diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/CMakeLists.txt b/src/kcms/tabbox/CMakeLists.txt
index 12b9d056e7..6579b06565 100644
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/kcms/tabbox/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ set(kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS
 ki18n_wrap_ui(kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS main.ui)
 qt_add_dbus_interface(kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS ${KWin_SOURCE_DIR}/src/org.kde.kwin.Effects.xml kwin_effects_interface)
 
-kconfig_add_kcfg_files(kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS kwintabboxsettings.kcfgc kwinswitcheffectsettings.kcfgc kwinpluginssettings.kcfgc)
+kconfig_add_kcfg_files(kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS kwintabboxsettings.kcfgc kwinswitcheffectsettings.kcfgc)
 kcoreaddons_add_plugin(kcm_kwintabbox SOURCES ${kcm_kwintabbox_PART_SRCS} INSTALL_NAMESPACE "plasma/kcms/systemsettings_qwidgets")
 
 kcmutils_generate_desktop_file(kcm_kwintabbox)
diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfg b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfg
deleted file mode 100644
index c3f3a1bce5..0000000000
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<kcfg xmlns="http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0"
-       xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
-       xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0
-       http://www.kde.org/standards/kcfg/1.0/kcfg.xsd" >
-    <kcfgfile name="kwinrc" />
-    <group name="Plugins">
-        <entry key="highlightwindowEnabled" type="Bool">
-            <default>true</default>
-        </entry>
-    </group>
-</kcfg>
diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfgc b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfgc
deleted file mode 100644
index 38a966b75a..0000000000
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwinpluginssettings.kcfgc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-File=kwinpluginssettings.kcfg
-NameSpace=KWin::TabBox
-ClassName=PluginsSettings
-Mutators=true
-DefaultValueGetters=true
-ParentInConstructor=true
diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.cpp b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.cpp
index 86def04499..c8c7fd7a57 100644
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.cpp
+++ b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 #include "kwintabboxdata.h"
 
-#include "kwinpluginssettings.h"
 #include "kwinswitcheffectsettings.h"
 #include "kwintabboxsettings.h"
 #include "shortcutsettings.h"
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ KWinTabboxData::KWinTabboxData(QObject *parent)
     : KCModuleData(parent)
     , m_tabBoxConfig(new TabBoxSettings(QStringLiteral("TabBox"), this))
     , m_tabBoxAlternativeConfig(new TabBoxSettings(QStringLiteral("TabBoxAlternative"), this))
-    , m_pluginsConfig(new PluginsSettings(this))
     , m_shortcutConfig(new ShortcutSettings(this))
 {
     registerSkeleton(m_tabBoxConfig);
@@ -41,11 +39,6 @@ TabBoxSettings *KWinTabboxData::tabBoxAlternativeConfig() const
     return m_tabBoxAlternativeConfig;
 }
 
-PluginsSettings *KWinTabboxData::pluginsConfig() const
-{
-    return m_pluginsConfig;
-}
-
 ShortcutSettings *KWinTabboxData::shortcutConfig() const
 {
     return m_shortcutConfig;
diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.h b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.h
index db9db137af..89af34835d 100644
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.h
+++ b/src/kcms/tabbox/kwintabboxdata.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ namespace TabBox
 {
 class TabBoxSettings;
 class SwitchEffectSettings;
-class PluginsSettings;
 class ShortcutSettings;
 
 class KWinTabboxData : public KCModuleData
@@ -31,13 +30,11 @@ public:
 
     TabBoxSettings *tabBoxConfig() const;
     TabBoxSettings *tabBoxAlternativeConfig() const;
-    PluginsSettings *pluginsConfig() const;
     ShortcutSettings *shortcutConfig() const;
 
 private:
     TabBoxSettings *m_tabBoxConfig;
     TabBoxSettings *m_tabBoxAlternativeConfig;
-    PluginsSettings *m_pluginsConfig;
     ShortcutSettings *m_shortcutConfig;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/kcms/tabbox/main.cpp b/src/kcms/tabbox/main.cpp
index 308dd17705..e6ef8c3593 100644
--- a/src/kcms/tabbox/main.cpp
+++ b/src/kcms/tabbox/main.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 #include <KPackage/PackageLoader>
 
 // own
-#include "kwinpluginssettings.h"
 #include "kwintabboxconfigform.h"
 #include "kwintabboxdata.h"
 #include "kwintabboxsettings.h"
@@ -229,8 +228,6 @@ void KWinTabBoxConfig::load()
     m_data->tabBoxAlternativeConfig()->load();
     m_data->shortcutConfig()->load();
 
-    m_data->pluginsConfig()->load();
-
     m_primaryTabBoxUi->updateUiFromConfig();
     m_alternativeTabBoxUi->updateUiFromConfig();
 
@@ -239,13 +236,6 @@ void KWinTabBoxConfig::load()
 
 void KWinTabBoxConfig::save()
 {
-    // effects
-    const bool highlightWindows = m_primaryTabBoxUi->highlightWindows() || m_alternativeTabBoxUi->highlightWindows();
-
-    // activate effects if they are used otherwise deactivate them.
-    m_data->pluginsConfig()->setHighlightwindowEnabled(highlightWindows);
-    m_data->pluginsConfig()->save();
-
     m_data->tabBoxConfig()->save();
     m_data->tabBoxAlternativeConfig()->save();
     m_data->shortcutConfig()->save();