diff --git a/applet.cpp b/applet.cpp
index 0d750376d..6bf33e925 100644
--- a/applet.cpp
+++ b/applet.cpp
@@ -143,15 +143,15 @@ Applet::~Applet()
         //problem with calling saveState(). Doing this in saveState() might be a possibility, but
         //that would require every extender savestate implementation to call it's parent function,
         //which isn't very nice.
+        d->extender->saveState();
+
         foreach (ExtenderItem *item, d->extender->attachedItems()) {
-            if (!item->isDetached() || item->autoExpireDelay()) {
+            if (item->autoExpireDelay()) {
                 //destroy temporary extender items, or items that aren't detached, so their
                 //configuration won't linger after a plasma restart.
                 item->destroy();
             }
         }
-
-        d->extender->saveState();
     }
 
     delete d;
@@ -590,7 +590,10 @@ void Applet::constraintsEvent(Plasma::Constraints constraints)
 
 void Applet::initExtenderItem(ExtenderItem *item)
 {
-    Q_UNUSED(item)
+    kWarning() << "Missing implementation of initExtenderItem in the applet "
+               << item->config().readEntry("SourceAppletPluginName", "")
+               << "!\n Any applet that uses extenders should implement initExtenderItem to "
+               << "instantiate a widget. Destroying the item...";
     item->destroy();
 }
 
diff --git a/extender.cpp b/extender.cpp
index 6dda436e7..42a5d4278 100644
--- a/extender.cpp
+++ b/extender.cpp
@@ -386,8 +386,6 @@ void ExtenderPrivate::loadExtenderItems()
 
     //first create a list of extenderItems, and then sort them on their position, so the items get
     //recreated in the correct order.
-    //TODO: this restoring of the correct order should now be done in itemAddedEvent instead of
-    //here, to allow easy subclassing of Extender.
     QList<QPair<int, QString> > groupList;
     foreach (const QString &extenderItemId, cg.groupList()) {
         KConfigGroup dg = cg.group(extenderItemId);
@@ -398,6 +396,7 @@ void ExtenderPrivate::loadExtenderItems()
     //iterate over the extender items
     for (int i = 0; i < groupList.count(); i++) {
         QPair<int, QString> pair = groupList[i];
+
         KConfigGroup dg = cg.group(pair.second);
 
         //load the relevant settings.
@@ -411,43 +410,37 @@ void ExtenderPrivate::loadExtenderItems()
         kDebug() << "applet id = " << applet->id();
         kDebug() << "sourceappletid = " << sourceAppletId;
 
-        if (sourceAppletId != applet->id()) {
-            //find the source applet.
-            Corona *corona = applet->containment()->corona();
-            Applet *sourceApplet = 0;
-            foreach (Containment *containment, corona->containments()) {
-                foreach (Applet *applet, containment->applets()) {
-                    if (applet->id() == sourceAppletId) {
-                        sourceApplet = applet;
-                    }
+        //find the source applet.
+        Corona *corona = applet->containment()->corona();
+        Applet *sourceApplet = 0;
+        foreach (Containment *containment, corona->containments()) {
+            foreach (Applet *applet, containment->applets()) {
+                if (applet->id() == sourceAppletId) {
+                    sourceApplet = applet;
                 }
             }
+        }
 
-            //There is no source applet. We just instantiate one just for the sake of creating
-            //detachables.
-            if (!sourceApplet) {
-                kDebug() << "creating a temporary applet as factory";
-                sourceApplet = Applet::load(appletName);
-                temporarySourceApplet = true;
-                //TODO: maybe add an option to applet to indicate that it shouldn't be deleted after
-                //having used it as factory.
-            }
+        //There is no source applet. We just instantiate one just for the sake of creating
+        //detachables.
+        if (!sourceApplet) {
+            kDebug() << "creating a temporary applet as factory";
+            sourceApplet = Applet::load(appletName);
+            temporarySourceApplet = true;
+            //TODO: maybe add an option to applet to indicate that it shouldn't be deleted after
+            //having used it as factory.
+        }
 
-            if (!sourceApplet) {
-                kDebug() << "sourceApplet is null? appletName = " << appletName;
-                kDebug() << "                      extenderItemId = " << extenderItemId;
-            } else {
-                ExtenderItem *item = new ExtenderItem(q, extenderItemId.toInt());
-                sourceApplet->initExtenderItem(item);
-
-                if (temporarySourceApplet) {
-                    delete sourceApplet;
-                }
-            }
+        if (!sourceApplet) {
+            kDebug() << "sourceApplet is null? appletName = " << appletName;
+            kDebug() << "                      extenderItemId = " << extenderItemId;
         } else {
-            //this entry is still here, probably because plasma crashed, but it isn't detached and
-            //should be reinstantiated. Just delete the entry.
-            cg.deleteGroup(pair.second);
+            ExtenderItem *item = new ExtenderItem(q, extenderItemId.toInt());
+            sourceApplet->initExtenderItem(item);
+
+            if (temporarySourceApplet) {
+                delete sourceApplet;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/extenderitem.cpp b/extenderitem.cpp
index 0bc1c5c15..5864bbe55 100644
--- a/extenderitem.cpp
+++ b/extenderitem.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ ExtenderItem::ExtenderItem(Extender *hostExtender, uint extenderItemId)
         //The item already exists.
         d->name = dg.readEntry("extenderItemName", "");
         d->title = dg.readEntry("extenderTitle", "");
+        setCollapsed(dg.readEntry("isCollapsed", false));
+
         QString iconName = dg.readEntry("extenderIconName", "utilities-desktop-extra");
         if (iconName.isEmpty()) {
             iconName = "utilities-desktop-extra";
@@ -279,11 +281,7 @@ Extender *ExtenderItem::extender() const
 
 bool ExtenderItem::isCollapsed() const
 {
-    if (!d->widget) {
-        return true;
-    } else {
-        return !d->widget->isVisible();
-    }
+    return d->collapsed;
 }
 
 void ExtenderItem::setAutoExpireDelay(uint time)
@@ -381,6 +379,9 @@ void ExtenderItem::destroy()
 
 void ExtenderItem::setCollapsed(bool collapsed)
 {
+    config().writeEntry("isCollapsed", collapsed);
+    d->collapsed = collapsed;
+
     qreal marginWidth = d->bgLeft + d->bgRight + d->dragLeft + d->dragRight;
     qreal marginHeight = d->bgTop + d->bgBottom + 2 * d->dragTop + 2 * d->dragBottom;
 
@@ -828,6 +829,7 @@ ExtenderItemPrivate::ExtenderItemPrivate(ExtenderItem *extenderItem, Extender *h
       mouseOver(false),
       dragStarted(false),
       destroyActionVisibility(false),
+      collapsed(false),
       expirationTimer(0)
 {
     dragLeft = dragTop = dragRight = dragBottom = 0;
diff --git a/private/extenderitem_p.h b/private/extenderitem_p.h
index 2a04ed879..ef533dc17 100644
--- a/private/extenderitem_p.h
+++ b/private/extenderitem_p.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ class ExtenderItemPrivate
         bool mouseOver;
         bool dragStarted;
         bool destroyActionVisibility;
+        bool collapsed;
 
         QTimer *expirationTimer;