diff --git a/applet.cpp b/applet.cpp
index 87ae8a85d..6c41b6ccc 100644
--- a/applet.cpp
+++ b/applet.cpp
@@ -502,8 +502,8 @@ void Applet::setBackgroundHints(const BackgroundHints hints)
             d->background = new Plasma::PanelSvg();
             d->background->setImagePath("widgets/background");
             d->background->setEnabledBorders(Plasma::PanelSvg::AllBorders);
-            int left, top, right, bottom;
-            d->getBorderSize(left, top, right, bottom);
+            qreal left, top, right, bottom;
+            d->background->getMargins(left, top, right, bottom);
             setContentsMargins(left, right, top, bottom);
 
             QSizeF fitSize(left + right, top + bottom);
@@ -513,8 +513,8 @@ void Applet::setBackgroundHints(const BackgroundHints hints)
             d->background->resizePanel(boundingRect().size());
         }
     } else if (d->background) {
-        int left, top, right, bottom;
-        d->getBorderSize(left, top, right, bottom);
+        qreal left, top, right, bottom;
+        d->background->getMargins(left, top, right, bottom);
         //Setting a minimum size of 0,0 would result in the panel to be only
         //on the first virtual desktop
         setMinimumSize(qMax(minimumSize().width() - left - right, 1.0),
@@ -1301,18 +1301,6 @@ QString Applet::Private::instanceName()
     return appletDescription.service()->library() + QString::number(appletId);
 }
 
-void Applet::Private::getBorderSize(int& left , int& top, int &right, int& bottom)
-{
-    if (background) {
-        top = background->marginSize(Plasma::TopMargin);
-        left = background->marginSize(Plasma::LeftMargin);
-        right = background->marginSize(Plasma::RightMargin);
-        bottom = background->marginSize(Plasma::BottomMargin);
-    } else {
-        top = left = right = bottom = 0;
-    }
-}
-
 void Applet::Private::scheduleConstraintsUpdate(Plasma::Constraints c)
 {
     if (pendingConstraints == NoConstraint) {
diff --git a/panelsvg.cpp b/panelsvg.cpp
index c13607c5b..e2eb6f22a 100644
--- a/panelsvg.cpp
+++ b/panelsvg.cpp
@@ -231,6 +231,14 @@ qreal PanelSvg::marginSize(const Plasma::MarginEdge edge) const
     }
 }
 
+void PanelSvg::getMargins(qreal &left, qreal &top, qreal &right, qreal &bottom) const
+{
+    top = marginSize(Plasma::TopMargin);
+    left = marginSize(Plasma::LeftMargin);
+    right = marginSize(Plasma::RightMargin);
+    bottom = marginSize(Plasma::BottomMargin);
+}
+
 QBitmap PanelSvg::mask() const
 {
     PanelData *panel = d->panels[d->prefix];
diff --git a/panelsvg.h b/panelsvg.h
index 18cc5501e..8b70812c0 100644
--- a/panelsvg.h
+++ b/panelsvg.h
@@ -100,6 +100,16 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT PanelSvg : public Svg
          */
         qreal marginSize(const Plasma::MarginEdge edge) const;
 
+        /**
+         * Convenience method that extracts the size of the four margins
+         * in the four output parameters
+         * @arg left left margin size
+         * @arg top top margin size
+         * @arg right right margin size
+         * @arg bottom bottom margin size
+         */
+        void getMargins(qreal &left, qreal &top, qreal &right, qreal &bottom) const;
+
         /**
          * Sets the prefix (@see setElementPrefix) to 'north', 'south', 'west' and 'east'
          * when the location is TopEdge, BottomEdge, LeftEdge and RightEdge,