diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/Task.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@
     property Item audioStreamOverlay
     property var audioStreams: []
     property bool delayAudioStreamIndicator: false
-    readonly property bool hasAudioStream: plasmoid.configuration.indicateAudioStreams && audioStreams.length > 0
+    readonly property bool audioIndicatorsEnabled: plasmoid.configuration.indicateAudioStreams
+    readonly property bool hasAudioStream: audioStreams.length > 0
     readonly property bool playingAudio: hasAudioStream && audioStreams.some(function (item) {
         return !item.corked
     })
@@ -222,9 +223,11 @@
     }
 
     onHasAudioStreamChanged: {
-        if (hasAudioStream) {
-            audioStreamIconLoader.active = true
-        }
+        audioStreamIconLoader.active = hasAudioStream && audioIndicatorsEnabled;
+    }
+
+    onAudioIndicatorsEnabledChanged: {
+        audioStreamIconLoader.active = hasAudioStream && audioIndicatorsEnabled;
     }
 
     Keys.onReturnPressed: TaskTools.activateTask(modelIndex(), model, event.modifiers, task)
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
     property bool needLayoutRefresh: false;
     property variant taskClosedWithMouseMiddleButton: []
 
+    readonly property bool plasmaPaAvailable: Qt.createComponent("PulseAudio.qml").status === Component.Ready
+
     Plasmoid.preferredRepresentation: Plasmoid.fullRepresentation
 
     Plasmoid.onUserConfiguringChanged: {
@@ -305,7 +307,7 @@
     Loader {
         id: pulseAudio
         source: "PulseAudio.qml"
-        active: plasmoid.configuration.indicateAudioStreams
+        active: plasmaPaAvailable
     }
 
     Timer {