diff --git a/lib/utils.pm b/lib/utils.pm
index 3a5fe4ef..63aec256 100644
--- a/lib/utils.pm
+++ b/lib/utils.pm
@@ -755,7 +755,8 @@ sub console_initial_setup {
 }
 
 sub handle_welcome_screen {
-    # handle the 'welcome' screen on GNOME. shared in a few places
+    # handle the 'welcome' screen on GNOME and KDE since F38. shared
+    # in a few places
     if (check_screen "getting_started", 45) {
         send_key "alt-f4";
         # for GNOME 40, alt-f4 doesn't work
diff --git a/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.json b/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0e59ddaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "area": [
+    {
+      "height": 32,
+      "ypos": 376,
+      "width": 25,
+      "type": "match",
+      "xpos": 493
+    }
+  ],
+  "properties": [],
+  "tags": [
+    "DESKTOP-kde",
+    "getting_started"
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.png b/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ba813f3
Binary files /dev/null and b/needles/kde/getting_started-kde-20230222.png differ
diff --git a/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm b/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
index e56ec859..5db1665d 100644
--- a/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
+++ b/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
@@ -86,7 +86,12 @@ sub run {
     # neither var is set, without needing an extra condition
     my $sat = get_var("START_AFTER_TEST", "1");
     my $dut = get_var("DEPLOY_UPLOAD_TEST", "2");
-    handle_welcome_screen if ($desktop eq 'gnome' && $sat ne $dut && !get_var("_WELCOME_DONE"));
+    my $relnum = get_release_number;
+    handle_welcome_screen if (
+        ($desktop eq 'gnome' || $desktop eq 'kde' && $relnum > 37) &&
+        $sat ne $dut &&
+        !get_var("_WELCOME_DONE")
+    );
     if (get_var("IMAGE_DEPLOY")) {
         # if this was an image deployment, we also need to create
         # root user now, for subsequent tests to work