diff --git a/kded/configvalueprovider.cpp b/kded/configvalueprovider.cpp
--- a/kded/configvalueprovider.cpp
+++ b/kded/configvalueprovider.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 {
     static const QFont defaultFont(QStringLiteral("Noto Sans"), 10);
 
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("General"));
     QString fontAsString = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("font"), defaultFont.toString());
     static QFont font;
@@ -114,24 +113,18 @@
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::iconThemeName() const
 {
-    KIconTheme *newIconTheme = KIconLoader::global()->theme();
-    if (newIconTheme) {
-        return newIconTheme->internalName();
-    } else {
-        return QStringLiteral("breeze");
-    }
+    KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("Icons"));
+    return configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("Theme"), QStringLiteral("breeze"));
 }
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::cursorThemeName() const
 {
-    inputConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = inputConfig->group(QStringLiteral("Mouse"));
     return configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("cursorTheme"), QStringLiteral("breeze_cursors"));
 }
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::iconsOnButtons() const
 {
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("KDE"));
     bool kdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ShowIconsOnPushButtons"), true);
 
@@ -144,7 +137,6 @@
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::iconsInMenus() const
 {
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("KDE"));
     bool kdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ShowIconsInMenuItems"), true);
 
@@ -157,15 +149,13 @@
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::toolbarStyle(ConfigValueProvider::ToolbarStyleNotation notation) const
 {
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("Toolbar style"));
     QString kdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ToolButtonStyle"), "TextBesideIcon");
     return toolbarStyleInDesiredNotation(kdeConfigValue, notation);
 }
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::scrollbarBehavior() const
 {
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("KDE"));
     bool kdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ScrollbarLeftClickNavigatesByPage"), true);
     if (kdeConfigValue) { // GTK setting is inverted
@@ -177,7 +167,6 @@
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::preferDarkTheme() const
 {
-    kdeglobalsConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup colorsConfigGroup = kdeglobalsConfig->group(QStringLiteral("Colors:Window"));
     QColor windowBackgroundColor = colorsConfigGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("BackgroundNormal"), QColor(239, 240, 241));
     const int windowBackgroundGray = qGray(windowBackgroundColor.rgb());
@@ -192,7 +181,6 @@
 
 QString ConfigValueProvider::windowDecorationsButtonsOrder() const
 {
-    kwinConfig->reparseConfiguration();
     KConfigGroup configGroup = kwinConfig->group(QStringLiteral("org.kde.kdecoration2"));
     QString buttonsOnLeftKdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ButtonsOnLeft"), "MS");
     QString buttonsOnRightKdeConfigValue = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("ButtonsOnRight"), "HIAX");
diff --git a/kded/gtkconfig.h b/kded/gtkconfig.h
--- a/kded/gtkconfig.h
+++ b/kded/gtkconfig.h
@@ -33,35 +33,12 @@
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_CLASSINFO("D-Bus Interface", "org.kde.GtkConfig")
 
-    enum class SettingsChangeType {
-        Palette = 0,
-        Font,
-        Style,
-        Settings,
-        Icon,
-        Cursor,
-        ToolbarStyle,
-        BlockShortcuts,
-        NaturalSorting
-    };
-
-    enum class SettingsCategory {
-        Mouse,
-        Completion,
-        Paths,
-        Popupmenu,
-        Qt,
-        Shortcuts,
-        Locale,
-        Style
-    };
-
 public:
     GtkConfig(QObject *parent, const QVariantList& args);
     ~GtkConfig();
 
     void setFont() const;
-    void setIconTheme(int iconGroup) const;
+    void setIconTheme() const;
     void setCursorTheme() const;
     void setIconsOnButtons() const;
     void setIconsInMenus() const;
@@ -83,7 +60,6 @@
     Q_SCRIPTABLE void showGtk2ThemePreview(const QString &themeName) const;
     Q_SCRIPTABLE void showGtk3ThemePreview(const QString &themeName) const;
 
-    void onGlobalSettingsChange(int settingsChangeType, int arg) const;
     void onKdeglobalsSettingsChange(const KConfigGroup &group, const QByteArrayList &names) const;
     void onKWinSettingsChange(const KConfigGroup &group, const QByteArrayList &names) const;
     void onKCMInputSettingsChange(const KConfigGroup &group, const QByteArrayList &names) const;
diff --git a/kded/gtkconfig.cpp b/kded/gtkconfig.cpp
--- a/kded/gtkconfig.cpp
+++ b/kded/gtkconfig.cpp
@@ -46,19 +46,9 @@
     dbus.registerService(QStringLiteral("org.kde.GtkConfig"));
     dbus.registerObject(QStringLiteral("/GtkConfig"), this, QDBusConnection::ExportScriptableSlots);
 
