diff --git a/widgets/widget.cpp b/widgets/widget.cpp
index 1b8c6cba3..14303eaa8 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.cpp
+++ b/widgets/widget.cpp
@@ -288,12 +288,13 @@ Widget *Widget::parent() const
 
 void Widget::addChild(Widget *w)
 {
-    if (!w) {
+    if (!w || w->parent() == this) {
         return;
     }
 
-    w->reparent(this);
     d->childList.append(w);
+    w->d->parent = this;
+    w->setParentItem(this);
 
     //kDebug() << "Added Child Widget" <<  w;
 
@@ -301,6 +302,7 @@ void Widget::addChild(Widget *w)
         layout()->addItem(w);
         updateGeometry();
     }
+    w->update();
 }
 
 void Widget::paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget)
@@ -437,11 +439,17 @@ void Widget::paintWidget(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *opti
     // Replaced by widget's own function
 }
 
-void Widget::reparent(Widget *w)
+QVariant Widget::itemChange(GraphicsItemChange change, const QVariant &value)
 {
-    d->parent = w;
-    setParentItem(w);
-    update();
+    if (change == QGraphicsItem::ItemChildRemovedChange) {
+        Widget *child = dynamic_cast<Plasma::Widget*>(value.value<QGraphicsItem*>());
+        if (child) {
+            d->childList.removeAll(child);
+            updateGeometry();
+        }
+    }
+
+    return QGraphicsItem::itemChange(change, value);
 }
 
 void Widget::managingLayoutChanged()
diff --git a/widgets/widget.h b/widgets/widget.h
index cf66f94d7..e8beeeca7 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.h
+++ b/widgets/widget.h
@@ -211,12 +211,6 @@ TODO: implement once we decide how to handle the font system
      */
     Q_INVOKABLE Widget *parent() const;
 
-    /**
-     * Sets the parent of this Plasma::Widget;
-     * @param widget the widget to reparent to.
-     */
-    Q_INVOKABLE void reparent(Widget *widget);
-
     /**
      * Add another Plasma::Widget as a child of this one.
      * @param widget the widget to reparent to this Plasma::Widget.
@@ -256,6 +250,7 @@ protected:
      * @param widget the parent QWidget (most likely the Corona)
      */
     virtual void paintWidget(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget = 0);
+    QVariant itemChange(GraphicsItemChange change, const QVariant &value);
     void setSize(const QSizeF& size);
     void managingLayoutChanged();