diff --git a/effectloader.cpp b/effectloader.cpp
index f042feb1d5..ee85ac43e3 100644
--- a/effectloader.cpp
+++ b/effectloader.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ QString BuiltInEffectLoader::internalName(const QString& name) const
     return name.toLower();
 }
 
+void BuiltInEffectLoader::clear()
+{
+    m_queue->clear();
+}
+
 static const QString s_nameProperty = QStringLiteral("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name");
 static const QString s_jsConstraint = QStringLiteral("[X-Plasma-API] == 'javascript'");
 static const QString s_serviceType = QStringLiteral("KWin/Effect");
@@ -289,6 +294,12 @@ KPluginMetaData ScriptedEffectLoader::findEffect(const QString &name) const
 }
 
 
+void ScriptedEffectLoader::clear()
+{
+    // TODO: cancel future
+    m_queue->clear();
+}
+
 PluginEffectLoader::PluginEffectLoader(QObject *parent)
     : AbstractEffectLoader(parent)
     , m_queue(new EffectLoadQueue< PluginEffectLoader, KPluginMetaData>(this))
@@ -448,6 +459,12 @@ void PluginEffectLoader::setPluginSubDirectory(const QString &directory)
     m_pluginSubDirectory = directory;
 }
 
+void PluginEffectLoader::clear()
+{
+    // TODO: cancel future
+    m_queue->clear();
+}
+
 EffectLoader::EffectLoader(QObject *parent)
     : AbstractEffectLoader(parent)
 {
@@ -513,4 +530,11 @@ void EffectLoader::setConfig(KSharedConfig::Ptr config)
     }
 }
 
+void EffectLoader::clear()
+{
+    for (auto it = m_loaders.constBegin(); it != m_loaders.constEnd(); ++it) {
+        (*it)->clear();
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/effectloader.h b/effectloader.h
index 7fcb8e7643..38ca86a26a 100644
--- a/effectloader.h
+++ b/effectloader.h
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ public:
      */
     virtual bool isEffectSupported(const QString &name) const = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Clears the load queue, that is all scheduled Effects are discarded from loading.
+     **/
+    virtual void clear() = 0;
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     /**
      * @brief The loader emits this signal when it successfully loaded an effect.
@@ -236,10 +241,17 @@ public:
         m_queue.enqueue(value);
         scheduleDequeue();
     }
+    void clear()
+    {
+        m_queue.clear();
+        m_dequeueScheduled = false;
+    }
 protected:
     void dequeue() override
     {
-        Q_ASSERT(!m_queue.isEmpty());
+        if (m_queue.isEmpty()) {
+            return;
+        }
         m_dequeueScheduled = false;
         const auto pair = m_queue.dequeue();
         m_effectLoader->loadEffect(pair.first, pair.second);
@@ -274,6 +286,7 @@ public:
     bool isEffectSupported(const QString &name) const override;
     QStringList listOfKnownEffects() const override;
 
+    void clear() override;
     void queryAndLoadAll() override;
     bool loadEffect(const QString& name) override;
     bool loadEffect(BuiltInEffect effect, LoadEffectFlags flags);
@@ -300,6 +313,7 @@ public:
     bool isEffectSupported(const QString &name) const override;
     QStringList listOfKnownEffects() const override;
 
+    void clear() override;
     void queryAndLoadAll() override;
     bool loadEffect(const QString &name) override;
     bool loadEffect(const KPluginMetaData &effect, LoadEffectFlags flags);
@@ -322,6 +336,7 @@ public:
     bool isEffectSupported(const QString &name) const override;
     QStringList listOfKnownEffects() const override;
 
+    void clear() override;
     void queryAndLoadAll() override;
     bool loadEffect(const QString &name) override;
     bool loadEffect(const KPluginMetaData &info, LoadEffectFlags flags);
@@ -349,6 +364,7 @@ public:
     bool loadEffect(const QString &name) override;
     void queryAndLoadAll() override;
     void setConfig(KSharedConfig::Ptr config) override;
+    void clear() override;
 
 private:
     QList<AbstractEffectLoader*> m_loaders;
diff --git a/effects.cpp b/effects.cpp
index 0f0ac4e3a3..ebb7520bc5 100644
--- a/effects.cpp
+++ b/effects.cpp
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ void EffectsHandlerImpl::unloadAllEffects()
         delete effect;
     }
     loaded_effects.clear();
+    m_effectLoader->clear();
 }
 
 void EffectsHandlerImpl::setupAbstractClientConnections(AbstractClient* c)