diff --git a/extender.cpp b/extender.cpp
index ecbde94b9..75ed055bd 100644
--- a/extender.cpp
+++ b/extender.cpp
@@ -22,14 +22,17 @@
 #include <QAction>
 #include <QGraphicsGridLayout>
 #include <QGraphicsLinearLayout>
+#include <QPainter>
 
 #include "applet.h"
 #include "containment.h"
 #include "corona.h"
 #include "extenderitem.h"
 #include "framesvg.h"
+#include "paintutils.h"
 #include "popupapplet.h"
 #include "svg.h"
+#include "theme.h"
 #include "widgets/label.h"
 
 #include "private/applet_p.h"
@@ -39,6 +42,34 @@
 namespace Plasma
 {
 
+//TODO: copied from panel containment. We'll probably want a spacer widget in libplasma for 4.3.
+class Spacer : public QGraphicsWidget
+{
+    public:
+        Spacer(QGraphicsWidget *parent)
+                 : QGraphicsWidget(parent)
+       {
+       }
+
+       ~Spacer()
+       {
+       }
+
+    protected:
+        void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget * widget = 0)
+        {
+            Q_UNUSED(option)
+            Q_UNUSED(widget)
+
+            painter->setRenderHint(QPainter::Antialiasing);
+            QPainterPath p = Plasma::PaintUtils::roundedRectangle(contentsRect().adjusted(4, 4, -4, -4), 4);
+
+            QColor c = Plasma::Theme::defaultTheme()->color(Plasma::Theme::TextColor);
+            c.setAlphaF(0.3);
+            painter->fillPath(p, c);
+        }
+};
+
 Extender::Extender(Applet *applet)
         : QGraphicsWidget(applet),
           d(new ExtenderPrivate(applet, this))
@@ -61,7 +92,6 @@ Extender::Extender(Applet *applet)
 
     setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
 
-
     d->loadExtenderItems();
 }
 
@@ -172,6 +202,14 @@ void Extender::resizeEvent(QGraphicsSceneResizeEvent *event)
     emit geometryChanged();
 }
 
+void Extender::mousePressEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event)
+{
+    PopupApplet *popupApplet = qobject_cast<PopupApplet*>(d->applet);
+    if (attachedItems().isEmpty() && popupApplet) {
+        popupApplet->hidePopup();
+    }
+}
+
 void Extender::itemAddedEvent(ExtenderItem *item, const QPointF &pos)
 {
     //this is a sane size policy imo.
@@ -229,7 +267,7 @@ void Extender::itemHoverMoveEvent(ExtenderItem *item, const QPointF &pos)
 
     //Create a widget that functions as spacer, and add that to the layout.
     if (!d->spacerWidget) {
-        QGraphicsWidget *widget = new QGraphicsWidget(this);
+        Spacer *widget = new Spacer(this);
         widget->setMinimumSize(item->minimumSize());
         widget->setPreferredSize(item->preferredSize());
         widget->setMaximumSize(item->maximumSize());
diff --git a/extender.h b/extender.h
index e2d12cd34..ad084957e 100644
--- a/extender.h
+++ b/extender.h
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT Extender : public QGraphicsWidget
          */
         void resizeEvent(QGraphicsSceneResizeEvent *event);
 
+        /**
+         * Reimplemented from QGraphicsWidget
+         */
+        void mousePressEvent(QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent *event);
+
     Q_SIGNALS:
         /**
          * Fires when an extender item is added to this extender.
diff --git a/private/extender_p.h b/private/extender_p.h
index 7010f5d2e..af81b14a8 100644
--- a/private/extender_p.h
+++ b/private/extender_p.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class Applet;
 class Extender;
 class ExtenderItem;
 class Label;
+class Spacer;
 class Svg;
 
 class ExtenderPrivate
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ class ExtenderPrivate
         FrameSvg *background;
 
         int currentSpacerIndex;
-        QGraphicsWidget *spacerWidget;
+        Spacer *spacerWidget;
 
         QString emptyExtenderMessage;
         Label *emptyExtenderLabel;
diff --git a/widgets/meter.cpp b/widgets/meter.cpp
index cb7c3acf1..ffcc5573a 100644
--- a/widgets/meter.cpp
+++ b/widgets/meter.cpp
@@ -191,10 +191,10 @@ public:
     {
         switch (meterType) {
             case Meter::BarMeterHorizontal:
-                meter->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Expanding, QSizePolicy::Preferred);
+                meter->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
                 break;
             case Meter::BarMeterVertical:
-                meter->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Preferred, QSizePolicy::Expanding);
+                meter->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Preferred, QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding);
                 break;
             case Meter::AnalogMeter:
             default: