diff --git a/app/dock/dockview.cpp b/app/dock/dockview.cpp
index 3d608a1ec..ca842eff8 100644
--- a/app/dock/dockview.cpp
+++ b/app/dock/dockview.cpp
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ DockView::~DockView()
 
     qDebug() << "dock view deleting...";
     rootContext()->setContextProperty(QStringLiteral("dock"), nullptr);
+    rootContext()->setContextProperty(QStringLiteral("themeExtended"), nullptr);
+    rootContext()->setContextProperty(QStringLiteral("universalSettings"), nullptr);
+    rootContext()->setContextProperty(QStringLiteral("layoutManager"), nullptr);
 
     //! this disconnect does not free up connections correctly when
     //! dockView is deleted. A crash for this example is the following:
diff --git a/containment/package/contents/ui/PanelBox.qml b/containment/package/contents/ui/PanelBox.qml
index cffd88a16..6ac79e355 100644
--- a/containment/package/contents/ui/PanelBox.qml
+++ b/containment/package/contents/ui/PanelBox.qml
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ Item{
 
         enabledBorders: dock && dock.effects ? dock.effects.enabledBorders : PlasmaCore.FrameSvg.NoBorder
 
-        property bool themeHasShadow: themeExtended ? themeExtended.hasShadow : false
+        //! set true by default in order to avoid crash on startup because imagePath is set to ""
+        readonly property bool themeHasShadow: themeExtended ? themeExtended.hasShadow : true
 
         Behavior on opacity {
             enabled: Latte.WindowSystem.compositingActive
diff --git a/containment/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/containment/package/contents/ui/main.qml
index 2d84da960..1a9ea9d17 100644
--- a/containment/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/containment/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -346,10 +346,10 @@ DragDrop.DropArea {
     property Item latteApplet
     property Item parabolicManager: _parabolicManager
 
-    property QtObject dock
-    property QtObject themeExtended
-    property QtObject universalSettings
-    property QtObject universalLayoutManager
+    property QtObject dock: null
+    property QtObject themeExtended: null
+    property QtObject universalSettings: null
+    property QtObject universalLayoutManager: null
     property QtObject dockManagedLayout: dock && dock.managedLayout ? dock.managedLayout : null
 
     // TO BE DELETED, if not needed: property int counter:0;