diff --git a/src/core/plugins/plugins.cpp b/src/core/plugins/plugins.cpp
index 2c30250..6c2dbb2 100644
--- a/src/core/plugins/plugins.cpp
+++ b/src/core/plugins/plugins.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,11 @@ void SnorePlugin::setDefaultValue(const QString &key, const QVariant &value, con
 
 Snore::PluginSettingsWidget *SnorePlugin::settingsWidget()
 {
-    return new PluginSettingsWidget(this);
+    if(type() != SnorePlugin::BACKEND) {
+        // don't display a useless default widget for backends
+        return new PluginSettingsWidget(this);
+    }
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 QString SnorePlugin::normaliseKey(const QString &key) const
diff --git a/src/core/plugins/pluginsettingswidget.cpp b/src/core/plugins/pluginsettingswidget.cpp
index 38a4234..74ee39f 100644
--- a/src/core/plugins/pluginsettingswidget.cpp
+++ b/src/core/plugins/pluginsettingswidget.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ PluginSettingsWidget::PluginSettingsWidget(SnorePlugin *snorePlugin, QWidget *pa
 {
     setLayout(m_layout);
     addRow("Type:", new QLabel(snorePlugin->typeName()));
-    addRow("Enabled:", m_enabled);
+    if (m_snorePlugin->type() != SnorePlugin::BACKEND) {
+        // backends are handled through a combo box.
+        addRow("Enabled:", m_enabled);
+    }
 
 }
 
@@ -53,14 +56,19 @@ void PluginSettingsWidget::addRow(const QString &label, QWidget *widget)
 
 void PluginSettingsWidget::loadSettings()
 {
-    m_enabled->setChecked(m_snorePlugin->value("Enabled").toBool());
+    if (m_snorePlugin->type() != SnorePlugin::BACKEND) {
+        m_enabled->setChecked(m_snorePlugin->value("Enabled").toBool());
+    }
     load();
 }
 
 void PluginSettingsWidget::saveSettings()
 {
-    m_snorePlugin->setValue("Enabled", m_enabled->isChecked());
-    m_snorePlugin->snore()->setPluginEnabled(m_snorePlugin->name(), m_enabled->isChecked());
+    if (m_snorePlugin->type() != SnorePlugin::BACKEND) {
+        m_snorePlugin->setValue("Enabled", m_enabled->isChecked());
+        // we only allow one active primary backend
+        m_snorePlugin->snore()->setPluginEnabled(m_snorePlugin->name(), m_enabled->isChecked());
+    }
     save();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/snore.cpp b/src/core/snore.cpp
index 52fd0dd..8110e67 100644
--- a/src/core/snore.cpp
+++ b/src/core/snore.cpp
@@ -180,7 +180,10 @@ QList<PluginSettingsWidget *> SnoreCore::settingWidgets()
     QList<PluginSettingsWidget *> list;
     for (auto p : d->m_plugins) {
 //TODO: mem leak?
-        list.append(p->settingsWidget());
+        PluginSettingsWidget *widget = p->settingsWidget();
+        if (widget) {
+            list.append(p->settingsWidget());
+        }
     }
     return list;
 }