diff --git a/kded/start/CMakeLists.txt b/kded/start/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f4d9b92..37d09c35 100644
--- a/kded/start/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kded/start/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ kcoreaddons_add_plugin(kded_plasma_mobile_start SOURCES ${kded_plasma_mobile_sta
 target_link_libraries(kded_plasma_mobile_start PRIVATE
     Qt::Core
     KF6::DBusAddons
+    KF6::ConfigCore
     KF6::KIOGui
     KF6::JobWidgets
     KF6::Package
diff --git a/kded/start/start.cpp b/kded/start/start.cpp
index ef9c68dd..ba6d3eb9 100644
--- a/kded/start/start.cpp
+++ b/kded/start/start.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,77 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Devin Lin <devin@kde.org>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 
+#include <QFileInfo>
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+#include <QUrl>
+
+#include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KIO/CommandLauncherJob>
 #include <KNotificationJobUiDelegate>
 #include <KPluginFactory>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
 
 #include "start.h"
 
+namespace
+{
+bool isLegacyNextWallpaperPath(const QString &path)
+{
+    return path == QStringLiteral("Next") || path.startsWith(QStringLiteral("/usr/share/wallpapers/Next/"))
+        || path.startsWith(QStringLiteral("file:///usr/share/wallpapers/Next/"));
+}
+
+QString shiftWallpaperPackageUrl()
+{
+    const QString metadataPath = QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral("wallpapers/SHIFT/metadata.json"));
+    if (metadataPath.isEmpty()) {
+        return QString();
+    }
+
+    QString packageUrl = QUrl::fromLocalFile(QFileInfo(metadataPath).absolutePath()).toString();
+    if (!packageUrl.endsWith(QLatin1Char('/'))) {
+        packageUrl += QLatin1Char('/');
+    }
+    return packageUrl;
+}
+
+void ensureLockscreenWallpaperDefaults()
+{
+    auto config = KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("kscreenlockerrc"));
+    auto greeterGroup = config->group(QStringLiteral("Greeter"));
+
+    const QString wallpaperPlugin = greeterGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("WallpaperPlugin"), QString());
+    const QString wallpaperPath =
+        greeterGroup.group(QStringLiteral("Wallpaper")).group(wallpaperPlugin).group(QStringLiteral("General")).readEntry(QStringLiteral("Image"), QString());
+
+    const bool wallpaperUnset = wallpaperPlugin.isEmpty() || wallpaperPath.isEmpty();
+    const bool wallpaperLegacyNext = wallpaperPlugin == QStringLiteral("org.kde.image") && isLegacyNextWallpaperPath(wallpaperPath);
+    if (!wallpaperUnset && !wallpaperLegacyNext) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const QString defaultWallpaperUrl = shiftWallpaperPackageUrl();
+    if (defaultWallpaperUrl.isEmpty()) {
+        qWarning() << "Could not locate SHIFT wallpaper package for lockscreen defaults";
+        return;
+    }
+
+    greeterGroup.group(QStringLiteral("Wallpaper"))
+        .group(QStringLiteral("org.kde.image"))
+        .group(QStringLiteral("General"))
+        .writeEntry(QStringLiteral("Image"), defaultWallpaperUrl, KConfigGroup::Notify);
+    greeterGroup.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("WallpaperPlugin"), QStringLiteral("org.kde.image"), KConfigGroup::Notify);
+    config->sync();
+}
+}
+
 K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(StartFactory, "kded_plasma_mobile_start.json", registerPlugin<Start>();)
 
 Start::Start(QObject *parent, const QList<QVariant> &)
     : KDEDModule{parent}
 {
+    ensureLockscreenWallpaperDefaults();
+
     auto *envmanagerJob = new KIO::CommandLauncherJob(QStringLiteral("plasma-mobile-envmanager --apply-settings"), {});
     envmanagerJob->setUiDelegate(new KNotificationJobUiDelegate(KJobUiDelegate::AutoErrorHandlingEnabled));
     envmanagerJob->setDesktopName(QStringLiteral("org.kde.plasma-mobile-envmanager"));