diff --git a/qml/virtualkeyboard/main.qml b/qml/virtualkeyboard/main.qml
index ef1a967f3d..5887e876d0 100644
--- a/qml/virtualkeyboard/main.qml
+++ b/qml/virtualkeyboard/main.qml
@@ -18,47 +18,66 @@ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 *********************************************************************/
 import QtQuick 2.0
+import QtQuick.Window 2.0
 import QtQuick.Controls 2.3
 import QtQuick.VirtualKeyboard 2.1
 import org.kde.kirigami 2.5 as Kirigami
 
-Item {
+Window {
     id: window
     property real adjustment: 0
     property real adjustmentFactor: 0.0
-    InputPanel {
-        id: inputPanel
-        objectName: "inputPanel"
-        width: parent.width - parent.width * parent.adjustmentFactor
-        anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter
-        anchors.bottom: parent.bottom
-    }
-    //NOTE: ToolButton for some reasons breaks the virtual keyboard loading on Plasma Mobile
-    Button {
-        id: resizeButton
-        visible: !Kirigami.Settings.isMobile //don't show on handheld devices
-        flat: true
-        display: AbstractButton.IconOnly
-        icon.name: "transform-scale"
-        icon.color: "white"
-        down: mouseArea.pressed
+    visible: false
 
-        anchors {
-            right: inputPanel.right
-            top: inputPanel.top
-        }
+    Loader {
+        anchors.fill: parent
 
-        MouseArea {
-            id: mouseArea
-            property real startPoint: 0
-            anchors.fill: parent
-            onPressed: {
-                startPoint = mouse.x;
-            }
-            onPositionChanged: {
-                window.adjustment -= (mouse.x - startPoint);
-                window.adjustmentFactor = Math.min(Math.max(window.adjustment / window.width, 0.0), 0.66);
-                startPoint = mouse.x;
+        sourceComponent: window.visible ? theKeyboard : null
+
+        Component {
+            id: theKeyboard
+            Item {
+                InputPanel {
+                    id: inputPanel
+
+                    readonly property real sideMargin: window.width * window.adjustmentFactor/2
+                    anchors {
+                        left: parent.left
+                        right: parent.right
+                        bottom: parent.bottom
+                        leftMargin: sideMargin
+                        rightMargin: sideMargin
+                    }
+                }
+                //NOTE: ToolButton for some reasons breaks the virtual keyboard loading on Plasma Mobile
+                Button {
+                    id: resizeButton
+                    visible: !Kirigami.Settings.isMobile //don't show on handheld devices
+                    flat: true
+                    display: AbstractButton.IconOnly
+                    icon.name: "transform-scale"
+                    icon.color: "white"
+                    down: mouseArea.pressed
+
+                    anchors {
+                        right: inputPanel.right
+                        top: inputPanel.top
+                    }
+
+                    MouseArea {
+                        id: mouseArea
+                        property real startPoint: 0
+                        anchors.fill: parent
+                        onPressed: {
+                            startPoint = mouse.x;
+                        }
+                        onPositionChanged: {
+                            window.adjustment -= (mouse.x - startPoint);
+                            window.adjustmentFactor = Math.min(Math.max(window.adjustment / window.width, 0.0), 0.66);
+                            startPoint = mouse.x;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/virtualkeyboard.cpp b/virtualkeyboard.cpp
index 7ee7e5e2ce..b799c5d948 100644
--- a/virtualkeyboard.cpp
+++ b/virtualkeyboard.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <QQmlContext>
 #include <QQmlEngine>
 #include <QQuickItem>
-#include <QQuickView>
 #include <QQuickWindow>
+#include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
 #include <QTimer>
 // xkbcommon
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
@@ -74,17 +74,20 @@ VirtualKeyboard::~VirtualKeyboard() = default;
 void VirtualKeyboard::init()
 {
     // TODO: need a shared Qml engine
-    qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUALKEYBOARD) << "Initializing window";
-    m_inputWindow.reset(new QQuickView(nullptr));
-    m_inputWindow->setFlags(Qt::FramelessWindowHint);
-    m_inputWindow->setGeometry(screens()->geometry(screens()->current()));
-    m_inputWindow->setResizeMode(QQuickView::SizeRootObjectToView);
-    m_inputWindow->setSource(QUrl::fromLocalFile(QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral(KWIN_NAME "/virtualkeyboard/main.qml"))));
-    if (m_inputWindow->status() != QQuickView::Status::Ready) {
-        qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUALKEYBOARD) << "window not ready yet";
+    const QUrl source = QUrl::fromLocalFile(QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral(KWIN_NAME "/virtualkeyboard/main.qml")));
+    qCDebug(KWIN_VIRTUALKEYBOARD) << "Initializing window" << source;
+    QQmlApplicationEngine* engine = new QQmlApplicationEngine(this);
+    connect(engine, &QQmlEngine::warnings, this, [] (const QList<QQmlError> &warnings) { qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUALKEYBOARD     ) << warnings; });
+    engine->load(source);
+
+    if (engine->rootObjects().isEmpty()) {
+        qCWarning(KWIN_VIRTUALKEYBOARD) << "could not load the virtual keyboard";
         m_inputWindow.reset();
         return;
     }
+
+    m_inputWindow.reset(qobject_cast<QQuickWindow*>(engine->rootObjects().constFirst()));
+    m_inputWindow->setFlags(Qt::FramelessWindowHint);
     m_inputWindow->setProperty("__kwin_input_method", true);
 
