diff --git a/package.cpp b/package.cpp
index a7f3a06cf..2bf844592 100644
--- a/package.cpp
+++ b/package.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <KDebug>
 
 #include "packagemetadata.h"
-#include "packagestructure.h"
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
@@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ namespace Plasma
 class Package::Private
 {
 public:
-    Private(const PackageStructure& st, const QString& p)
+    Private(const PackageStructure::Ptr st, const QString& p)
         : structure(st),
           basePath(p),
           valid(QFile::exists(basePath)),
@@ -54,26 +53,25 @@ public:
             basePath.append('/');
         }
     }
-    
+
     ~Private()
     {
         delete metadata;
     }
 
-    PackageStructure structure;
+    const PackageStructure::Ptr structure;
     QString basePath;
     bool valid;
     PackageMetadata *metadata;
-    
 };
 
 Package::Package(const QString& packageRoot, const QString& package,
-                 const PackageStructure& structure)
+                 const PackageStructure::Ptr structure)
     : d(new Private(structure, packageRoot + '/' + package))
 {
 }
 
-Package::Package(const QString &packagePath, const PackageStructure &structure)
+Package::Package(const QString &packagePath, const PackageStructure::Ptr structure)
     : d(new Private(structure, packagePath))
 {
 }
@@ -89,18 +87,18 @@ bool Package::isValid() const
         return false;
     }
 
-    foreach (const char *dir, d->structure.requiredDirectories()) {
-        if (!QFile::exists(d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure.path(dir))) {
+    foreach (const char *dir, d->structure->requiredDirectories()) {
+        if (!QFile::exists(d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure->path(dir))) {
             kWarning(505) << "Could not find required directory" << dir;
             d->valid = false;
             return false;
         }
     }
 
-    foreach (const char *file, d->structure.requiredFiles()) {
-        if (!QFile::exists(d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure.path(file))) {
+    foreach (const char *file, d->structure->requiredFiles()) {
+        if (!QFile::exists(d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure->path(file))) {
             kWarning(505) << "Could not find required file" << file << ", look in"
-                          << d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure.path(file) << endl;
+                          << d->basePath + "contents/" + d->structure->path(file) << endl;
             d->valid = false;
             return false;
         }
@@ -115,7 +113,7 @@ QString Package::filePath(const char* fileType, const QString& filename) const
         return QString();
     }
 
-    QString path = d->structure.path(fileType);
+    QString path = d->structure->path(fileType);
 
     if (path.isEmpty()) {
         return QString();
@@ -145,7 +143,7 @@ QStringList Package::entryList(const char* fileType) const
         return QStringList();
     }
 
-    QString path = d->structure.path(fileType);
+    QString path = d->structure->path(fileType);
     if (path.isEmpty()) {
         return QStringList();
     }
@@ -159,7 +157,7 @@ QStringList Package::entryList(const char* fileType) const
     return dir.entryList(QDir::Files | QDir::Readable);
 }
 
-const PackageMetadata *Package::metadata() const
+const PackageMetadata* Package::metadata() const
 {
     if (!d->metadata) {
         d->metadata = new PackageMetadata(d->basePath + "metadata.desktop");
diff --git a/package.h b/package.h
index 974313fa1..a36474ac1 100644
--- a/package.h
+++ b/package.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <QtCore/QStringList>
 
 #include <plasma/plasma_export.h>
+#include <plasma/packagestructure.h>
 
 namespace Plasma
 {
@@ -33,7 +34,6 @@ namespace Plasma
  **/
 
 class PackageMetadata;
-class PackageStructure;
 
 class PLASMA_EXPORT Package
 {
@@ -46,15 +46,15 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Package
          * @arg structure the package structure describing this package
          **/
         Package(const QString& packageRoot, const QString& package,
-                const PackageStructure& structure);
-                
+                const PackageStructure::Ptr structure);
+
         /**
           * Construct a Package object.
           * 
           * @arg packagePath full path to the package directory
           * @arg structure the package structure describing this package
           */
-        Package(const QString &packagePath, const PackageStructure &structure);
+        Package(const QString &packagePath, const PackageStructure::Ptr structure);
 
         //TODO for 4.1: be able to load an uninstalled/uncompressed file.
 
diff --git a/packages.cpp b/packages.cpp
index b35ff9131..fff23b246 100644
--- a/packages.cpp
+++ b/packages.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace Plasma
 {
 
-PlasmoidPackage::PlasmoidPackage()
-    : Plasma::PackageStructure(QString("Plasmoid"))
+PlasmoidPackage::PlasmoidPackage(QObject *parent)
+    : Plasma::PackageStructure(parent, QString("Plasmoid"))
 {
     addDirectoryDefinition("images", "images", i18n("Images"));
     QStringList mimetypes;
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ PlasmoidPackage::PlasmoidPackage()
     setRequired("mainscript", true);
 }
 
-ThemePackage::ThemePackage()
-    : Plasma::PackageStructure(QString("Plasma Theme"))
+ThemePackage::ThemePackage(QObject *parent)
+    : Plasma::PackageStructure(parent, QString("Plasma Theme"))
 {
     addDirectoryDefinition("dialogs", "dialogs/", i18n("Images for dialogs"));
     addFileDefinition("dialogs/background", "dialogs/background.svg",
@@ -112,4 +112,5 @@ ThemePackage::ThemePackage()
 
