diff --git a/scripting/scripting.cpp b/scripting/scripting.cpp
index 7e3e078c57..5aad56327a 100644
--- a/scripting/scripting.cpp
+++ b/scripting/scripting.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <kdeclarative.h>
 // Qt
 #include <QtDBus/QDBusConnection>
+#include <QtCore/QFutureWatcher>
 #include <QtCore/QSettings>
+#include <QtCore/QtConcurrentRun>
 #include <QtDeclarative/QDeclarativeContext>
 #include <QtDeclarative/QDeclarativeEngine>
 #include <QtDeclarative/QDeclarativeView>
@@ -248,6 +250,7 @@ void KWin::DeclarativeScript::run()
 
 KWin::Scripting::Scripting(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
+    , m_scriptsLock(new QMutex(QMutex::Recursive))
 {
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerObject("/Scripting", this, QDBusConnection::ExportScriptableContents | QDBusConnection::ExportScriptableInvokables);
     QDBusConnection::sessionBus().registerService("org.kde.kwin.Scripting");
@@ -256,11 +259,20 @@ KWin::Scripting::Scripting(QObject *parent)
 }
 
 void KWin::Scripting::start()
+{
+    // perform querying for the services in a thread
+    QFutureWatcher<LoadScriptList> *watcher = new QFutureWatcher<LoadScriptList>(this);
+    connect(watcher, SIGNAL(finished()), this, SLOT(slotScriptsQueried()));
+    watcher->setFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KWin::Scripting::queryScriptsToLoad));
+}
+
+LoadScriptList KWin::Scripting::queryScriptsToLoad()
 {
     KSharedConfig::Ptr _config = KGlobal::config();
     KConfigGroup conf(_config, "Plugins");
 
     KService::List offers = KServiceTypeTrader::self()->query("KWin/Script");
+    LoadScriptList scriptsToLoad;
 
     foreach (const KService::Ptr & service, offers) {
         KPluginInfo plugininfo(service);
@@ -285,18 +297,37 @@ void KWin::Scripting::start()
             kDebug(1212) << "Could not find script file for " << pluginName;
             continue;
         }
-        if (javaScript) {
-            loadScript(file, pluginName);
-        } else if (declarativeScript) {
-            loadDeclarativeScript(file, pluginName);
+        scriptsToLoad << qMakePair(javaScript, qMakePair(file, pluginName));
+    }
+    return scriptsToLoad;
+}
+
+void KWin::Scripting::slotScriptsQueried()
+{
+    QFutureWatcher<LoadScriptList> *watcher = dynamic_cast< QFutureWatcher<LoadScriptList>* >(sender());
+    if (!watcher) {
+        // slot invoked not from a FutureWatcher
+        return;
+    }
+
+    LoadScriptList scriptsToLoad = watcher->result();
+    for (LoadScriptList::const_iterator it = scriptsToLoad.constBegin();
+            it != scriptsToLoad.constEnd();
+            ++it) {
+        if (it->first) {
+            loadScript(it->second.first, it->second.second);
+        } else {
+            loadDeclarativeScript(it->second.first, it->second.second);
         }
     }
 
     runScripts();
+    watcher->deleteLater();
 }
 
 bool KWin::Scripting::isScriptLoaded(const QString &pluginName) const
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     foreach (AbstractScript *script, scripts) {
         if (script->pluginName() == pluginName) {
             return true;
@@ -307,6 +338,7 @@ bool KWin::Scripting::isScriptLoaded(const QString &pluginName) const
 
 bool KWin::Scripting::unloadScript(const QString &pluginName)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     foreach (AbstractScript *script, scripts) {
         if (script->pluginName() == pluginName) {
             script->deleteLater();
@@ -318,6 +350,7 @@ bool KWin::Scripting::unloadScript(const QString &pluginName)
 
 void KWin::Scripting::runScripts()
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     for (int i = 0; i < scripts.size(); i++) {
         scripts.at(i)->run();
     }
@@ -325,11 +358,13 @@ void KWin::Scripting::runScripts()
 
 void KWin::Scripting::scriptDestroyed(QObject *object)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     scripts.removeAll(static_cast<KWin::Script*>(object));
 }
 
 int KWin::Scripting::loadScript(const QString &filePath, const QString& pluginName)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     if (isScriptLoaded(pluginName)) {
         return -1;
     }
@@ -342,6 +377,7 @@ int KWin::Scripting::loadScript(const QString &filePath, const QString& pluginNa
 
 int KWin::Scripting::loadDeclarativeScript(const QString& filePath, const QString& pluginName)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(m_scriptsLock.data());
     if (isScriptLoaded(pluginName)) {
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/scripting/scripting.h b/scripting/scripting.h
index 5fefe87d26..6907cbd794 100644
--- a/scripting/scripting.h
+++ b/scripting/scripting.h
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 class QAction;
 class QDeclarativeView;
+class QMutex;
 class QScriptEngine;
 class QScriptValue;
 class KConfigGroup;
 
+/// @c true == javascript, @c false == qml
+typedef QList< QPair<bool, QPair<QString, QString > > > LoadScriptList;
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 class WorkspaceWrapper;
@@ -147,6 +151,10 @@ class Scripting : public QObject
 private:
     QStringList scriptList;
     QList<KWin::AbstractScript*> scripts;
+    /**
+     * Lock to protect the scripts member variable.
+     **/
+    QScopedPointer<QMutex> m_scriptsLock;
 
     // Preferably call ONLY at load time
     void runScripts();
@@ -162,6 +170,12 @@ public:
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void scriptDestroyed(QObject *object);
     void start();
+
+private Q_SLOTS:
+    void slotScriptsQueried();
+
+private:
+    LoadScriptList queryScriptsToLoad();
 };
 
 }