diff --git a/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt b/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kcms/icons/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,9 +26,16 @@
     target_link_libraries(kcm_icons Qt5::X11Extras)
 endif()
 
-install(TARGETS kcm_icons  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR} )
+file(GENERATE OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/config.h CONTENT "#define CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR \"${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR}\"")
+
+add_executable(plasma-changeicons changeicons.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(plasma-changeicons PRIVATE Qt5::Core KF5::KIOWidgets KF5::IconThemes)
 
-########### install files ###############
+install(TARGETS kcm_icons  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR} )
 
 install( FILES icons.desktop  DESTINATION  ${SERVICES_INSTALL_DIR} )
-install( FILES icons.knsrc  DESTINATION  ${CONFIG_INSTALL_DIR} )
+
+configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/icons.knsrc ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/icons.knsrc)
+install( FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/icons.knsrc  DESTINATION  ${CONFIG_INSTALL_DIR} )
+
+install(TARGETS plasma-changeicons DESTINATION ${LIBEXEC_INSTALL_DIR} )
diff --git a/kcms/icons/changeicons.cpp b/kcms/icons/changeicons.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kcms/icons/changeicons.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+ *   Copyright 20016 Aleix Pol Gonzalez <aleixpol@kde.org>
+ *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public License as
+ *   published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or
+ *   (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *   GNU General Public License for more details
+ *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
+ *   License along with this program; if not, write to the
+ *   Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ *   51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <KConfigGroup>
+#include <KIconTheme>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
+#include <KSharedDataCache>
+#include <KBuildSycocaProgressDialog>
+#include <QDebug>
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+    QApplication app(argc, argv);
+
+    if (app.arguments().count() != 2) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    {
+        //KNS will give us a path
+        QString themeName = app.arguments().last();
+        int idx = themeName.lastIndexOf('/');
+        if (idx>=0) {
+            themeName = themeName.mid(idx);
+        }
+
+        KConfigGroup config(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kdeglobals"), KConfig::SimpleConfig), "Icons");
+        config.writeEntry("Theme", themeName);
+    }
+
+    KIconTheme::reconfigure();
+
+    KSharedDataCache::deleteCache(QStringLiteral("icon-cache"));
+
+    for (int i=0; i<KIconLoader::LastGroup; i++)
+    {
+        KIconLoader::emitChange(KIconLoader::Group(i));
+    }
+
+    KBuildSycocaProgressDialog::rebuildKSycoca(nullptr);
+    app.exec();
+}
diff --git a/kcms/icons/icons.knsrc b/kcms/icons/icons.knsrc
--- a/kcms/icons/icons.knsrc
+++ b/kcms/icons/icons.knsrc
@@ -95,3 +95,5 @@
 Categories=KDE Icon Theme
 TargetDir=icons
 Uncompress=true
+
+AdoptionCommand=@CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR@/plasma-changeicons %d
diff --git a/kcms/icons/iconthemes.cpp b/kcms/icons/iconthemes.cpp
--- a/kcms/icons/iconthemes.cpp
+++ b/kcms/icons/iconthemes.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "iconthemes.h"
 
 #include <config-runtime.h>
+#include "config.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <QUrl>
 #include <qtemporaryfile.h>
 #include <QApplication>
+#include <QProcess>
 
 #include <KBuildSycocaProgressDialog>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
@@ -319,22 +321,6 @@
   KNS3::DownloadDialog dialog(QStringLiteral("icons.knsrc"), this);
   dialog.exec();
   if (!dialog.changedEntries().isEmpty()) {
-    for(int i = 0; i < dialog.changedEntries().size(); i ++) {
-      if(dialog.changedEntries().at(i).status() == KNS3::Entry::Installed
-         && !dialog.changedEntries().at(i).installedFiles().isEmpty()) {
-          const QString themeTmpFile = dialog.changedEntries().at(i).installedFiles().at(0);
-          const QString name = dialog.changedEntries().at(i).installedFiles().at(0).section('/', -2, -2);
-          qCDebug(KCM_ICONS)<<"IconThemesConfig::getNewTheme() themeTmpFile="<<themeTmpFile<<"name="<<name;
-          QStringList themeNames = findThemeDirs(themeTmpFile);
-          if (themeNames.isEmpty()) {
-              //dialog.changedEntries().at(i)->setStatus(KNS3::Entry::Invalid);
-          }
-          else if (! installThemes(themeNames, themeTmpFile)) {
-              //dialog.changedEntries().at(i)->setStatus(KNS3::Entry::Invalid);
-          }
-      }
-    }
-
     // reload the display icontheme items
     KIconLoader::global()->newIconLoader();
     loadThemes();
@@ -478,22 +464,10 @@
   if (!selected)
      return;
 
-  KConfigGroup config(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kdeglobals"), KConfig::SimpleConfig), "Icons");
-  config.writeEntry("Theme", selected->data(0, ThemeNameRole).toString());
-  config.sync();
+  QProcess::startDetached(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR "/plasma-changeicons", {selected->data(0, ThemeNameRole).toString()});
 
-  KIconTheme::reconfigure();
   emit changed(false);
 
-  KSharedDataCache::deleteCache(QStringLiteral("icon-cache"));
-
-  for (int i=0; i<KIconLoader::LastGroup; i++)
-  {
-    KIconLoader::emitChange(KIconLoader::Group(i));
-  }
-
-  KBuildSycocaProgressDialog::rebuildKSycoca(this);
-
   m_bChanged = false;
   m_removeButton->setEnabled(false);
 }