diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
index 08d7357464..e73b0c6f12 100644
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Compositing::Compositing(QObject *parent)
     , m_glSwapStrategy(0)
     , m_glColorCorrection(false)
     , m_compositingType(0)
+    , m_compositingEnabled(true)
     , m_changed(false)
 {
     reset();
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ Compositing::Compositing(QObject *parent)
     connect(this, &Compositing::glSwapStrategyChanged,       this, &Compositing::changed);
     connect(this, &Compositing::glColorCorrectionChanged,    this, &Compositing::changed);
     connect(this, &Compositing::compositingTypeChanged,      this, &Compositing::changed);
+    connect(this, &Compositing::compositingEnabledChanged,   this, &Compositing::changed);
 
     connect(this, &Compositing::changed, [this]{
         m_changed = true;
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ void Compositing::reset()
     setGlScaleFilter(kwinConfig.readEntry("GLTextureFilter", 2));
     setXrScaleFilter(kwinConfig.readEntry("XRenderSmoothScale", false));
     setUnredirectFullscreen(kwinConfig.readEntry("UnredirectFullscreen", false));
+    setCompositingEnabled(kwinConfig.readEntry("Enabled", true));
 
     auto swapStrategy = [&kwinConfig]() {
         const QString glSwapStrategyValue = kwinConfig.readEntry("GLPreferBufferSwap", "a");
@@ -189,6 +192,11 @@ int Compositing::compositingType() const
     return m_compositingType;
 }
 
+bool Compositing::compositingEnabled() const
+{
+    return m_compositingEnabled;
+}
+
 void Compositing::setAnimationSpeed(int speed)
 {
     if (speed == m_animationSpeed) {
@@ -261,6 +269,16 @@ void Compositing::setCompositingType(int index)
     emit compositingTypeChanged();
 }
 
+void Compositing::setCompositingEnabled(bool enabled)
+{
+    if (enabled == m_compositingEnabled) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    m_compositingEnabled = enabled;
+    emit compositingEnabledChanged();
+}
+
 void Compositing::save()
 {
     KConfigGroup kwinConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kwinrc")), "Compositing");
@@ -269,6 +287,7 @@ void Compositing::save()
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("GLTextureFilter", glScaleFilter());
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("XRenderSmoothScale", xrScaleFilter());
     kwinConfig.writeEntry("UnredirectFullscreen", unredirectFullscreen());
+    kwinConfig.writeEntry("Enabled", compositingEnabled());
     auto swapStrategy = [this] {
         switch (glSwapStrategy()) {
             case 0:
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
index 363a9cde37..4930085281 100644
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/compositing.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class Compositing : public QObject
     Q_PROPERTY(int glSwapStrategy READ glSwapStrategy WRITE setGlSwapStrategy NOTIFY glSwapStrategyChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool glColorCorrection READ glColorCorrection WRITE setGlColorCorrection NOTIFY glColorCorrectionChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(int compositingType READ compositingType WRITE setCompositingType NOTIFY compositingTypeChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool compositingEnabled READ compositingEnabled WRITE setCompositingEnabled NOTIFY compositingEnabledChanged);
 public:
     explicit Compositing(QObject *parent = 0);
 
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ public:
     int glSwapStrategy() const;
     bool glColorCorrection() const;
     int compositingType() const;
+    bool compositingEnabled() const;
 
     void setAnimationSpeed(int speed);
     void setWindowThumbnail(int index);
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ public:
     void setGlSwapStrategy(int strategy);
     void setGlColorCorrection(bool correction);
     void setCompositingType(int index);
+    void setCompositingEnabled(bool enalbed);
 
     void save();
 
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
     void glSwapStrategyChanged();
     void glColorCorrectionChanged();
     void compositingTypeChanged();
+    void compositingEnabledChanged();
 
 private:
     int m_animationSpeed;
@@ -89,7 +93,7 @@ private:
     int m_glSwapStrategy;
     bool m_glColorCorrection;
     int m_compositingType;
-
+    bool m_compositingEnabled;
     bool m_changed;
 };
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/EffectView.qml b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/EffectView.qml
index 06d5d9c12f..1c9d3a6d29 100644
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/EffectView.qml
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/EffectView.qml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Item {
     property alias glSwapStrategyIndex: glSwapStrategy.currentIndex
     property alias glColorCorrectionChecked: glColorCorrection.checked
     property alias compositingTypeIndex: openGLType.type
+    property bool compositingEnabledChecked: useCompositing.checked
 
     Component {
         id: sectionHeading
@@ -59,13 +60,31 @@ Item {
         id: row
         width: parent.width
         height: parent.height
+
+        CheckBox {
+            id: useCompositing
+            text: i18n("Enable desktop effects on startup")
+            checked: compositing.compositingEnabled
+            anchors {
+                top: parent.top
+                left: col.right
+                topMargin: col.height/8
+            }
+            Connections {
+                target: compositing
+                onCompositingEnabledChanged: {
+                    useCompositing.checked = compositing.compositingEnabled
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         CheckBox {
             id: windowManagement
             text: i18n("Improved Window Management")
             checked: false
             anchors.left: col.right
-            anchors.top: parent.top
-            anchors.topMargin: col.height/4
+            anchors.top: useCompositing.bottom
+            //anchors.topMargin: col.height/8
             onClicked: searchModel.enableWidnowManagement(windowManagement.checked)
         }
 
diff --git a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/main.qml b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/main.qml
index 0ddc9cd175..d22dd08da5 100644
--- a/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/main.qml
+++ b/kcmkwin/kwincompositing/qml/main.qml
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Rectangle {
         glSwapStrategy: view.glSwapStrategyIndex
         glColorCorrection: view.glColorCorrectionChecked
         compositingType: view.compositingTypeIndex
+        compositingEnabled: view.compositingEnabledChecked
     }
     Connections {
         target: compositing