diff --git a/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.cpp b/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.cpp
index 011fcf76..9fe7cf16 100644
--- a/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.cpp
+++ b/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ public:
     {
         KPackage::Package pkg = KPackage::PackageLoader::self()->loadPackage(u"Plasma/Shell"_s);
         pkg.setPath(u"org.kde.plasma.mobile"_s);
+        if (!pkg.isValid()) {
+            qWarning() << "AppletHost: failed to load plasma shell package org.kde.plasma.mobile";
+            return;
+        }
         setKPackage(pkg);
     }
 
diff --git a/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.h b/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.h
index 9d152c3d..0b686ccd 100644
--- a/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.h
+++ b/components/mobileshell/components/applethost.h
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ public:
     explicit AppletHost(QObject *parent = nullptr);
     ~AppletHost() override;
 
+    static QObject *create(QQmlEngine * /*engine*/, QJSEngine * /*scriptEngine*/)
+    {
+        return new AppletHost();
+    }
+
     Q_INVOKABLE QQuickItem *fullRepresentationFor(const QString &pluginId);
 
 Q_SIGNALS: