diff --git a/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.cpp b/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.cpp
index 1e5327a1..98c569d2 100644
--- a/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.cpp
+++ b/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ namespace Breeze
         , _shmPool( Q_NULLPTR )
         #endif
     {
-        initializeWayland();
+        // delay till event dispatcher is running as Wayland is highly async
+        QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, "initializeWayland", Qt::QueuedConnection);
     }
 
     //_______________________________________________________
diff --git a/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.h b/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.h
index 7f02caa0..2d9db869 100644
--- a/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.h
+++ b/kstyle/breezeshadowhelper.h
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ namespace Breeze
         //* unregister widget
         void objectDeleted( QObject* );
 
+        //* initializes the Wayland specific parts
+        void initializeWayland();
+
         protected:
 
         //* true if widget is a menu
@@ -140,9 +143,6 @@ namespace Breeze
         //* uninstall shadow on given widget for Wayland
         void uninstallWaylandShadows( QWidget* ) const;
 
-        //* initializes the Wayland specific parts
-        void initializeWayland();
-
         //* gets the shadow margins for the given widget
         QMargins shadowMargins( QWidget* ) const;
 
diff --git a/kstyle/breezestyle.cpp b/kstyle/breezestyle.cpp
index 3b8ef6c3..6a6d94b8 100644
--- a/kstyle/breezestyle.cpp
+++ b/kstyle/breezestyle.cpp
@@ -197,9 +197,24 @@ namespace Breeze
 
     //______________________________________________________________
     Style::~Style( void )
+    {
+        cleanup();
+    }
+
+    //______________________________________________________________
+    void Style::unpolish( QApplication* )
+    {
+        // NOTE: unpolish is not called in general on tear-down of Application
+        // only when a new QStyle is loaded by the QApplication unpolish is invoked
+        cleanup();
+    }
+
+    void Style::cleanup( void )
     {
         delete _shadowHelper;
+        _shadowHelper = nullptr;
         delete _helper;
+        _helper = nullptr;
     }
 
     //______________________________________________________________
diff --git a/kstyle/breezestyle.h b/kstyle/breezestyle.h
index a627252a..aa2478b6 100644
--- a/kstyle/breezestyle.h
+++ b/kstyle/breezestyle.h
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ namespace Breeze
 
         //* needed to avoid warnings at compilation time
         using  ParentStyleClass::polish;
-        using  ParentStyleClass::unpolish;
 
         //* widget polishing
         virtual void polish( QWidget* );
@@ -100,6 +99,9 @@ namespace Breeze
         //* widget unpolishing
         virtual void unpolish( QWidget* );
 
+        //* application unpolishing
+        void unpolish( QApplication* ) override;
+
         //* polish scrollarea
         void polishScrollArea( QAbstractScrollArea* );
 
@@ -471,6 +473,9 @@ namespace Breeze
 
         private:
 
+        //* shared cleanup for unpolish and dtor
+        void cleanup();
+
         //*@name scrollbar button types (for addLine and subLine )
         //@{
         ScrollBarButtonType _addLineButtons;