diff --git a/applet.cpp b/applet.cpp
index aee513060..06699e1c2 100644
--- a/applet.cpp
+++ b/applet.cpp
@@ -1289,6 +1289,20 @@ void Applet::paintInterface(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *o
 FormFactor Applet::formFactor() const
 {
     Containment *c = containment();
+    QGraphicsWidget *p = dynamic_cast<QGraphicsWidget *>(parentItem());
+
+
+    //if the applet is in a widget that isn't a containment
+    //try to retrieve the formFactor from the parent size
+    //we can't use our own sizeHint here because it needs formFactor, so endless recursion
+    if (p && p != c && c != this && layout()) {
+        if (p->size().width() < layout()->effectiveSizeHint(Qt::MinimumSize).width()) {
+            return Plasma::Vertical;
+        } else if (p->size().height() < layout()->effectiveSizeHint(Qt::MinimumSize).height()) {
+            return Plasma::Horizontal;
+        }
+    }
+
     return c ? c->d->formFactor : Plasma::Planar;
 }
 
diff --git a/popupapplet.cpp b/popupapplet.cpp
index b935aa020..c8835a3c3 100644
--- a/popupapplet.cpp
+++ b/popupapplet.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ void PopupAppletPrivate::popupConstraintsEvent(Plasma::Constraints constraints)
         }
 
         QSizeF minimum;
-        QSizeF containmentSize;
+        QSizeF parentSize;
 
         QGraphicsWidget *gWidget = q->graphicsWidget();
         //kDebug() << "graphics widget is" << (QObject*)gWidget;
@@ -189,14 +189,15 @@ void PopupAppletPrivate::popupConstraintsEvent(Plasma::Constraints constraints)
             minimum = qWidget->minimumSizeHint();
         }
 
-        if (q->containment()) {
-            containmentSize = q->containment()->size();
+        //99% of the times q->parentWidget() is the containment, but using it  we can also manage the applet-in-applet case (i.e. systray)
+        if (q->parentWidget()) {
+            parentSize = q->parentWidget()->size();
         }
 
         //Applet on desktop
         if (icon && !icon->icon().isNull() && ((f != Plasma::Vertical && f != Plasma::Horizontal) ||
-            ((f == Plasma::Vertical && containmentSize.width() >= minimum.width()) ||
-             (f == Plasma::Horizontal && containmentSize.height() >= minimum.height())))) {
+            ((f == Plasma::Vertical && parentSize.width() >= minimum.width()) ||
+             (f == Plasma::Horizontal && parentSize.height() >= minimum.height())))) {
             //kDebug() << "we are expanding the popupapplet";
 
             // we only switch to expanded if we aren't horiz/vert constrained and