diff --git a/theme.cpp b/theme.cpp
index cb8620088..cc5ee060c 100644
--- a/theme.cpp
+++ b/theme.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ public:
     bool useCache();
     void settingsFileChanged(const QString &);
     void setThemeName(const QString &themeName, bool writeSettings);
+    void onAppExitCleanup();
 
     static const char *defaultTheme;
     static const char *themeRcFile;
@@ -181,6 +182,14 @@ bool ThemePrivate::useCache()
     return cacheTheme;
 }
 
+void ThemePrivate::onAppExitCleanup()
+{
+    pixmapsToCache.clear();
+    delete pixmapCache;
+    pixmapCache = 0;
+    cacheTheme = false;
+}
+
 QString ThemePrivate::findInTheme(const QString &image, const QString &theme) const
 {
     //TODO: this should be using Package
@@ -284,6 +293,10 @@ Theme::Theme(QObject *parent)
       d(new ThemePrivate(this))
 {
     settingsChanged();
+    if (QCoreApplication::instance()) {
+        connect(QCoreApplication::instance(), SIGNAL(aboutToQuit()),
+                this, SLOT(onAppExitCleanup()));
+    }
 }
 
 Theme::Theme(const QString &themeName, QObject *parent)
@@ -295,6 +308,10 @@ Theme::Theme(const QString &themeName, QObject *parent)
     d->cacheTheme = false;
     setThemeName(themeName);
     d->cacheTheme = useCache;
+    if (QCoreApplication::instance()) {
+        connect(QCoreApplication::instance(), SIGNAL(aboutToQuit()),
+                this, SLOT(onAppExitCleanup()));
+    }
 }
 
 Theme::~Theme()
diff --git a/theme.h b/theme.h
index a18ed145a..9464b0236 100644
--- a/theme.h
+++ b/theme.h
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Theme : public QObject
         Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d, void colorsChanged())
         Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d, void settingsFileChanged(const QString &))
         Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d, void scheduledCacheUpdate())
+        Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d, void onAppExitCleanup())
 };
 
 } // Plasma namespace