diff --git a/widgets/widget.cpp b/widgets/widget.cpp
index b4c067f80..e57b26511 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.cpp
+++ b/widgets/widget.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ namespace Plasma
 class Widget::Private
 {
     public:
-        Private() : parent(0) { }
+        Private()
+            : parent(0),
+              layout(0)
+        { }
         ~Private() { }
 
         QRectF geometry;
@@ -40,17 +43,15 @@ class Widget::Private
         QList<Widget *> childList;
 };
 
-
-Widget::Widget(Widget *parent)
+Widget::Widget(QGraphicsItem *parent)
   : QGraphicsItem(parent),
     d(new Private)
 {
-    d->parent = parent;
-    d->layout = 0;
+    d->parent = dynamic_cast<Widget*>(parent);
 
-    if (parent) {
-        parent->addChild(this);
-        parent->setGeometry(QRectF(QPointF(0.0, 0.0), parent->size()));
+    if (d->parent) {
+        d->parent->addChild(this);
+        d->parent->setGeometry(QRectF(QPointF(0.0, 0.0), d->parent->size()));
     }
 }
 
@@ -186,6 +187,15 @@ void Widget::addChild(Widget *w)
     }
 }
 
+void Widget::paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(painter)
+    Q_UNUSED(option)
+    Q_UNUSED(widget)
+    // do nothing, but we need to reimp so we can create Widget items as this method
+    // is pure virtual in QGraphicsItem
+}
+
 void Widget::reparent(Widget *w)
 {
     d->parent = w;
diff --git a/widgets/widget.h b/widgets/widget.h
index cb13343f9..0e6dd1d97 100644
--- a/widgets/widget.h
+++ b/widgets/widget.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class Layout;
 class PLASMA_EXPORT Widget : public QGraphicsItem, public LayoutItem
 {
 public:
-    Widget(Widget *parent = 0);
+    explicit Widget(QGraphicsItem *parent = 0);
     virtual ~Widget();
 
     virtual Qt::Orientations expandingDirections() const;
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public:
     virtual qreal widthForHeight(qreal h) const;
 
     QRectF geometry() const;
-    void setGeometry(const QRectF& geometry);
+    void setGeometry(const QRectF &geometry);
 
     void updateGeometry();
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual QRectF boundingRect() const;
 
-    void resize(const QSizeF& size);
+    void resize(const QSizeF &size);
     void resize(qreal w, qreal h);
 
     void setLayout(Layout *l);
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public:
     void reparent(Widget *w);
 
     void addChild(Widget *w);
+    void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget = 0);
 
 private:
     class Private;