_p.h
--- a/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel_p.h
+++ b/libtaskmanager/launchertasksmodel_p.h
@@ -29,10 +29,25 @@
 
 #define NULL_UUID "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
 
+inline static bool isValidLauncherUrl(const QUrl &url)
+{
+    if (url.isEmpty() || !url.isValid()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (!url.isLocalFile()
+            && url.scheme() != QLatin1String("applications")
+            && url.scheme() != QLatin1String("preferred")) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 inline static std::pair<QUrl, QStringList> deserializeLauncher(const QString &serializedLauncher)
 {
     QStringList activities;
-    QUrl url(serializedLauncher, QUrl::StrictMode);
+    QUrl url(serializedLauncher);
 
     // The storage format is: [list of activity ids]\nURL
     // The activity IDs list can not be empty, it at least needs
@@ -47,7 +62,7 @@
             activities = serializedLauncher.mid(1, activitiesBlockEnd - 1).split(",", QString::SkipEmptyParts);
 
             if (!activities.isEmpty()) {
-                url = QUrl(serializedLauncher.mid(activitiesBlockEnd + 2), QUrl::StrictMode);
+                url = QUrl(serializedLauncher.mid(activitiesBlockEnd + 2));
             }
         }
     }