diff --git a/widgets/boxlayout.cpp b/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
index 813ad927b..aca73a7f0 100644
--- a/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/boxlayout.cpp
@@ -37,15 +37,16 @@ BoxLayout::BoxLayout(LayoutItem *parent)
     : Layout(parent),
       d(new Private)
 {
-    parent->setLayout(this);
+    if (parent) {
+        parent->setLayout(this);
+    }
 }
 
 BoxLayout::~BoxLayout()
 {
-    foreach (LayoutItem *l, d->childList) {
-        l->resetLayout();
+    foreach (LayoutItem* item, children()) {
+        item->unsetManagingLayout(this);
     }
-
     delete d;
 }
 
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ void BoxLayout::insertItem(int index, LayoutItem *l)
         return;
     }
 
-    l->setLayout(this);
+    //l->setLayout(this);
     d->childList.insert(index, l);
     setGeometry(geometry());
 }
@@ -101,14 +102,18 @@ void BoxLayout::addItem(LayoutItem *l)
         return;
     }
 
-    l->setLayout(this);
+    l->setManagingLayout(this);
     d->childList.append(l);
-    qDebug("Added Child LayoutItem : %p", l);
     setGeometry(geometry());
 }
 
 void BoxLayout::removeItem(LayoutItem *l)
 {
+    if (!l) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    l->unsetManagingLayout(this);
     d->childList.removeAll(l);
     setGeometry(geometry());
 }
diff --git a/widgets/hboxlayout.cpp b/widgets/hboxlayout.cpp
index 4f5e5fc0d..e4fb72998 100644
--- a/widgets/hboxlayout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/hboxlayout.cpp
@@ -66,12 +66,10 @@ void HBoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
     QSizeF available = geometry.size() - QSizeF(2 * margin(), 2 * margin());
 
     foreach (LayoutItem *l, children()) {
-        kDebug() << "testing layout item " << l << endl;
         if (l->expandingDirections() & Qt::Horizontal) {
-            expandingChildren += l;
+            expandingChildren.append(l);
         } else {
-
-            fixedChildren += l;
+            fixedChildren.append(l);
         }
     }
 
@@ -81,10 +79,12 @@ void HBoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
         available -= QSizeF(hint.width() + spacing(), 0.0f);
     }
 
-    qreal expandWidth = (available.width() - ((expandingChildren.count() - 1) * spacing())) / expandingChildren.count();
+    qreal expandWidth = 0;
+    if (expandingChildren.count() > 0) {
+        expandWidth = (available.height() - ((expandingChildren.count() - 1) * spacing())) / expandingChildren.count();
+    }
 
     foreach (LayoutItem *l, expandingChildren) {
-
         sizes.insert(indexOf(l), QSizeF(expandWidth, available.height()));
     }
 
diff --git a/widgets/layout.cpp b/widgets/layout.cpp
index e2f503855..4648ca995 100644
--- a/widgets/layout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/layout.cpp
@@ -25,27 +25,35 @@ namespace Plasma
 
 class Layout::Private
 {
-	public:
-		Private() : margin(10.0), spacing(10.0), parent(0) {}
-		~Private() {}
+    public:
+        Private(LayoutItem* parent)
+            : margin(12.0),
+              spacing(6.0),
+              parent(parent)
+        {
+        }
 
-		qreal margin;
-		qreal spacing;
+        ~Private() {}
 
-		LayoutItem *parent;
+        qreal margin;
+        qreal spacing;
+
+        LayoutItem *parent;
 };
 
 
 Layout::Layout(LayoutItem *parent)
-	: LayoutItem(),
-	  d(new Private)
+    : LayoutItem(),
+      d(new Private(parent))
 {
-	d->parent = parent;
 }
 
 Layout::~Layout()
 {
-        delete d;
+    if (parent()) {
+        parent()->setLayout(0);
+    }
+    delete d;
 }
 
 qreal Layout::margin() const
diff --git a/widgets/layoutitem.cpp b/widgets/layoutitem.cpp
index ddc8518e0..7a6b7b651 100644
--- a/widgets/layoutitem.cpp
+++ b/widgets/layoutitem.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
  */
 
 #include "layoutitem.h"
+
+#include <KDebug>
+
 #include "layout.h"
 
 namespace Plasma
@@ -26,27 +29,30 @@ class LayoutItem::Private
 {
     public:
         Private()
-            : layout(0)
+            : layout(0),
+              managingLayout(0)
         {
         }
 
         ~Private() {}
 
         Layout* layout;
+        Layout* managingLayout;
 };
 
 
 LayoutItem::LayoutItem()
-    : d(new Private)
+    : d(new Private())
 {
 }
 
 LayoutItem::~LayoutItem()
 {
-    if (d->layout) {
-        d->layout->removeItem(this);
+    if (d->managingLayout) {
+        d->managingLayout->removeItem(this);
     }
 
+    delete d->layout;
     delete d;
 }
 
@@ -70,15 +76,11 @@ qreal LayoutItem::widthForHeight(qreal h) const
 	return 0.0;
 }
 
-void LayoutItem::resetLayout()
-{
-    d->layout = 0;
-}
-
 void LayoutItem::setLayout(Layout* layout)
 {
-    if (d->layout) {
-        d->layout->removeItem(this);
+    if (d->layout && layout) {
+        kDebug() << k_funcinfo << " already have a layout." << endl;
+        return;
     }
 
     d->layout = layout;
@@ -89,4 +91,25 @@ Layout* LayoutItem::layout()
     return d->layout;
 }
 