 } // namespace Plasma
 
+#include "packages_p.moc"
 
diff --git a/packages_p.h b/packages_p.h
index 09b8c1811..b3d78d5d1 100644
--- a/packages_p.h
+++ b/packages_p.h
@@ -27,14 +27,16 @@ namespace Plasma
 
 class PlasmoidPackage : public PackageStructure
 {
+    Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    explicit PlasmoidPackage();
+    explicit PlasmoidPackage(QObject *parent = 0);
 };
 
 class ThemePackage : public PackageStructure
 {
+    Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    explicit ThemePackage();
+    explicit ThemePackage(QObject *parent = 0);
 };
 
 } // namespace Plasma
diff --git a/packagestructure.cpp b/packagestructure.cpp
index 4597f705a..9a8fbe0be 100644
--- a/packagestructure.cpp
+++ b/packagestructure.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KStandardDirs>
+#include <KServiceTypeTrader>
 
 #include "packages_p.h"
 
@@ -54,48 +55,71 @@ class ContentStructure
         bool required;
 };
 
+
 class PackageStructure::Private
 {
-    public:
-        QString type;
-        QMap<QByteArray, ContentStructure> contents;
-        QStringList mimetypes;
+public:
+    QString type;
+    QMap<QByteArray, ContentStructure> contents;
+    QStringList mimetypes;
+    static QHash<QString, PackageStructure::Ptr> structures;
 };
 
-PackageStructure::PackageStructure(const QString &type)
-    : d(new Private)
+QHash<QString, PackageStructure::Ptr> PackageStructure::Private::structures;
+
+PackageStructure::PackageStructure(QObject *parent, const QString &type)
+    : QObject(parent),
+      d(new Private)
 {
     d->type = type;
 }
 
-PackageStructure::PackageStructure(const PackageStructure& rhs)
-    : d(new Private)
-{
-    *d = *rhs.d;
-}
-
 PackageStructure::~PackageStructure()
 {
     delete d;
 }
 
-PackageStructure PackageStructure::load(const QString &packageFormat)
+PackageStructure::Ptr PackageStructure::load(const QString &packageFormat)
 {
-    PackageStructure ps;
-
     if (packageFormat.isEmpty()) {
-        return ps;
+        return Ptr(new PackageStructure());
     }
 
+    PackageStructure::Ptr structure = Private::structures[packageFormat];
+
+    if (structure) {
+        return structure;
+    }
+
+    // first we check for plugins in sycoca
+    QString constraint = QString("[X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name] == '%1'").arg(packageFormat);
+    KService::List offers = KServiceTypeTrader::self()->query("Plasma/PackageStructure", constraint);
+
+    QVariantList args;
+    QString error;
+    foreach (const KService::Ptr &offer, offers) {
+        PackageStructure::Ptr structure(offer->createInstance<Plasma::PackageStructure>(0, args, &error));
+
+        if (structure) {
+            Private::structures[packageFormat] = structure;
+            return structure;
+        }
+
+        kDebug() << "Couldn't load PackageStructure for" << packageFormat << "! reason given: " << error;
+    }
+
+    // if that didn't give us any love, then we try to load from a config file
+    structure = new PackageStructure();
     QString configPath("plasma/packageformats/%1rc");
     configPath = KStandardDirs::locate("data", configPath.arg(packageFormat));
 
     if (!configPath.isEmpty()) {
         KConfig config(configPath);
-        ps.read(&config);
+        structure->read(&config);
     }
 
-    return ps;
+    Private::structures[packageFormat] = structure;
+    return structure;
 }
 
 PackageStructure& PackageStructure::operator=(const PackageStructure& rhs)
@@ -308,3 +332,5 @@ void PackageStructure::write(KConfigBase *config) const
 
 } // Plasma namespace
 
+#include "packagestructure.moc"
+
diff --git a/packagestructure.h b/packagestructure.h
index fcfa01a2d..4ba1f5564 100644
--- a/packagestructure.h
+++ b/packagestructure.h
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@
 #define PACKAGESTRUCTURE_H
 
 #include <QtCore/QStringList>
+#include <QtCore/QSharedData>
 
+#include <KGenericFactory>
 #include <KLocale>
+#include <KSharedPtr>
 
 #include <plasma/plasma_export.h>
 
@@ -61,15 +64,19 @@ namespace Plasma
  * Either way, PackageStructure creates a sort of "contract" between the packager and
  * the application which is also self-documenting.
  **/
-class PLASMA_EXPORT PackageStructure
+class PLASMA_EXPORT PackageStructure : public QObject, public QSharedData
 {
+    Q_OBJECT
+
 public:
+    typedef KSharedPtr<PackageStructure> Ptr;
+
     /**
      * Default constructor for a package structure definition
      *
      * @arg type the type of package. This is often application specific.
      **/
-    explicit PackageStructure(const QString &type = i18n("Invalid"));
+    explicit PackageStructure(QObject *parent = 0, const QString &type = i18n("Invalid"));
 
     /**
      * Copy constructor
@@ -94,7 +101,7 @@ public:
      * @return a package that matches the format, if available. The caller
      *         is responsible for deleting the object.
      */
-    static PackageStructure load(const QString &package);
+    static PackageStructure::Ptr load(const QString &package);
 
     /**
      * Type of package this structure describes
@@ -205,5 +212,12 @@ private:
      Private * const d;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Register an applet when it is contained in a loadable module
+ */
+#define K_EXPORT_PLASMA_PACKAGESTRUCTURE(libname, classname) \
+K_PLUGIN_FACTORY(factory, registerPlugin<classname>();) \
+K_EXPORT_PLUGIN(factory("plasma_packagestructure_" #libname))
+
 } // Plasma namespace
 #endif