diff --git a/cmake/rules_PyKF5.py b/cmake/rules_PyKF5.py
--- a/cmake/rules_PyKF5.py
+++ b/cmake/rules_PyKF5.py
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 
 def local_container_rules():
     return [
-        [".*", "KConfigBackend", ".*", ".*", ".*", mark_and_discard_QSharedData],
         [".*", "KConfigBase", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.container_mark_abstract],
 
         [".*KCoreConfigSkeleton.*", ".*ItemString", ".*", ".*", ".*", set_skeleton_item_base],
@@ -107,11 +106,6 @@
         ["KEntryMap", "setEntryOption", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
         ["KEntryMap", "findEntry", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
         ["KEntryMap", "findExactEntry", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
-
-        ["KConfigBackend", "registerMappings", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
-        ["KConfigBackend", "parseConfig", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
-        ["KConfigBackend", "writeConfig", ".*", ".*", ".*", rules_engine.function_discard],
-
     ]
 
 def local_typedef_rules():
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
   HEADER_NAMES
   KAuthorized
   KConfig
-  KConfigBackend
   KConfigBase
   KConfigGroup
   KDesktopFile
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@
     HEADERS
       kauthorized.h
       kconfig.h
-      kconfigbackend.h
       kconfigbase.h
       kconfiggroup.h
       kdesktopfile.h
diff --git a/src/core/kconfigbackend.h b/src/core/kconfigbackend.h
--- a/src/core/kconfigbackend.h
+++ b/src/core/kconfigbackend.h
@@ -41,11 +41,13 @@
  *
  * Provides the implementation for accessing configuration sources.
  *
- * KDELibs only provides an INI backend, but this class can be used
+ * KConfig only provides an INI backend, but this class can be used
  * to create plugins that allow access to other file formats and
  * configuration systems.
+ *
+ * \internal
  */
-class KCONFIGCORE_EXPORT KConfigBackend : public QObject, public QSharedData
+class KConfigBackend : public QObject, public QSharedData
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
@@ -201,10 +203,12 @@
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(KConfigBackend::ParseOptions)
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(KConfigBackend::WriteOptions)
 
+#if 0 // TODO re-enable if the plugin loading code is re-enabled
 /**
  * Register a KConfig backend when it is contained in a loadable module
  */
 #define K_EXPORT_KCONFIGBACKEND(libname, classname) \
     K_PLUGIN_FACTORY(factory, registerPlugin<classname>();)
+#endif
 
 #endif // KCONFIGBACKEND_H