diff --git a/autotests/integration/modifier_only_shortcut_test.cpp b/autotests/integration/modifier_only_shortcut_test.cpp
index 6199eed01ef007a56bbd36e21d5fdc3ab8bbc287..b613276f8ddf371049e65cd8621d3eb216a9e89b 100644
--- a/autotests/integration/modifier_only_shortcut_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/integration/modifier_only_shortcut_test.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ void ModifierOnlyShortcutTest::initTestCase()
     QVERIFY(waylandServer()->init(s_socketName.toLocal8Bit()));
 
     kwinApp()->setConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(QString(), KConfig::SimpleConfig));
+    qputenv("KWIN_XKB_DEFAULT_KEYMAP", "1");
 
     kwinApp()->start();
     QVERIFY(workspaceCreatedSpy.wait());
diff --git a/keyboard_input.cpp b/keyboard_input.cpp
index 3c9ef7f97d574eee6d31498c6e402accd877e3f4..1ce949c2cc1df052a19212ce2ada5584e796c676 100644
--- a/keyboard_input.cpp
+++ b/keyboard_input.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,10 @@ void Xkb::reconfigure()
         return;
     }
 
-    xkb_keymap *keymap = loadKeymapFromConfig();
+    xkb_keymap *keymap = nullptr;
+    if (!qEnvironmentVariableIsSet("KWIN_XKB_DEFAULT_KEYMAP")) {
+        keymap = loadKeymapFromConfig();
+    }
     if (!keymap) {
         qCDebug(KWIN_XKB) << "Could not create xkb keymap from configuration";
         keymap = loadDefaultKeymap();