diff --git a/kgreeter/kcm/kgreeterconfig.cpp b/kgreeter/kcm/kgreeterconfig.cpp
index 8fbb52c4..1dd2953f 100644
--- a/kgreeter/kcm/kgreeterconfig.cpp
+++ b/kgreeter/kcm/kgreeterconfig.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ void KCMGreeter::load()
     }
 
     cursorbox->setCurrentIndex(0); // default
-    const QString kgreetercursortheme = kgreetersettings.value("greeter/cursortheme").toString();
+    const QString kgreetercursortheme = kgreetersettings.value("greeter/cursortheme", KGreeterDefaultCursorTheme()).toString();
     if (!kgreetercursortheme.isEmpty()) {
         for (int i = 0; i < cursorbox->count(); i++) {
             if (cursorbox->itemData(i).toString().toLower() == kgreetercursortheme.toLower()) {
diff --git a/kgreeter/kgreeter.cpp b/kgreeter/kgreeter.cpp
index 6b78e08f..ed326149 100644
--- a/kgreeter/kgreeter.cpp
+++ b/kgreeter/kgreeter.cpp
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ int main(int argc, char**argv)
         app.setPalette(KGlobalSettings::createApplicationPalette());
     }
 
-    const QString kgreetercursortheme = kgreetersettings.value("greeter/cursortheme").toString();
+    const QString kgreetercursortheme = kgreetersettings.value("greeter/cursortheme", KGreeterDefaultCursorTheme()).toString();
     if (!kgreetercursortheme.isEmpty()) {
         const QByteArray xcursorthemebytes = kgreetercursortheme.toAscii();
         ::setenv("XCURSOR_THEME", xcursorthemebytes.constData(), 1);
diff --git a/kgreeter/kgreeter.h b/kgreeter/kgreeter.h
index 34ce40e2..df0f726c 100644
--- a/kgreeter/kgreeter.h
+++ b/kgreeter/kgreeter.h
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ static QString KGreeterDefaultStyle()
     return QString::fromLatin1("Cleanlooks");
 }
 
+static QString KGreeterDefaultCursorTheme()
+{
+    return QString::fromLatin1("Oxygen_White");
+}
+
 static QString KGreeterDefaultBackground()
 {
     return Plasma::Theme::defaultTheme()->wallpaperPath();