diff --git a/ksmserver/server.h b/ksmserver/server.h
--- a/ksmserver/server.h
+++ b/ksmserver/server.h
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@
     QList<KSMClient*> clientsToKill;
     QList<KSMClient*> clientsToSave;
 
+    int sockets[2];
     friend bool readFromPipe(int pipe);
 };
 
diff --git a/ksmserver/server.cpp b/ksmserver/server.cpp
--- a/ksmserver/server.cpp
+++ b/ksmserver/server.cpp
@@ -524,24 +524,16 @@
     XSetIOErrorHandler(Xio_ErrorHandler);
 }
 
+static int wake_up_socket = -1;
 static void sighandler(int sig)
 {
     if (sig == SIGHUP) {
         signal(SIGHUP, sighandler);
         return;
     }
 
-    if (the_server)
-    {
-       KSMServer *server = the_server;
-       the_server = nullptr;
-       server->cleanUp();
-       delete server;
-    }
-
-    if (qApp)
-        qApp->quit();
-    //::exit(0);
+    char ch = 0;
+    (void)::write(wake_up_socket, &ch, 1);
 }
 
 
@@ -607,14 +599,21 @@
   : wmProcess( nullptr )
   , sessionGroup( QStringLiteral( "" ) )
   , logoutEffectWidget( nullptr )
+  , sockets{ -1, -1 }
 {
     if (!flags.testFlag(InitFlag::NoLockScreen)) {
         ScreenLocker::KSldApp::self()->initialize();
         if (flags.testFlag(InitFlag::ImmediateLockScreen)) {
             ScreenLocker::KSldApp::self()->lock(ScreenLocker::EstablishLock::Immediate);
         }
     }
 
+    if(::socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0, sockets) != 0)
+        qFatal("Could not create socket pair, error %d (%s)", errno, strerror(errno));
+    wake_up_socket = sockets[0];
+    QSocketNotifier* n = new QSocketNotifier(sockets[1], QSocketNotifier::Read, this);
+    qApp->connect(n, &QSocketNotifier::activated, &QApplication::quit);
+
     new KSMServerInterfaceAdaptor( this );
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject(QStringLiteral("/KSMServer"), this);
     kcminitSignals = nullptr;
@@ -738,6 +737,12 @@
     clean = true;
     IceFreeListenObjs (numTransports, listenObjs);
 
+    wake_up_socket = -1;
+    ::close(sockets[1]);
+    ::close(sockets[0]);
+    sockets[0] = -1;
+    sockets[1] = -1;
+
     QByteArray fName = QFile::encodeName(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::RuntimeLocation) + QLatin1Char('/') + QStringLiteral("KSMserver"));
     QString display  = QString::fromLocal8Bit(::getenv("DISPLAY"));
     // strip the screen number from the display