diff --git a/src/declarativeimports/core/units.cpp b/src/declarativeimports/core/units.cpp
index 4e2adae8f..fa34772c3 100644
--- a/src/declarativeimports/core/units.cpp
+++ b/src/declarativeimports/core/units.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,28 @@ const QString plasmarc = QStringLiteral("plasmarc");
 const QString groupName = QStringLiteral("Units");
 const int defaultLongDuration = 120;
 
+
+SharedAppFilter::SharedAppFilter(QObject *parent)
+    : QObject(parent)
+{
+    QCoreApplication::instance()->installEventFilter(this);
+}
+
+SharedAppFilter::~SharedAppFilter()
+{}
+
+bool SharedAppFilter::eventFilter(QObject *watched, QEvent *event)
+{
+    if (watched == QCoreApplication::instance()) {
+        if (event->type() == QEvent::ApplicationFontChange) {
+            emit fontChanged();
+        }
+    }
+    return QObject::eventFilter(watched, event);
+}
+
+SharedAppFilter *Units::s_sharedAppFilter = nullptr;
+
 Units::Units(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent),
       m_gridUnit(-1),
@@ -45,12 +67,16 @@ Units::Units(QObject *parent)
       m_largeSpacing(-1),
       m_longDuration(defaultLongDuration) // default base value for animations
 {
+    if (!s_sharedAppFilter) {
+        s_sharedAppFilter = new SharedAppFilter();
+    }
+
     m_iconSizes = new QQmlPropertyMap(this);
     updateDevicePixelRatio(); // also updates icon sizes
     updateSpacing(); // updates gridUnit and *Spacing properties
 
     connect(KIconLoader::global(), &KIconLoader::iconLoaderSettingsChanged, this, &Units::iconLoaderSettingsChanged);
-    QCoreApplication::instance()->installEventFilter(this);
+    QObject::connect(s_sharedAppFilter, SIGNAL(fontChanged()), this, SLOT(updateSpacing()));
 
     const QString configFile = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericConfigLocation) + QLatin1Char('/') + plasmarc;
     KDirWatch::self()->addFile(configFile);
@@ -236,13 +262,5 @@ int Units::shortDuration() const
     return m_longDuration / 5;
 }
 
-bool Units::eventFilter(QObject *watched, QEvent *event)
-{
-    if (watched == QCoreApplication::instance()) {
-        if (event->type() == QEvent::ApplicationFontChange || event->type() == QEvent::FontChange) {
-            updateSpacing();
-        }
-    }
-    return QObject::eventFilter(watched, event);
-}
+#include "moc_units.cpp"
 
diff --git a/src/declarativeimports/core/units.h b/src/declarativeimports/core/units.h
index fa2256e4c..c8c057bf8 100644
--- a/src/declarativeimports/core/units.h
+++ b/src/declarativeimports/core/units.h
@@ -28,6 +28,20 @@
 
 class QQuickItem;
 
+class SharedAppFilter : public QObject
+{
+   Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    SharedAppFilter(QObject *parent = 0);
+    ~SharedAppFilter();
+
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void fontChanged();
+
+protected:
+    bool eventFilter(QObject *watched, QEvent *event);
+};
+
 /**
  * @class Units
  * @short Expose sizes to QML
@@ -106,8 +120,6 @@ public:
     Units(QObject *parent = 0);
     ~Units();
 
-    bool eventFilter(QObject *watched, QEvent *event) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
-
     /**
      * @return pixel value for a grid Unit. Depends on DPI and font size.
      */
@@ -166,10 +178,10 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void iconLoaderSettingsChanged();
     void settingsFileChanged(const QString &file);
+    void updateSpacing();
 
 private:
     void updateDevicePixelRatio();
-    void updateSpacing();
     void updatePlasmaRCSettings();
     /**
      * @return The dpi-adjusted size for a given icon size
@@ -181,6 +193,7 @@ private:
     qreal m_dpi;
 
     QQmlPropertyMap *m_iconSizes;
+    static SharedAppFilter *s_sharedAppFilter;
 
     int m_smallSpacing;
     int m_largeSpacing;
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/svg_p.h b/src/plasma/private/svg_p.h
index 597465ebe..1d1000dc9 100644
--- a/src/plasma/private/svg_p.h
+++ b/src/plasma/private/svg_p.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <QSharedData>
 #include <QSvgRenderer>
 #include <QExplicitlySharedDataPointer>
+#include <QObject>
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
index f34634392..7bf81d423 100644
--- a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.cpp
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ void ThemePrivate::colorsChanged()
     buttonColorScheme = KColorScheme(QPalette::Active, KColorScheme::Button, colors);
     viewColorScheme = KColorScheme(QPalette::Active, KColorScheme::View, colors);
     scheduleThemeChangeNotification(PixmapCache);
+    emit applicationPaletteChange();
 }
 
 void ThemePrivate::scheduleThemeChangeNotification(CacheTypes caches)
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
index 5b8f71c01..ae4d0aa7e 100644
--- a/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
+++ b/src/plasma/private/theme_p.h
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
     void themeChanged();
     void defaultFontChanged();
     void smallestFontChanged();
+    void applicationPaletteChange();
 
 public:
     static const char defaultTheme[];
diff --git a/src/plasma/svg.cpp b/src/plasma/svg.cpp
index bcceaf7ec..ad03f4187 100644
--- a/src/plasma/svg.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/svg.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 namespace Plasma
 {
 
+
 SharedSvgRenderer::SharedSvgRenderer(QObject *parent)
     : QSvgRenderer(parent)
 {
@@ -579,20 +580,15 @@ void SvgPrivate::checkColorHints()
     // a colorscheme
     if (qApp) {
         if (usesColors && (!themed || !actualTheme()->colorScheme())) {
-            qApp->installEventFilter(q);
+            QObject::connect(actualTheme()->d, SIGNAL(applicationPaletteChange()), q, SLOT(colorsChanged()));
         } else {
-            qApp->removeEventFilter(q);
+            QObject::disconnect(actualTheme()->d, SIGNAL(applicationPaletteChange()), q, SLOT(colorsChanged()));
         }
     }
 }
 
 bool Svg::eventFilter(QObject *watched, QEvent *event)
 {
-    if (watched == QCoreApplication::instance()) {
-        if (event->type() == QEvent::ApplicationPaletteChange) {
-            d->colorsChanged();
-        }
-    }
     return QObject::eventFilter(watched, event);
 }
 
@@ -978,4 +974,5 @@ Theme *Svg::theme() const
 
 } // Plasma namespace
 
+#include "private/moc_svg_p.cpp"
 #include "moc_svg.cpp"