diff --git a/main.h b/main.h
index a345cd36ca..5dda055c8c 100644
--- a/main.h
+++ b/main.h
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ public:
         return m_connection;
     }
 
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    bool usesKActivities() const {
+        return m_useKActivities;
+    }
+    void setUseKActivities(bool use) {
+        m_useKActivities = use;
+    }
+#endif
+
     virtual QProcessEnvironment processStartupEnvironment() const;
 
     static void setupMalloc();
@@ -204,6 +213,9 @@ private:
     xcb_timestamp_t m_x11Time = XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME;
     xcb_window_t m_rootWindow = XCB_WINDOW_NONE;
     xcb_connection_t *m_connection = nullptr;
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    bool m_useKActivities = true;
+#endif
     static int crashes;
 };
 
diff --git a/main_wayland.cpp b/main_wayland.cpp
index 61ad616d9a..1b2efde521 100644
--- a/main_wayland.cpp
+++ b/main_wayland.cpp
@@ -563,6 +563,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
                                              QStringLiteral("/path/to/session"));
     parser.addOption(exitWithSessionOption);
 
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    QCommandLineOption noActivitiesOption(QStringLiteral("no-kactivities"),
+                                        i18n("Disable KActivities integration."));
+    parser.addOption(noActivitiesOption);
+#endif
+
     parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("applications"),
                                  i18n("Applications to start once Wayland and Xwayland server are started"),
                                  QStringLiteral("[/path/to/application...]"));
@@ -570,6 +576,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
     parser.process(a);
     a.processCommandLine(&parser);
 
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    if (parser.isSet(noActivitiesOption)) {
+        a.setUseKActivities(false);
+    }
+#endif
+
     if (parser.isSet(listBackendsOption)) {
         for (const auto &plugin: availablePlugins) {
             std::cout << std::setw(40) << std::left << qPrintable(plugin.name()) << qPrintable(plugin.description()) << std::endl;
diff --git a/main_x11.cpp b/main_x11.cpp
index 2c137431b5..07519e75ab 100644
--- a/main_x11.cpp
+++ b/main_x11.cpp
@@ -280,10 +280,20 @@ KWIN_EXPORT int kdemain(int argc, char * argv[])
     QCommandLineParser parser;
     a.setupCommandLine(&parser);
     parser.addOption(replaceOption);
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    QCommandLineOption noActivitiesOption(QStringLiteral("no-kactivities"),
+                                        i18n("Disable KActivities integration."));
+    parser.addOption(noActivitiesOption);
+#endif
 
     parser.process(a);
     a.processCommandLine(&parser);
     a.setReplace(parser.isSet(replaceOption));
+#ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
+    if (parser.isSet(noActivitiesOption)) {
+        a.setUseKActivities(false);
+    }
+#endif
 
     // perform sanity checks
     if (a.platformName().toLower() != QStringLiteral("xcb")) {
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
index 078f79f7fd..bc994042d3 100644
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ Workspace::Workspace(const QString &sessionKey)
 
 #ifdef KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES
     Activities *activities = nullptr;
-    // HACK: do not use Activities on Wayland as it blocks the startup
-    if (kwinApp()->operationMode() == Application::OperationModeX11) {
+    if (kwinApp()->usesKActivities()) {
         activities = Activities::create(this);
     }
     if (activities) {