diff --git a/imports/activitymanager/sortedactivitiesmodel.cpp b/imports/activitymanager/sortedactivitiesmodel.cpp
--- a/imports/activitymanager/sortedactivitiesmodel.cpp
+++ b/imports/activitymanager/sortedactivitiesmodel.cpp
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@
 // Qt
 #include <QColor>
 #include <QObject>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 // KDE
-#include <KConfig>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
 #include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KDirWatch>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
@@ -36,43 +37,58 @@
 #include <KWindowSystem>
 #include <QX11Info>
 
+#define PLASMACONFIG "plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc"
+
 namespace {
 
     class BackgroundCache {
     public:
         BackgroundCache()
             : initialized(false)
-            , plasmaConfig("plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc")
+            , plasmaConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(PLASMACONFIG))
+            , updateTimer()
         {
             using namespace std::placeholders;
 
             const auto configFile = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(
                                         QStandardPaths::GenericConfigLocation) +
-                                    QLatin1Char('/') + plasmaConfig.name();
+                                    QLatin1Char('/') + PLASMACONFIG;
 
             KDirWatch::self()->addFile(configFile);
 
             QObject::connect(KDirWatch::self(), &KDirWatch::dirty,
                              [this] (const QString &file) { settingsFileChanged(file); });
             QObject::connect(KDirWatch::self(), &KDirWatch::created,
                              [this] (const QString &file) { settingsFileChanged(file); });
+
+            updateTimer.setSingleShot(true);
+            updateTimer.setInterval(500);
+
+            QObject::connect(&updateTimer, &QTimer::timeout,
+                             [this] () {
+                                plasmaConfig->reparseConfiguration();
+                                reload();
+                            });
         }
 
         void settingsFileChanged(const QString &file)
         {
-            if (!file.endsWith(plasmaConfig.name())) return;
-
-            plasmaConfig.reparseConfiguration();
+            if (!file.endsWith(PLASMACONFIG)) {
+                qDebug() << "Updated GREPME a wrong file: " << file;
+                return;
+            }
 
             if (initialized) {
-                reload(false);
+                // Requesting reload a bit later - we want plasma to finish
+                // writing the file first
+                updateTimer.start();
             }
         }
 
         void subscribe(SortedActivitiesModel *model)
         {
             if (!initialized) {
-                reload(true);
+                reload();
             }
 
             models << model;
@@ -108,8 +124,10 @@
             return QString();
         }
 
-        void reload(bool)
+        void reload()
         {
+            updateTimer.stop();
+
             auto newForActivity = forActivity;
 
             // contains activities for which the wallpaper
@@ -169,14 +187,15 @@
         }
 
         KConfigGroup plasmaConfigContainments() {
-            return plasmaConfig.group("Containments");
+            return plasmaConfig->group("Containments");
         }
 
         QHash<QString, QString> forActivity;
         QList<SortedActivitiesModel*> models;
 
         bool initialized;
-        KConfig plasmaConfig;
+        KSharedConfig::Ptr plasmaConfig;
+        QTimer updateTimer;
 
     };
 
@@ -187,6 +206,7 @@
         static BackgroundCache cache;
         return cache;
     }
+
 }
 
 SortedActivitiesModel::SortedActivitiesModel(QVector<KActivities::Info::State> states, QObject *parent)