     if (waylandServer()) {
@@ -137,18 +140,27 @@ void VirtualKeyboard::init()
                     m_waylandShowConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::requestShowInputPanel, this, &VirtualKeyboard::show);
                     m_waylandHideConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::requestHideInputPanel, this, &VirtualKeyboard::hide);
                     m_waylandSurroundingTextConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::surroundingTextChanged, this,
-                        [] {
+                        [this] {
+                            if (m_enabled) {
+                                m_inputWindow->show();
+                            }
                             qApp->inputMethod()->update(Qt::ImSurroundingText | Qt::ImCursorPosition | Qt::ImAnchorPosition);
                         }
                     );
                     m_waylandHintsConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::contentTypeChanged, this,
-                        [] {
+                        [this] {
+                            if (m_enabled) {
+                                m_inputWindow->show();
+                            }
                             qApp->inputMethod()->update(Qt::ImHints);
                         }
                     );
                     m_waylandResetConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::requestReset, qApp->inputMethod(), &QInputMethod::reset);
                     m_waylandEnabledConnection = connect(t, &TextInputInterface::enabledChanged, this,
-                        [] {
+                        [this] {
+                            if (m_enabled) {
+                                m_inputWindow->show();
+                            }
                             qApp->inputMethod()->update(Qt::ImQueryAll);
                         }
                     );
@@ -185,19 +197,19 @@ void VirtualKeyboard::init()
         }
     );
     m_inputWindow->setColor(Qt::transparent);
-    m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->rootObject()->childrenRect().toRect());
-    connect(m_inputWindow->rootObject(), &QQuickItem::childrenRectChanged, m_inputWindow.data(),
+    m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->contentItem()->childrenRect().toRect());
+    connect(m_inputWindow->contentItem(), &QQuickItem::childrenRectChanged, m_inputWindow.data(),
         [this] {
             if (!m_inputWindow) {
                 return;
             }
-            m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->rootObject()->childrenRect().toRect());
+            m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->contentItem()->childrenRect().toRect());
         }
     );
 
     connect(qApp->inputMethod(), &QInputMethod::visibleChanged, this, &VirtualKeyboard::updateInputPanelState);
 
-    connect(m_inputWindow->rootObject(), &QQuickItem::childrenRectChanged, this, &VirtualKeyboard::updateInputPanelState);
+    connect(m_inputWindow->contentItem(), &QQuickItem::childrenRectChanged, this, &VirtualKeyboard::updateInputPanelState);
 }
 
 void VirtualKeyboard::setEnabled(bool enabled)
@@ -256,11 +268,11 @@ void VirtualKeyboard::updateInputPanelState()
     m_inputWindow->setVisible(qApp->inputMethod()->isVisible());
 
     if (qApp->inputMethod()->isVisible()) {
-        m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->rootObject()->childrenRect().toRect());
+        m_inputWindow->setMask(m_inputWindow->contentItem()->childrenRect().toRect());
     }
 
-    if (m_inputWindow->isVisible() && m_trackedClient && m_inputWindow->rootObject()) {
-        const QRect inputPanelGeom = m_inputWindow->rootObject()->childrenRect().toRect().translated(m_inputWindow->geometry().topLeft());
+    if (m_inputWindow->isVisible() && m_trackedClient && m_inputWindow) {
+        const QRect inputPanelGeom = m_inputWindow->contentItem()->childrenRect().toRect().translated(m_inputWindow->geometry().topLeft());
 
         m_trackedClient->setVirtualKeyboardGeometry(inputPanelGeom);
 
@@ -286,7 +298,7 @@ void VirtualKeyboard::show()
 
 void VirtualKeyboard::hide()
 {
-    if (m_inputWindow.isNull()) {
+    if (!m_inputWindow) {
         return;
     }
     qApp->inputMethod()->hide();
diff --git a/virtualkeyboard.h b/virtualkeyboard.h
index 21d2bad33b..641bdfd1c4 100644
--- a/virtualkeyboard.h
+++ b/virtualkeyboard.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 #include <abstract_client.h>
 
-class QQuickView;
+class QQuickWindow;
 class QTimer;
 class QWindow;
 class KStatusNotifierItem;
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ private:
 
     bool m_enabled = false;
     KStatusNotifierItem *m_sni = nullptr;
-    QScopedPointer<QQuickView> m_inputWindow;
+    QScopedPointer<QQuickWindow> m_inputWindow;
     QPointer<AbstractClient> m_trackedClient;
     // If a surface loses focus immediately after being resized by the keyboard, don't react to it to avoid resize loops
     QTimer *m_floodTimer;