diff --git a/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp b/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
index 879ef003e..0eb4b55a5 100644
--- a/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
+++ b/kcms/touchpad/src/kcm/touchpadconfigcontainer.cpp
@@ -1,97 +1,100 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2017 Roman Gilg <subdiff@gmail.com>
  *
  * 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) 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 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 "touchpadconfigcontainer.h"
 #include "touchpadconfigplugin.h"
 #include "kcm/libinput/touchpadconfiglibinput.h"
 #include "kcm/xlib/touchpadconfigxlib.h"
 #include "touchpadbackend.h"
 
 #include <KWindowSystem/kwindowsystem.h>
 
 extern "C"
 {
     Q_DECL_EXPORT void kcminit_touchpad()
     {
         if (KWindowSystem::isPlatformX11()) {
             TouchpadConfigContainer::kcmInit();
         }
     }
 }
 
 TouchpadConfigContainer::TouchpadConfigContainer(QWidget *parent, const QVariantList &args)
     : KCModule(parent, args)
 {
     TouchpadBackend *backend = TouchpadBackend::implementation();
     if (KWindowSystem::isPlatformX11()) {
         if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XLibinput) {
             m_plugin = new TouchpadConfigLibinput(this, backend);
         }
-        else if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XSynaptics) {
+        // For now, if no touchpad is found, always fall back to synaptics frontend,
+        // which has a "no touchpad found" message.
+        // TODO: show a disabled version of the Libinput frontend as appropriate
+        else {
             m_plugin = new TouchpadConfigXlib(this, backend);
         }
     } else if (KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
         m_plugin = new TouchpadConfigLibinput(this, backend);
     }
 }
 
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::kcmInit()
 {
     TouchpadBackend *backend = TouchpadBackend::implementation();
     if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XLibinput) {
         backend->getConfig();
         backend->applyConfig();
     } else if (backend->getMode() == TouchpadInputBackendMode::XSynaptics) {
         TouchpadConfigXlib::kcmInit();
     }
 }
 
 QSize TouchpadConfigContainer::minimumSizeHint() const
 {
     return m_plugin->minimumSizeHint();
 }
 QSize TouchpadConfigContainer::sizeHint() const
 {
     return m_plugin->sizeHint();
 }
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *event)
 {
     Q_EMIT changed(false);
     m_plugin->resize(this->size());
 }
 
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::load()
 {
     m_plugin->load();
 }
 
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::save()
 {
     m_plugin->save();
 }
 
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::defaults()
 {
     m_plugin->defaults();
 }
 
 void TouchpadConfigContainer::hideEvent(QHideEvent *e)
 {
     m_plugin->hideEvent(e);
     KCModule::hideEvent(e);
 }
diff --git a/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h b/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
index 339826ac0..6ed077c4b 100644
--- a/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
+++ b/kcms/touchpad/src/touchpadbackend.h
@@ -1,88 +1,89 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2017 Roman Gilg <subdiff@gmail.com>
  * Copyright 2013 Alexander Mezin <mezin.alexander@gmail.com>
  *
  * 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) 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 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.
  */
 
 #ifndef TOUCHPADBACKEND_H
 #define TOUCHPADBACKEND_H
 
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QVector>
 #include <QVariantHash>
 
 enum class TouchpadInputBackendMode {
-    WaylandLibinput = 0,
-    XLibinput = 1,
-    XSynaptics = 2
+    Unset = 0,
+    WaylandLibinput = 1,
+    XLibinput = 2,
+    XSynaptics = 3
 };
 
 class Q_DECL_EXPORT TouchpadBackend : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
 protected:
-    explicit TouchpadBackend(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent) {}
+    explicit TouchpadBackend(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent), m_mode(TouchpadInputBackendMode::Unset) {}
     void setMode(TouchpadInputBackendMode mode);
 
 public:
     static TouchpadBackend *implementation();
 
     TouchpadInputBackendMode getMode() const {return m_mode;}
 
     virtual bool applyConfig(const QVariantHash &) {return false;}
     virtual bool getConfig(QVariantHash &) {return false;}
 
     virtual bool applyConfig() {return false;}
     virtual bool getConfig() {return false;}
     virtual bool getDefaultConfig() {return false;}
     virtual bool isChangedConfig() const {return false;}
 
     virtual QStringList supportedParameters() const {return QStringList();}
     virtual QString errorString() const {return QString();}
 
     virtual QVector<QObject*> getDevices() const { return QVector<QObject*>(); }
     virtual int touchpadCount() const {return 0;}
 
     enum TouchpadOffState {
         TouchpadEnabled, TouchpadTapAndScrollDisabled, TouchpadFullyDisabled
     };
     virtual void setTouchpadOff(TouchpadOffState) {}
     virtual TouchpadOffState getTouchpadOff() {return TouchpadFullyDisabled;}
 
     virtual bool isTouchpadAvailable() {return false;}
     virtual bool isTouchpadEnabled() {return false;}
     virtual void setTouchpadEnabled(bool) {}
 
     virtual void watchForEvents(bool keyboard) {}
 
     virtual QStringList listMouses(const QStringList &blacklist) {return QStringList();}
 
 private:
     TouchpadInputBackendMode m_mode;
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void touchpadStateChanged();
     void mousesChanged();
     void touchpadReset();
     void keyboardActivityStarted();
     void keyboardActivityFinished();
 
     void touchpadAdded(bool success);
     void touchpadRemoved(int index);
 };
 
 #endif // TOUCHPADBACKEND_H