diff --git a/ksmserver/plasma-ksmserver.service.in b/ksmserver/plasma-ksmserver.service.in
index 9dcbdfcf0..427be409b 100644
--- a/ksmserver/plasma-ksmserver.service.in
+++ b/ksmserver/plasma-ksmserver.service.in
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ PartOf=graphical-session.target
 
 [Service]
 ExecStart=@CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR@/ksmserver
-# This magic minus sign means don't fail if exit code is non-zero...
-ExecStartPost=-@QtBinariesDir@/qdbus org.kde.KSplash /KSplash org.kde.KSplash.setStage ksmserver
 BusName=org.kde.ksmserver
 Slice=session.slice
 
diff --git a/ksmserver/server.cpp b/ksmserver/server.cpp
index 666c6f91b..77fd18d83 100644
--- a/ksmserver/server.cpp
+++ b/ksmserver/server.cpp
@@ -620,6 +620,13 @@ KSMServer::KSMServer(InitFlags flags)
     connect(qApp, &QApplication::aboutToQuit, this, &KSMServer::cleanUp);
 
     setupXIOErrorHandler();
+
+    QDBusMessage ksplashProgressMessage = QDBusMessage::createMethodCall(QStringLiteral("org.kde.KSplash"),
+                                                                         QStringLiteral("/KSplash"),
+                                                                         QStringLiteral("org.kde.KSplash"),
+                                                                         QStringLiteral("setStage"));
+    ksplashProgressMessage.setArguments({QStringLiteral("ksmserver")});
+    QDBusConnection::sessionBus().call(ksplashProgressMessage, QDBus::NoBlock);
 }
 
 KSMServer::~KSMServer()
diff --git a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
index c3e77d4bf..34d64bce2 100644
--- a/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
+++ b/startkde/plasma-session/startup.cpp
@@ -220,7 +220,6 @@ Startup::Startup(QObject *parent)
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject(QStringLiteral("/Startup"), QStringLiteral("org.kde.Startup"), this);
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerService(QStringLiteral("org.kde.Startup"));
 
-    upAndRunning(QStringLiteral("ksmserver"));
     const AutoStart autostart;
 
     QProcess::execute(QStringLiteral(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBEXECDIR_KF5 "/start_kdeinit_wrapper"), QStringList());