diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@
    geometry.cpp
    rules.cpp
    composite.cpp
+   tabletmodemanager.cpp
    toplevel.cpp
    unmanaged.cpp
    scene.cpp
diff --git a/tabletmodemanager.h b/tabletmodemanager.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tabletmodemanager.h
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018 Marco Martin <mart@kde.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
+ * the License or (at your option) version 3 or any later version
+ * accepted by the membership of KDE e.V. (or its successor approved
+ * by the membership of KDE e.V.), which shall act as a proxy
+ * defined in Section 14 of version 3 of the license.
+ *
+ * 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 General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef KWIN_TABLETMODEMANAGER_H
+#define KWIN_TABLETMODEMANAGER_H
+
+#include <QObject>
+#include <kwinglobals.h>
+
+namespace KWin {
+
+class TabletModeInputEventSpy;
+
+class TabletModeManager : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+    Q_CLASSINFO("D-Bus Interface", "org.kde.KWin.TabletModeManager")
+    //FIXME: the setter will not be exported in dbus in the final version
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool tabletMode READ isTablet WRITE setIsTablet NOTIFY tabletModeChanged)
+
+public:
+    //explicit TabletModeManager(QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    ~TabletModeManager() override;
+    bool isTablet() const;
+    void setIsTablet(bool tablet);
+
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void tabletModeChanged(bool tabletMode);
+
+private:
+    bool m_isTabletMode = false;
+    TabletModeInputEventSpy *m_spy;
+    KWIN_SINGLETON_VARIABLE(TabletModeManager, s_manager)
+};
+}
+
+#endif // KWIN_TABLETMODEMANAGER_H
diff --git a/tabletmodemanager.cpp b/tabletmodemanager.cpp
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tabletmodemanager.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018 Marco Martin <mart@kde.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
+ * the License or (at your option) version 3 or any later version
+ * accepted by the membership of KDE e.V. (or its successor approved
+ * by the membership of KDE e.V.), which shall act as a proxy
+ * defined in Section 14 of version 3 of the license.
+ *
+ * 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 General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "tabletmodemanager.h"
+#include "input.h"
+#include "input_event.h"
+#include "input_event_spy.h"
+
+#if HAVE_INPUT
+#include "libinput/device.h"
+#endif
+
+#include <QDBusConnection>
+
+using namespace KWin;
+
+KWIN_SINGLETON_FACTORY_VARIABLE(TabletModeManager, s_manager)
+
+class KWin::TabletModeInputEventSpy : public InputEventSpy
+{
+public:
+    explicit TabletModeInputEventSpy(TabletModeManager *parent);
+
+    void switchEvent(SwitchEvent *event) override;
+private:
+    TabletModeManager *m_parent;
+};
+
+TabletModeInputEventSpy::TabletModeInputEventSpy(TabletModeManager *parent)
+    : m_parent(parent)
+{
+}
+
+void TabletModeInputEventSpy::switchEvent(SwitchEvent *event)
+{
+    if (!event->device()->isTabletModeSwitch()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    switch (event->state()) {
+    case SwitchEvent::State::Off:
+        m_parent->setIsTablet(false);
+        break;
+    case SwitchEvent::State::On:
+        m_parent->setIsTablet(true);
+        break;
+    default:
+        Q_UNREACHABLE();
+    }
+}
+
+
+
+TabletModeManager::TabletModeManager(QObject *parent)
+    : QObject(parent)
+{
+    m_spy = new TabletModeInputEventSpy(this);
+    input()->installInputEventSpy(m_spy);
+
+    QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject(QStringLiteral("/org/kde/KWin"),
+                                                 QStringLiteral("org.kde.KWin.TabletModeManager"),
+                                                 this,
+                                                 QDBusConnection::ExportAllProperties | QDBusConnection::ExportAllSignals
+    );
+}
+
+TabletModeManager::~TabletModeManager()
+{
+}
+
+bool TabletModeManager::isTablet() const
+{
+    return m_isTabletMode;
+}
+
+void TabletModeManager::setIsTablet(bool tablet)
+{
+    if (m_isTabletMode == tablet) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    m_isTabletMode = tablet;
+    emit tabletModeChanged(tablet);
+}
+
+
+
+#include "tabletmodemanager.moc"
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 #ifdef KWIN_BUILD_TABBOX
 #include "tabbox.h"
 #endif
+#include "tabletmodemanager.h"
 #include "unmanaged.h"
 #include "useractions.h"
 #include "virtualdesktops.h"
@@ -179,6 +180,8 @@
     connect(this, &Workspace::currentDesktopChanged, m_compositor, &Compositor::addRepaintFull);
     connect(m_compositor, &QObject::destroyed, this, [this] { m_compositor = nullptr; });
 
+    TabletModeManager::create(this);
+
     auto decorationBridge = Decoration::DecorationBridge::create(this);
     decorationBridge->init();
     connect(this, &Workspace::configChanged, decorationBridge, &Decoration::DecorationBridge::reconfigure);