diff --git a/src/plasma/datacontainer.cpp b/src/plasma/datacontainer.cpp
index 3ebc66a3b..58a34bfc2 100644
--- a/src/plasma/datacontainer.cpp
+++ b/src/plasma/datacontainer.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "private/storage_p.h"
 
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <QAbstractItemModel>
 
 #include "plasma.h"
 
@@ -65,6 +66,17 @@ void DataContainer::setData(const QString &key, const QVariant &value)
     setNeedsToBeStored(true);
 }
 
+void DataContainer::setModel(QAbstractItemModel *model)
+{
+    if (d->model) {
+        d->model.data()->deleteLater();
+    }
+
+    d->model = model;
+    model->setParent(this);
+    emit modelChanged(objectName(), model);
+}
+
 void DataContainer::removeAllData()
 {
     if (d->data.isEmpty()) {
@@ -109,6 +121,9 @@ void DataContainer::connectVisualization(QObject *visualization, uint pollingInt
             } else {
                 disconnect(relay, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                            visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+                //modelChanged is always emitted by the dataSource since there is no polling there
+                disconnect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
                 //relay->isUnused();
             }
         } else if (pollingInterval < 1) {
@@ -120,6 +135,8 @@ void DataContainer::connectVisualization(QObject *visualization, uint pollingInt
         } else {
             disconnect(this, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                        visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+            disconnect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
         }
     } else {
         connect(visualization, SIGNAL(destroyed(QObject*)),
@@ -131,6 +148,8 @@ void DataContainer::connectVisualization(QObject *visualization, uint pollingInt
         d->relayObjects[visualization] = 0;
         connect(this, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                 visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+        connect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
     } else {
         //qDebug() << "    connecting to a relay";
         // we only want to do an imediate update if this is not the first object to connect to us
@@ -141,6 +160,9 @@ void DataContainer::connectVisualization(QObject *visualization, uint pollingInt
                                             alignment, immediateUpdate);
         connect(relay, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                 visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+        //modelChanged is always emitted by the dataSource since there is no polling there
+        connect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
     }
 }
 
@@ -271,6 +293,8 @@ void DataContainer::disconnectVisualization(QObject *visualization)
         // it is connected directly to the DataContainer itself
         disconnect(this, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                    visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+        disconnect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
     } else {
         SignalRelay *relay = objIt.value();
 
@@ -280,6 +304,9 @@ void DataContainer::disconnectVisualization(QObject *visualization)
         } else {
             disconnect(relay, SIGNAL(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)),
                        visualization, SLOT(dataUpdated(QString,Plasma::DataEngine::Data)));
+            //modelChanged is always emitted by the dataSource since there is no polling there
+            disconnect(this, SIGNAL(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)),
+                           visualization, SLOT(modelChanged(QString, QAbstractItemModel *)));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/plasma/datacontainer.h b/src/plasma/datacontainer.h
index f7a165980..2a3841427 100644
--- a/src/plasma/datacontainer.h
+++ b/src/plasma/datacontainer.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <plasma/plasma_export.h>
 #include <plasma/dataengine.h>
 
+class QAbstractItemModel;
+
 namespace Plasma
 {
 
@@ -106,6 +108,19 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT DataContainer : public QObject
          **/
         void removeAllData();
 
+        /**
+         * Associates a model with this DataContainer. Use this for data
+         * that is intended to be a long list of items.
+         *
+         * The ownership of the model is transferred to the DataContainer,
+         * so the model will be deletd when a new one is set or when the
+         * DataContainer itself is deleted, so it will be deleted when there won't be any
+         * visualization associated to this source.
+         *
+         * @param model the model that will be associated with this DataContainer
+         */
+        void setModel(QAbstractItemModel *model);
+
         /**
          * @return true if the visualization is currently connected
          */
@@ -188,6 +203,16 @@ class PLASMA_EXPORT DataContainer : public QObject
          **/
         void dataUpdated(const QString &source, const Plasma::DataEngine::Data &data);
 
+        /**
+         * A new model has been associated to this source,
+         * visualizations can safely use it as long they are connected to this source.
+         *
+         * @param source the objectName() of the DataContainer (and hence the name
+         *               of the source) that owns the model
+         * @param model the QAbstractItemModel instance
+         */
+        void modelChanged(const QString &source, QAbstractItemModel *model);
+
         /**
          * Emitted when the last visualization is disconnected.
          *
diff --git a/src/plasma/private/datacontainer_p.h b/src/plasma/private/datacontainer_p.h
index 19cd3516a..a4760dcda 100644
--- a/src/plasma/private/datacontainer_p.h
+++ b/src/plasma/private/datacontainer_p.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <QtCore/QTime>
 #include <QtCore/QBasicTimer>
 
+#include <QAbstractItemModel>
+
 class QTimer;
 
 namespace Plasma
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ public:
     Storage* storage;
     QBasicTimer storageTimer;
     QBasicTimer checkUsageTimer;
+    QWeakPointer<QAbstractItemModel> model;
     int  storageCount;
     bool dirty : 1;
     bool cached : 1;