diff --git a/widgets/boxlayout.cpp b/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
index f9ac4edb5..f3d4378a9 100644
--- a/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
@@ -438,12 +438,7 @@ void BoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geo)
 
     d->geometry = geometry;
 
-    if ( animator() && animator()->timeLine() ) {
-        animator()->timeLine()->setCurrentTime(0); 
-        if ( animator()->timeLine()->state() == QTimeLine::NotRunning ) {
-            animator()->timeLine()->start();
-        }
-    }
+    startAnimation();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/widgets/flowlayout.cpp b/widgets/flowlayout.cpp
index efe56788d..25822a742 100644
--- a/widgets/flowlayout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/flowlayout.cpp
@@ -193,8 +193,7 @@ void FlowLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geo)
 
     d->geometry = geo;
 
-    if ( animator() && animator()->timeLine() )
-        animator()->timeLine()->start();
+    startAnimation();
 }
 
 Qt::Orientations FlowLayout::expandingDirections() const
diff --git a/widgets/layout.cpp b/widgets/layout.cpp
index 4d94a43f6..a2892e701 100644
--- a/widgets/layout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/layout.cpp
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@
 #include <math.h>
 
 #include <QtCore/QList>
+#include <QtCore/QTimeLine>
 #include <QtDebug>
 
 #include "widget.h"
+#include "layoutanimator.h"
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
@@ -146,5 +148,14 @@ QSizeF Layout::maximumSize() const
 {
     return QSizeF(INFINITY,INFINITY);
 }
+void Layout::startAnimation() 
+{
+    if ( animator() && animator()->timeLine() ) {
+        animator()->timeLine()->setCurrentTime(0); 
+        if ( animator()->timeLine()->state() == QTimeLine::NotRunning ) {
+            animator()->timeLine()->start();
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 }
diff --git a/widgets/layout.h b/widgets/layout.h
index e3dad9108..c5a69ae78 100644
--- a/widgets/layout.h
+++ b/widgets/layout.h
@@ -152,6 +152,16 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Layout : public LayoutItem
         /** TODO Document me */
         void invalidate(); 
 
+    protected:
+        /**
+         * Starts a layout animation.  Subclasses may call this 
+         * at the end of their setGeometry() implementation to
+         * start the timeline associated with the layout's animator()
+         * if there is one.  If an animation is already in progress then
+         * the timeline is reset to 0ms and the animation continues.
+         */
+        void startAnimation();
+
 	private:
 		class Private;
 		Private *const d;