diff --git a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.h b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.h
--- a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.h
+++ b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 
 #include "autostart.h"
 
+class QProcess;
+
 class Startup : public QObject
 {
 Q_OBJECT
@@ -78,18 +80,32 @@
     AutoStart m_autoStart;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Launches a process, and waits for the process to start
+ */
+class StartProcessJob: public KJob
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    StartProcessJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QStringList &env = {});
+    void start() override;
+private:
+    QProcess* m_process;
+};
+
 /**
  * Launches a process, and waits for the service to appear on the session bus
  */
 class StartServiceJob: public KJob
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    StartServiceJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QString &serviceId);
+    StartServiceJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QString &serviceId, const QStringList &env = {});
     void start() override;
 private:
     const QString m_process;
     const QStringList m_args;
+    const QStringList m_env;
 };
 
 class RestoreSessionJob: public KJob
diff --git a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
--- a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
+++ b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
@@ -203,34 +203,35 @@
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject(QStringLiteral("/Startup"), QStringLiteral("org.kde.Startup"), this);
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerService(QStringLiteral("org.kde.Startup"));
 
+    upAndRunning(QStringLiteral("ksmserver"));
     const AutoStart autostart;
 
-    auto phase0 = new StartupPhase0(autostart, this);
-    auto phase1 = new StartupPhase1(autostart, this);
-    auto phase2 = new StartupPhase2(autostart, this);
-    auto restoreSession = new RestoreSessionJob();
-
-    // this includes starting kwin (currently)
-    // forward our arguments into ksmserver to match startplasma expectations
-    QStringList arguments = qApp->arguments();
-    arguments.removeFirst();
-    auto ksmserverJob = new StartServiceJob(QStringLiteral("ksmserver"), arguments, QStringLiteral("org.kde.ksmserver"));
-
-    connect(ksmserverJob, &KJob::finished, phase0, &KJob::start);
-
-    connect(phase0, &KJob::finished, phase1, &KJob::start);
-
-    connect(phase1, &KJob::finished, restoreSession, &KJob::start);
-    connect(restoreSession, &KJob::finished, phase2, &KJob::start);
-    upAndRunning(QStringLiteral("ksmserver"));
+    KJob* phase1;
+    const QVector<KJob*> sequence = {
+        new StartProcessJob(QStringLiteral("kcminit_startup"), {}),
+        new StartServiceJob(QStringLiteral("kded5"), {}, QStringLiteral("org.kde.kded"), QProcess::systemEnvironment() << QStringList{ QStringLiteral("KDED_STARTED_BY_KDEINIT=1") }),
+        new StartServiceJob(QStringLiteral("ksmserver"), QCoreApplication::instance()->arguments().mid(1), QStringLiteral("org.kde.ksmserver")),
+        new StartupPhase0(autostart, this),
+        phase1 = new StartupPhase1(autostart, this),
+        new RestoreSessionJob(),
+        new StartupPhase2(autostart, this),
+    };
+    KJob* last = nullptr;
+    for(KJob* job : sequence) {
+        if (last) {
+            connect(last, &KJob::finished, job, &KJob::start);
+        }
+        last = job;
+    }
 
     connect(phase1, &KJob::finished, this, []() {
         NotificationThread *loginSound = new NotificationThread();
         connect(loginSound, &NotificationThread::finished, loginSound, &NotificationThread::deleteLater);
-        loginSound->start();});
-    connect(phase2, &KJob::finished, this, &Startup::finishStartup);
+        loginSound->start();
+    });
 
-    ksmserverJob->start();
+    connect(sequence.last(), &KJob::finished, this, &Startup::finishStartup);
+    sequence.first()->start();
 }
 
 void Startup::upAndRunning( const QString& msg )
@@ -408,19 +409,46 @@
 }
 
 
-StartServiceJob::StartServiceJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QString &serviceId):
+StartServiceJob::StartServiceJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QString &serviceId, const QStringList &env):
     KJob(),
     m_process(process),
-    m_args(args)
+    m_args(args),
+    m_env(env)
 {
     auto watcher = new QDBusServiceWatcher(serviceId, QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), QDBusServiceWatcher::WatchForRegistration, this);
     connect(watcher, &QDBusServiceWatcher::serviceRegistered, this, &StartServiceJob::emitResult);
 }
 
 void StartServiceJob::start()
 {
-    QProcess::startDetached(m_process, m_args);
+    QProcess* p = new QProcess(this);
+    p->setEnvironment(m_env);
+    if (!p->startDetached(m_process, m_args))
+        qCWarning(PLASMA_SESSION) << "error starting process" << m_process << m_args;
+
+    connect(p, &QProcess::errorOccurred, this, [this] (QProcess::ProcessError error) {
+        qCWarning(PLASMA_SESSION) << "error on process" << error << m_process << m_args;
+    });
 }
 
+StartProcessJob::StartProcessJob(const QString &process, const QStringList &args, const QStringList &env)
+    : KJob()
+    , m_process(new QProcess(this))
+{
+    m_process->setProgram(process);
+    m_process->setArguments(args);
+    m_process->setEnvironment(env);
+
+    connect(m_process, &QProcess::errorOccurred, this, [process, args] (QProcess::ProcessError error) {
+        qCWarning(PLASMA_SESSION) << "error starting process" << error << process << args;
+    });
+    connect(m_process, &QProcess::started, this, &StartProcessJob::emitResult);
+}
+
+void StartProcessJob::start()
+{
+    if (!m_process->startDetached())
+        qCWarning(PLASMA_SESSION) << "error starting process" << m_process->program();
+}
 
 #include "startup.moc"
diff --git a/startkde/startplasma-waylandsession.cpp b/startkde/startplasma-waylandsession.cpp
--- a/startkde/startplasma-waylandsession.cpp
+++ b/startkde/startplasma-waylandsession.cpp
@@ -56,9 +56,6 @@
         return 2;
     }
 
-    if (!startKDEInit())
-        return 3;
-
     if (!startKSMServer(true))
         return 4;
 
diff --git a/startkde/startplasma-x11.cpp b/startkde/startplasma-x11.cpp
--- a/startkde/startplasma-x11.cpp
+++ b/startkde/startplasma-x11.cpp
@@ -99,9 +99,6 @@
         return 1;
     }
 
-    if (!startKDEInit())
-        return 1;
-
     if (!startKSMServer(false))
         return 1;
 
diff --git a/startkde/startplasma.cpp b/startkde/startplasma.cpp
--- a/startkde/startplasma.cpp
+++ b/startkde/startplasma.cpp
@@ -327,23 +327,10 @@
     }
 }
 
-bool startKDEInit()
+bool startKSMServer(bool wayland)
 {
-    // We set LD_BIND_NOW to increase the efficiency of kdeinit.
-    // kdeinit unsets this variable before loading applications.
-    const int exitCode = runSync(QStringLiteral(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR_KF5 "/start_kdeinit_wrapper"), { QStringLiteral("--kded"), QStringLiteral("+kcminit_startup") }, { QStringLiteral("LD_BIND_NOW=true") });
-    if (exitCode != 0) {
-        messageBox(QStringLiteral("startkde: Could not start kdeinit5. Check your installation."));
-        return false;
-    }
-
     OrgKdeKSplashInterface iface(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KSplash"), QStringLiteral("/KSplash"), QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
     iface.setStage(QStringLiteral("kinit"));
-    return true;
-}
-
-bool startKSMServer(bool wayland)
-{
     // finally, give the session control to the session manager
     // see kdebase/ksmserver for the description of the rest of the startup sequence
     // if the KDEWM environment variable has been set, then it will be used as KDE's