+void LayoutItem::setManagingLayout(Layout* layout)
+{
+    if (d->managingLayout) {
+        d->managingLayout->removeItem(this);
+    }
+
+    d->managingLayout = layout;
+}
+
+void LayoutItem::unsetManagingLayout(Layout* layout)
+{
+    if (d->managingLayout == layout) {
+        d->managingLayout = 0;
+    }
+}
+
+Layout* LayoutItem::managingLayout()
+{
+    return d->managingLayout;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/widgets/layoutitem.h b/widgets/layoutitem.h
index 98ef7b788..d918a2ba8 100644
--- a/widgets/layoutitem.h
+++ b/widgets/layoutitem.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT LayoutItem
         /**
          * Constructor.
          */
-        LayoutItem();
+        explicit LayoutItem();
 
         /**
          * Virtual Destructor.
@@ -106,28 +106,37 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT LayoutItem
         virtual QSizeF sizeHint() const = 0;
 
         /**
-         * Resets the layout to 0 and doesn't notify the previous layout.
-         * Should only be used by the current layout when relinquishing the item,
-         * e.g. during layout destruction.
-         */
-        void resetLayout();
-
-        /**
-         * Sets the layout so that the LayoutItem may inform the layout of its
-         * deletion. Should only be used by the layout it is added to.
-         *
-         * If the layout item is currently associated with another layout, it will
-         * first remove itself from that layout.
+         * Sets the layout that will manage children items
          *
          * @param layout The Layout that this LayoutItem will be managed by.
          */
         void setLayout(Layout* layout);
 
         /**
-         * Returns the layout this item is currently associated with.
+         * @return the layout this item is currently associated with.
          */
         Layout* layout();
 
+        /**
+         * Sets the layout that manages this item's geometry
+         *
+         * @param layout the layout that manage this item's geometry
+         **/
+        void setManagingLayout(Layout* layout);
+
+        /**
+         * Resets the layout that manges this item's geometry if it is the
+         * currently associated layout
+         *
+         * @param layout to unset
+         **/
+        void unsetManagingLayout(Layout* layout);
+
+        /**
+         * @return the layout that manages this item's geometry, or 0 if none
+         **/
+        Layout* managingLayout();
+
     private:
         class Private;
         Private *const d;
diff --git a/widgets/vboxlayout.cpp b/widgets/vboxlayout.cpp
index 5ee06d9fa..86e38273c 100644
--- a/widgets/vboxlayout.cpp
+++ b/widgets/vboxlayout.cpp
@@ -55,10 +55,11 @@ void VBoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
 {
     if (!geometry.isValid() || geometry.isEmpty()) {
         kDebug() << "Invalid Geometry " << geometry << endl;
+        BoxLayout::setGeometry(geometry);
         return;
     }
 
-    kDebug() << this << " Geometry process " << geometry << " for " << children().count() << " childrens"<< endl;
+    kDebug() << this << " Geometry process " << geometry << " for " << children().count() << " children"<< endl;
 
     QList<LayoutItem *> fixedChildren;
     QList<LayoutItem *> expandingChildren;
@@ -68,9 +69,9 @@ void VBoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
     foreach (LayoutItem *l, children()) {
         kDebug() << "testing layout item " << l << endl;
         if (l->expandingDirections() & Qt::Vertical) {
-            expandingChildren += l;
+            expandingChildren.append(l);
         } else {
-            fixedChildren += l;
+            fixedChildren.append(l);
         }
     }
 
@@ -80,7 +81,11 @@ void VBoxLayout::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
         available -= QSizeF(0.0, hint.height() + spacing());
     }
 
-    qreal expandHeight = (available.height() - ((expandingChildren.count() - 1) * spacing())) / expandingChildren.count();
+    qreal expandHeight = 0;
+
+    if (expandingChildren.count() > 0) {
+        expandHeight = (available.height() - ((expandingChildren.count() - 1) * spacing())) / expandingChildren.count();
+    }
 
     foreach (LayoutItem *l, expandingChildren) {
         sizes.insert(indexOf(l),QSizeF(available.width(), expandHeight));
diff --git a/widgets/widget.cpp b/widgets/widget.cpp
index a0dc04854..30e0b8049 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.cpp
+++ b/widgets/widget.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ class Widget::Private
 {
     public:
         Private()
-            : parent(0),
-              layout(0)
+            : parent(0)
         { }
         ~Private() { }
 
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ class Widget::Private
         QSizeF maximumSize;
 
         Widget *parent;
-        Layout *layout;
         QList<Widget *> childList;
 };
 
@@ -139,9 +137,7 @@ void Widget::setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry)
 void Widget::updateGeometry()
 {
     if (layout()) {
-
         kDebug() << (void *) this << " updating geometry to " << size() << endl;
-
         layout()->setGeometry(geometry());
     }
 }
@@ -180,20 +176,6 @@ void Widget::resize(qreal w, qreal h)
     resize(QSizeF(w, h));
 }
 
-void Widget::setLayout(Layout *l)
-{
-    if(!d->layout) {
-        d->layout = l;
-    } else {
-        kDebug() << "Widget " << this << "already has a layout!" << endl;
-    }
-}
-
-Layout *Widget::layout() const
-{
-    return d->layout;
-}
-
 Widget *Widget::parent() const
 {
     return d->parent;
diff --git a/widgets/widget.h b/widgets/widget.h
index 1cb51f7d2..f59381605 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.h
+++ b/widgets/widget.h
@@ -161,16 +161,6 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Widget : public QGraphicsItem,
          */
         void resize(qreal w, qreal h);
 
-        /**
-         * Sets the Layout that will manage this Widget's childrens.
-         */
-        void setLayout(Layout *l);
-
-        /**
-         * Returns the Layout associated with this Widget.
-         */
-        Layout *layout() const;
-
         /**
          * Returns the parent of this Widget.
          */