diff --git a/glxbackend.cpp b/glxbackend.cpp
index b749e9c61d..c68bceeb36 100644
--- a/glxbackend.cpp
+++ b/glxbackend.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ void GlxBackend::init()
     initGL(GlxPlatformInterface);
     // Check whether certain features are supported
     haveSwapInterval = glXSwapIntervalMESA || glXSwapIntervalEXT || glXSwapIntervalSGI;
-    if (options->isGlVSync()) {
+    const bool wantSync = options->glPreferBufferSwap() != Options::NoSwapEncourage;
+    if (wantSync) {
         if (glXGetVideoSync && haveSwapInterval && glXIsDirect(display(), ctx)) {
             unsigned int sync;
             if (glXGetVideoSync(&sync) == 0) {
@@ -108,14 +109,16 @@ void GlxBackend::init()
                     // swapinterval (as of today) seems completely unsupported
                     setHasWaitSync(true);
                     setSwapInterval(1);
-                }
-                else
+                } else
                     qWarning() << "NO VSYNC! glXWaitVideoSync(1,0,&uint) isn't 0 but" << glXWaitVideoSync(1, 0, &sync);
             } else
                 qWarning() << "NO VSYNC! glXGetVideoSync(&uint) isn't 0 but" << glXGetVideoSync(&sync);
         } else
             qWarning() << "NO VSYNC! glXGetVideoSync, haveSwapInterval, glXIsDirect" <<
                         bool(glXGetVideoSync) << haveSwapInterval << glXIsDirect(display(), ctx);
+    } else {
+        // disable v-sync (if possible)
+        setSwapInterval(0);
     }
     if (glPlatform->isVirtualBox()) {
         // VirtualBox does not support glxQueryDrawable
diff --git a/kwin.kcfg b/kwin.kcfg
index 3d254fbf05..42822e868e 100644
--- a/kwin.kcfg
+++ b/kwin.kcfg
@@ -235,9 +235,6 @@
         <entry name="Enabled" type="Bool">
             <default>true</default>
         </entry>
-        <entry name="GLVSync" type="Bool">
-            <default>true</default>
-        </entry>
         <entry name="GLTextureFilter" type="Int">
             <default>2</default>
             <min>-1</min>
diff --git a/options.cpp b/options.cpp
index 46a939667e..6abd3f0142 100644
--- a/options.cpp
+++ b/options.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ Options::Options(QObject *parent)
     , m_hiddenPreviews(Options::defaultHiddenPreviews())
     , m_unredirectFullscreen(Options::defaultUnredirectFullscreen())
     , m_glSmoothScale(Options::defaultGlSmoothScale())
-    , m_glVSync(Options::defaultGlVSync())
     , m_colorCorrected(Options::defaultColorCorrected())
     , m_xrenderSmoothScale(Options::defaultXrenderSmoothScale())
     , m_maxFpsInterval(Options::defaultMaxFpsInterval())
@@ -679,15 +678,6 @@ void Options::setGlSmoothScale(int glSmoothScale)
     emit glSmoothScaleChanged();
 }
 
-void Options::setGlVSync(bool glVSync)
-{
-    if (m_glVSync == glVSync) {
-        return;
-    }
-    m_glVSync = glVSync;
-    emit glVSyncChanged();
-}
-
 void Options::setColorCorrected(bool colorCorrected)
 {
     if (m_colorCorrected == colorCorrected) {
@@ -968,7 +958,6 @@ void Options::reloadCompositingSettings(bool force)
     KConfigGroup config(_config, "Compositing");
 
     setGlDirect(prefs.enableDirectRendering());
-    setGlVSync(config.readEntry("GLVSync", Options::defaultGlVSync()));
     setGlSmoothScale(qBound(-1, config.readEntry("GLTextureFilter", Options::defaultGlSmoothScale()), 2));
     setGlStrictBindingFollowsDriver(!config.hasKey("GLStrictBinding"));
     if (!isGlStrictBindingFollowsDriver()) {
@@ -977,13 +966,11 @@ void Options::reloadCompositingSettings(bool force)
     setGlLegacy(config.readEntry("GLLegacy", Options::defaultGlLegacy()));
 
     char c = 0;
-    if (isGlVSync()) { // buffer swap enforcement makes little sense without
-        const QString s = config.readEntry("GLPreferBufferSwap", QString(Options::defaultGlPreferBufferSwap()));
-        if (!s.isEmpty())
-            c = s.at(0).toAscii();
-        if (c != 'a' && c != 'c' && c != 'p' && c != 'e')
-            c = 0;
-    }
+    const QString s = config.readEntry("GLPreferBufferSwap", QString(Options::defaultGlPreferBufferSwap()));
+    if (!s.isEmpty())
+        c = s.at(0).toAscii();
+    if (c != 'a' && c != 'c' && c != 'p' && c != 'e')
+        c = 0;
     setGlPreferBufferSwap(c);
 
     setColorCorrected(config.readEntry("GLColorCorrection", Options::defaultColorCorrected()));
diff --git a/options.h b/options.h
index e816d4aca1..f61a66f475 100644
--- a/options.h
+++ b/options.h
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ class Options : public QObject, public KDecorationOptions
      * -1 = auto
      **/
     Q_PROPERTY(int glSmoothScale READ glSmoothScale WRITE setGlSmoothScale NOTIFY glSmoothScaleChanged)
-    Q_PROPERTY(bool glVSync READ isGlVSync WRITE setGlVSync NOTIFY glVSyncChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool colorCorrected READ isColorCorrected WRITE setColorCorrected NOTIFY colorCorrectedChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool xrenderSmoothScale READ isXrenderSmoothScale WRITE setXrenderSmoothScale NOTIFY xrenderSmoothScaleChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(uint maxFpsInterval READ maxFpsInterval WRITE setMaxFpsInterval NOTIFY maxFpsIntervalChanged)
@@ -517,9 +516,6 @@ public:
     int glSmoothScale() const {
         return m_glSmoothScale;
     }
-    bool isGlVSync() const {
-        return m_glVSync;
-    }
     bool isColorCorrected() const {
         return m_colorCorrected;
     }
@@ -608,7 +604,6 @@ public:
     void setHiddenPreviews(int hiddenPreviews);
     void setUnredirectFullscreen(bool unredirectFullscreen);
     void setGlSmoothScale(int glSmoothScale);
-    void setGlVSync(bool glVSync);
     void setXrenderSmoothScale(bool xrenderSmoothScale);
     void setMaxFpsInterval(uint maxFpsInterval);
     void setRefreshRate(uint refreshRate);
@@ -692,9 +687,6 @@ public:
     static int defaultGlSmoothScale() {
         return 2;
     }
-    static bool defaultGlVSync() {
-        return true;
-    }
     static bool defaultColorCorrected() {
         return false;
     }
@@ -798,7 +790,6 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
     void hiddenPreviewsChanged();
     void unredirectFullscreenChanged();
     void glSmoothScaleChanged();
-    void glVSyncChanged();
     void colorCorrectedChanged();
     void xrenderSmoothScaleChanged();
     void maxFpsIntervalChanged();
@@ -848,7 +839,6 @@ private:
     HiddenPreviews m_hiddenPreviews;
     bool m_unredirectFullscreen;
     int m_glSmoothScale;
-    bool m_glVSync;
     bool m_colorCorrected;
     bool m_xrenderSmoothScale;
     uint m_maxFpsInterval;