diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 project(Dolphin VERSION ${KDE_APPLICATIONS_VERSION})
 
 set(QT_MIN_VERSION "5.5.0")
-set(KF5_MIN_VERSION "5.37.0")
+set(KF5_MIN_VERSION "5.40.0")
 set(ECM_MIN_VERSION "1.6.0")
 
 # ECM setup
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@
     Q_ASSERT(model);
 
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                         << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
+    m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList());
+    if (m_enabledPlugins.isEmpty()) {
+        m_enabledPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins();
+    }
 
     connect(m_model, &KFileItemModel::itemsInserted,
             this,    &KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsInserted);
diff --git a/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg b/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
--- a/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
+++ b/src/settings/dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
         <entry name="PreviewsShown" type="Bool" >
             <label context="@label">Previews shown</label>
             <whatsthis context="@info:whatsthis">When this option is enabled, a preview of the file content is shown as an icon.</whatsthis>
-            <default>false</default>
+            <default>true</default>
         </entry>
 
         <entry name="GroupedSorting" type="Bool" >
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <KServiceTypeTrader>
 #include <KService>
+#include <KIO/PreviewJob>
 
 #include <settings/serviceitemdelegate.h>
 #include <settings/servicemodel.h>
@@ -172,12 +173,11 @@
 
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::loadSettings()
 {
-    KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                     << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
-
+    const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), QStringLiteral("PreviewSettings"));
+    m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList());
+    if (m_enabledPreviewPlugins.isEmpty()) {
+        m_enabledPreviewPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins();
+    }
     const qulonglong defaultRemotePreview = static_cast<qulonglong>(MaxRemotePreviewSize) * 1024 * 1024;
     const qulonglong maxRemoteByteSize = globalConfig.readEntry("MaximumRemoteSize", defaultRemotePreview);
     const int maxRemoteMByteSize = maxRemoteByteSize / (1024 * 1024);
diff --git a/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp b/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
--- a/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
+++ b/src/views/dolphinitemlistview.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.h>
 #include <kitemviews/kitemliststyleoption.h>
 
+#include <KIO/PreviewJob>
 
 #include <views/viewmodecontroller.h>
 
@@ -94,11 +95,11 @@
     updateGridSize();
 
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
-    const QStringList plugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList()
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("directorythumbnail")
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("imagethumbnail")
-                                                       << QStringLiteral("jpegthumbnail"));
-    setEnabledPlugins(plugins);
+    QStringList enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", QStringList());
+    if (enabledPlugins.isEmpty()) {
+        enabledPlugins = KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins();
+    }
+    setEnabledPlugins(enabledPlugins);
 
     endTransaction();
 }