diff --git a/shell/desktopview.h b/shell/desktopview.h
--- a/shell/desktopview.h
+++ b/shell/desktopview.h
@@ -88,12 +88,14 @@
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void stayBehindChanged();
     void windowTypeChanged();
+    void screenRenamed();
 
 private:
     void coronaPackageChanged(const KPackage::Package &package);
     void ensureWindowType();
     void setupWaylandIntegration();
 
+    QString m_screenName;
     QPointer<PlasmaQuick::ConfigView> m_configView;
     QPointer<QScreen> m_oldScreen;
     QPointer<QScreen> m_screenToFollow;
diff --git a/shell/desktopview.cpp b/shell/desktopview.cpp
--- a/shell/desktopview.cpp
+++ b/shell/desktopview.cpp
@@ -85,12 +85,7 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    /*connect(screen, &QObject::destroyed, this, [this]() {
-        if (DesktopView::screen()) {
-            m_screenToFollow = DesktopView::screen();
-            adaptToScreen();
-        }
-    });*/
+    m_screenName = screen->name();
     m_screenToFollow = screen;
     setScreen(screen);
     adaptToScreen();
@@ -204,7 +199,17 @@
 
 bool DesktopView::event(QEvent *e)
 {
-    if (e->type() == QEvent::KeyRelease) {
+    //NOTE: we need this heuristic for the case when there is an
+    //internal laptop screen that gets disabled upon connection of an external one. the only QCreen * pointer gets recycled and there is no dedicated signal to discover this at all
+    //after being moved, the view will get an expose event, so we can check there if the screen has been renamed
+    //see https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=373880
+    //https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-57785
+    if (e->type() == QEvent::Expose) {
+        if (m_screenToFollow && m_screenToFollow->name() != m_screenName) {
+            m_screenName = m_screenToFollow->name();
+            emit screenRenamed();
+        }
+    } else if (e->type() == QEvent::KeyRelease) {
         QKeyEvent *ke = static_cast<QKeyEvent *>(e);
         if (KWindowSystem::showingDesktop() && ke->key() == Qt::Key_Escape) {
             ShellCorona *c = qobject_cast<ShellCorona *>(corona());
diff --git a/shell/shellcorona.cpp b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
--- a/shell/shellcorona.cpp
+++ b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
@@ -1144,6 +1144,20 @@
 
     DesktopView *view = new DesktopView(this, screen);
     connect(view, &QQuickWindow::sceneGraphError, this, &ShellCorona::showOpenGLNotCompatibleWarning);
+    // a particular edge case: when we switch the only enabled screen
+    // we don't have any signal about it, the primary screen changes but we have the same old QScreen* getting recycled
+    // see https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=373880
+    // if this slot will be invoked many times, their//second time on will do nothing as name and primaryconnector will be the same by then
+    connect(view, &DesktopView::screenRenamed, this, [=](){
+        if (qGuiApp->primaryScreen()->name() != m_screenPool->primaryConnector()) {
+            //new screen?
+            if (m_screenPool->id(qGuiApp->primaryScreen()->name()) < 0) {
+                m_screenPool->insertScreenMapping(m_screenPool->firstAvailableId(), qGuiApp->primaryScreen()->name());
+            }
+            //switch the primary screen in the pool
+            m_screenPool->setPrimaryConnector(qGuiApp->primaryScreen()->name());
+        }
+    });
 
     Plasma::Containment *containment = createContainmentForActivity(m_activityController->currentActivity(), insertPosition);
     Q_ASSERT(containment);