diff --git a/nixos/tests/sddm-kde5.nix b/nixos/tests/sddm-kde5.nix
index 0247d267aaa4..787dd2f8cbdd 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/sddm-kde5.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/sddm-kde5.nix
@@ -24,29 +24,26 @@ import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, ...} :
 
   testScript = { nodes, ... }:
   let xdo = "${pkgs.xdotool}/bin/xdotool"; in
-   ''     
-    sub krunner {
-      my ($win,) = @_;
-      $machine->execute("${xdo} key Alt+F2 sleep 1 type $win");
-      $machine->execute("${xdo} search --sync --onlyvisible --class krunner sleep 5 key Return");
-    }
+   ''
+    startAll;
+
+    $machine->waitForFile("/home/alice/.Xauthority");
+    $machine->succeed("xauth merge ~alice/.Xauthority");
 
     $machine->waitUntilSucceeds("pgrep plasmashell");
-    $machine->succeed("xauth merge ~alice/.Xauthority");    
-    $machine->waitForWindow(qr/Desktop.*/);
+    $machine->waitForWindow("^Desktop ");
 
     # Check that logging in has given the user ownership of devices.
     $machine->succeed("getfacl /dev/snd/timer | grep -q alice");
-    
-    krunner("dolphin");
-    $machine->waitForWindow(qr/.*Dolphin/);
-    
-    krunner("konsole");
-    $machine->waitForWindow(qr/.*Konsole/);
-    
-    krunner("systemsettings5");
-    $machine->waitForWindow(qr/.*Settings/);
-    $machine->sleep(20);
+
+    $machine->execute("su - alice -c 'DISPLAY=:0.0 dolphin &'");
+    $machine->waitForWindow(" Dolphin");
+
+    $machine->execute("su - alice -c 'DISPLAY=:0.0 konsole &'");
+    $machine->waitForWindow("Konsole");
+
+    $machine->execute("su - alice -c 'DISPLAY=:0.0 systemsettings5 &'");
+    $machine->waitForWindow("Settings");
 
     $machine->execute("${xdo} key Alt+F1 sleep 10");
     $machine->screenshot("screen");