-    connect(qGuiApp, &QGuiApplication::fontChanged, this, &GtkConfig::setFont);
-    connect(KIconLoader::global(), &KIconLoader::iconChanged, this, &GtkConfig::setIconTheme);
     connect(kdeglobalsConfigWatcher.data(), &KConfigWatcher::configChanged, this, &GtkConfig::onKdeglobalsSettingsChange);
     connect(kwinConfigWatcher.data(), &KConfigWatcher::configChanged, this, &GtkConfig::onKWinSettingsChange);
     connect(kcminputConfigWatcher.data(), &KConfigWatcher::configChanged, this, &GtkConfig::onKCMInputSettingsChange);
-    dbus.connect(
-        QString(),
-        QStringLiteral("/KGlobalSettings"),
-        QStringLiteral("org.kde.KGlobalSettings"),
-        QStringLiteral("notifyChange"),
-        this,
-        SLOT(onGlobalSettingsChange(int,int))
-    );
 
     ConfigEditor::removeLegacyGtk2Strings();
     applyAllSettings();
@@ -112,15 +102,13 @@
     ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueXSettingsd(QStringLiteral("Gtk/FontName"),  configFontName);
 }
 
-void GtkConfig::setIconTheme(int iconGroup) const
+void GtkConfig::setIconTheme() const
 {
-    if (iconGroup == KIconLoader::Group::Desktop) { // This is needed to update icons only once
-        const QString iconThemeName = configValueProvider->iconThemeName();
-        ConfigEditor::setGtk2ConfigValue(QStringLiteral("gtk-icon-theme-name"), iconThemeName);
-        ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueDconf(QStringLiteral("icon-theme"), iconThemeName);
-        ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueSettingsIni(QStringLiteral("gtk-icon-theme-name"), iconThemeName);
-        ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueXSettingsd(QStringLiteral("Net/IconThemeName"),  iconThemeName);
-    }
+    const QString iconThemeName = configValueProvider->iconThemeName();
+    ConfigEditor::setGtk2ConfigValue(QStringLiteral("gtk-icon-theme-name"), iconThemeName);
+    ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueDconf(QStringLiteral("icon-theme"), iconThemeName);
+    ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueSettingsIni(QStringLiteral("gtk-icon-theme-name"), iconThemeName);
+    ConfigEditor::setGtk3ConfigValueXSettingsd(QStringLiteral("Net/IconThemeName"),  iconThemeName);
 }
 
 void GtkConfig::setCursorTheme() const
@@ -197,7 +185,7 @@
 void GtkConfig::applyAllSettings() const
 {
     setFont();
-    setIconTheme(KIconLoader::Group::Desktop);
+    setIconTheme();
     setCursorTheme();
     setIconsOnButtons();
     setIconsInMenus();
@@ -208,27 +196,36 @@
     setEnableAnimations();
 }
 
-void GtkConfig::onGlobalSettingsChange(int settingsChangeType, int arg) const
-{
-    SettingsChangeType changeType = static_cast<SettingsChangeType>(settingsChangeType);
-    SettingsCategory settingsCategory = static_cast<SettingsCategory>(arg);
-
-    if (changeType == SettingsChangeType::Settings && settingsCategory == SettingsCategory::Style) {
-        setIconsOnButtons();
-        setIconsInMenus();
-        setToolbarStyle();
-    } else if (changeType == SettingsChangeType::Settings && settingsCategory == SettingsCategory::Mouse) {
-        setScrollbarBehavior();
-    } else if (changeType == SettingsChangeType::Palette) {
-        setDarkThemePreference();
-    }
-}
-
 void GtkConfig::onKdeglobalsSettingsChange(const KConfigGroup &group, const QByteArrayList &names) const
 {
-    if (group.name() == QLatin1String("KDE")
-            && names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("AnimationDurationFactor"))) {
-        setEnableAnimations();
+    if (group.name() == QStringLiteral("KDE")) {
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("AnimationDurationFactor"))) {
+            setEnableAnimations();
+        }
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("ShowIconsInMenuItems"))) {
+            setIconsInMenus();
+        }
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("ShowIconsOnPushButtons"))) {
+            setIconsOnButtons();
+        }
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("ScrollbarLeftClickNavigatesByPage"))) {
+            setScrollbarBehavior();
+        }
+    } else if (group.name() == QStringLiteral("Icons")) {
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("Theme"))) {
+            setIconTheme();
+        }
+    } else if (group.name() == QStringLiteral("General")) {
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("font"))) {
+            setFont();
+        }
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("ColorScheme"))) {
+            setDarkThemePreference();
+        }
+    } else if (group.name() == QStringLiteral("Toolbar style")) {
+        if (names.contains(QByteArrayLiteral("ToolButtonStyle"))) {
+            setToolbarStyle();
+        }
     }
 }