diff --git a/applet.cpp b/applet.cpp
index c4bfe0122..519a406f4 100644
--- a/applet.cpp
+++ b/applet.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,8 @@ public:
         if (!xmlPath.isEmpty()) {
             QFile file(xmlPath);
             // FIXME: KConfigSkeleton doesn't play well with KConfigGroup =/
-            //configXml = new ConfigXml(applet->config(), &file);
+            KConfigGroup config = applet->config();
+            configXml = new ConfigXml(&config, &file);
         }
 
         if (!package->filePath("mainconfigui").isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/configxml.cpp b/configxml.cpp
index 4c55fe3fd..efe6b3f5d 100644
--- a/configxml.cpp
+++ b/configxml.cpp
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ class ConfigXml::Private
             return v;
         }
 
+        void parse(ConfigXml *configXml, QIODevice *xml);
+
         QList<bool*> bools;
         QList<QString*> strings;
         QList<QStringList*> stringlists;
@@ -223,6 +225,16 @@ private:
     bool m_inChoice;
 };
 
+void ConfigXml::Private::parse(ConfigXml *configXml, QIODevice *xml)
+{
+    QXmlInputSource source(xml);
+    QXmlSimpleReader reader;
+    ConfigXmlHandler handler(configXml, this);
+    reader.setContentHandler(&handler);
+    reader.parse(&source, false);
+}
+
+QList<bool*> bools;
 ConfigXmlHandler::ConfigXmlHandler(ConfigXml* config, ConfigXml::Private* d)
     : QXmlDefaultHandler(),
       m_config(config),
@@ -495,15 +507,21 @@ ConfigXml::ConfigXml(const QString &configFile, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent)
     reader.parse(&source, false);
 }
 
-ConfigXml::ConfigXml(KSharedConfig::Ptr config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent)
+ConfigXml::ConfigXml(KSharedConfigPtr config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent)
     : KConfigSkeleton(config, parent),
       d(new Private)
 {
-    QXmlInputSource source(xml);
-    QXmlSimpleReader reader;
-    ConfigXmlHandler handler(this, d);
-    reader.setContentHandler(&handler);
-    reader.parse(&source, false);
+    d->parse(this, xml);
+}
+
+//FIXME: obviously this is broken and should be using the group as the root, 
+//       but KConfigSkeleton does not currently support this. it will eventually though,
+//       at which point this can be addressed properly
+ConfigXml::ConfigXml(const KConfigGroup *config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent)
+    : KConfigSkeleton(KSharedConfig::openConfig(config->config()->name()), parent),
+      d(new Private)
+{
+    d->parse(this, xml);
 }
 
 ConfigXml::~ConfigXml()
diff --git a/configxml.h b/configxml.h
index c3c11c5c3..fde7a5066 100644
--- a/configxml.h
+++ b/configxml.h
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
 #ifndef CONFIGXML_H
 #define CONFIGXML_H
 
-#include <kconfigskeleton.h>
-#include <ksharedconfig.h>
+#include <KConfigGroup>
+#include <KConfigSkeleton>
+#include <KSharedConfig>
 
 #include <plasma/plasma_export.h>
 
@@ -84,11 +85,21 @@ public:
      * Creates a KConfigSkeleton populated using the definition found in
      * the XML data passed in.
      *
-     * @param configFile path to the configuration file to use
+     * @param config the configuration object to use
      * @param xml the xml data; must be valid KConfigXT data
      * @param parent optional QObject parent
      **/
-    ConfigXml(KSharedConfig::Ptr config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent = 0);
+    ConfigXml(KSharedConfigPtr config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent = 0);
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a KConfigSkeleton populated using the definition found in
+     * the XML data passed in.
+     *
+     * @param config the group to use as the root for configuration items
+     * @param xml the xml data; must be valid KConfigXT data
+     * @param parent optional QObject parent
+     **/
+    ConfigXml(const KConfigGroup *config, QIODevice *xml, QObject *parent = 0);
     ~ConfigXml();
 
     class Private;