diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index c1c434c4..77939828 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ set(DOCKS_INSTALLABLE_INCLUDES
     FocusScope.h
     QWidgetAdapter.h
     LayoutSaver.h
-    LayoutSaver_p.h
 )
 
 set(DOCKS_INSTALLABLE_PRIVATE_INCLUDES
diff --git a/src/DockWidgetBase.cpp b/src/DockWidgetBase.cpp
index 5b157579..929878fb 100644
--- a/src/DockWidgetBase.cpp
+++ b/src/DockWidgetBase.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "private/Position_p.h"
 #include "WindowBeingDragged_p.h"
 #include "SideBar_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
 
 #include <QEvent>
 #include <QCloseEvent>
diff --git a/src/DockWidgetBase.h b/src/DockWidgetBase.h
index 7b9a15a6..dee94bf7 100644
--- a/src/DockWidgetBase.h
+++ b/src/DockWidgetBase.h
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
 #include "docks_export.h"
 #include "KDDockWidgets.h"
 #include "QWidgetAdapter.h"
-#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver.h"
 
 #include <QVector>
+#include <memory>
 
 // clazy:excludeall=ctor-missing-parent-argument
 
@@ -499,12 +500,12 @@ private:
      * @brief Constructs a dock widget from its serialized form.
      * @internal
      */
-    static DockWidgetBase *deserialize(const LayoutSaver::DockWidget::Ptr &);
+    static DockWidgetBase *deserialize(const std::shared_ptr<LayoutSaver::DockWidget> &);
 
     /**
      * @brief Serializes this dock widget into an intermediate form
      */
-    LayoutSaver::DockWidget::Ptr serialize() const;
+    std::shared_ptr<LayoutSaver::DockWidget> serialize() const;
 
     /**
      * @brief the Frame which contains this dock widgets.
diff --git a/src/MainWindowBase.cpp b/src/MainWindowBase.cpp
index 0c3367e8..f81b53cd 100644
--- a/src/MainWindowBase.cpp
+++ b/src/MainWindowBase.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "Utils_p.h"
 #include "SideBar_p.h"
 #include "Logging_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
 #include "WidgetResizeHandler_p.h"
 #include "FrameworkWidgetFactory.h"
 #include "DropAreaWithCentralFrame_p.h"
diff --git a/src/MainWindowBase.h b/src/MainWindowBase.h
index 24babda3..c9158519 100644
--- a/src/MainWindowBase.h
+++ b/src/MainWindowBase.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "docks_export.h"
 #include "KDDockWidgets.h"
 #include "QWidgetAdapter.h"
-#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver.h"
 
 #include <QVector>
 #include <QMargins>
diff --git a/src/fwd_headers/kddockwidgets/private/LayoutSaver_p.h b/src/fwd_headers/kddockwidgets/private/LayoutSaver_p.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ca27516d..00000000
--- a/src/fwd_headers/kddockwidgets/private/LayoutSaver_p.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-/*
-  This file is part of KDDockWidgets.
-
-  SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2020-2021 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB, a KDAB Group company <info@kdab.com>
-  Author: Sergio Martins <sergio.martins@kdab.com>
-
-  SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only
-
-  Contact KDAB at <info@kdab.com> for commercial licensing options.
-*/
-
-#include "../../../LayoutSaver_p.h"
diff --git a/src/private/FloatingWindow.cpp b/src/private/FloatingWindow.cpp
index 173c11be..8af090c0 100644
--- a/src/private/FloatingWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/private/FloatingWindow.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "Config.h"
 #include "FrameworkWidgetFactory.h"
 #include "DragController_p.h"
+#include "../LayoutSaver_p.h"
 
 #include <QCloseEvent>
 #include <QAbstractNativeEventFilter>
diff --git a/src/private/FloatingWindow_p.h b/src/private/FloatingWindow_p.h
index 4c690d81..9c30ddd7 100644
--- a/src/private/FloatingWindow_p.h
+++ b/src/private/FloatingWindow_p.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 #include "kddockwidgets/docks_export.h"
 #include "kddockwidgets/QWidgetAdapter.h"
-#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
+#include "kddockwidgets/LayoutSaver.h"
 #include "Frame_p.h"
 #include "Draggable_p.h"
 #include "DropArea_p.h"
diff --git a/src/private/Frame.cpp b/src/private/Frame.cpp
index 6488c8f0..328f028c 100644
--- a/src/private/Frame.cpp
+++ b/src/private/Frame.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "TitleBar_p.h"
 #include "TabWidget_p.h"
 #include "FrameworkWidgetFactory.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
 
 #include <QCloseEvent>
 #include <QTimer>
diff --git a/src/private/Frame_p.h b/src/private/Frame_p.h
index 19f4994a..b5c80e44 100644
--- a/src/private/Frame_p.h
+++ b/src/private/Frame_p.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "kddockwidgets/QWidgetAdapter.h"
 #include "kddockwidgets/FocusScope.h"
 #include "kddockwidgets/DockWidgetBase.h"
-#include "../LayoutSaver_p.h"
+#include "kddockwidgets/LayoutSaver.h"
 #include "multisplitter/Widget.h"
 
 #include <QVector>
diff --git a/src/private/MultiSplitter.cpp b/src/private/MultiSplitter.cpp
index 127521bf..bd71ab8b 100644
--- a/src/private/MultiSplitter.cpp
+++ b/src/private/MultiSplitter.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "Position_p.h"
 #include "DockRegistry_p.h"
 #include "Config.h"
+#include "../LayoutSaver_p.h"
 #include "FrameworkWidgetFactory.h"
 #include "multisplitter/Widget.h"
 #include "DropArea_p.h"
diff --git a/src/private/MultiSplitter_p.h b/src/private/MultiSplitter_p.h
index 4381cb68..80b9b30c 100644
--- a/src/private/MultiSplitter_p.h
+++ b/src/private/MultiSplitter_p.h
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 #include "kddockwidgets/docks_export.h"
 #include "kddockwidgets/QWidgetAdapter.h"
 #include "kddockwidgets/KDDockWidgets.h"
-#include "kddockwidgets/private/LayoutSaver_p.h"
-
+#include "kddockwidgets/LayoutSaver.h"
 
 namespace Layouting {
 class Item;
diff --git a/src/private/Position.cpp b/src/private/Position.cpp
index 92daca32..d695a4f6 100644
--- a/src/private/Position.cpp
+++ b/src/private/Position.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "DockRegistry_p.h"
 #include "MultiSplitter_p.h"
 #include "FloatingWindow_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
 
@@ -205,3 +206,16 @@ ItemRef::~ItemRef()
         item->unref();
     }
 }
+
+LayoutSaver::Position LastPositions::serialize()
+{
+    LayoutSaver::Position result = lastPosition->serialize();
+    result.lastFloatingGeometry = lastFloatingGeometry();
+    return result;
+}
+
+void LastPositions::deserialize(const LayoutSaver::Position &p)
+{
+    m_lastFloatingGeometry = p.lastFloatingGeometry;
+    lastPosition->deserialize(p);
+}
diff --git a/src/private/Position_p.h b/src/private/Position_p.h
index 3b03cdab..064e97ff 100644
--- a/src/private/Position_p.h
+++ b/src/private/Position_p.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "docks_export.h"
 #include "Logging_p.h"
-#include "LayoutSaver_p.h"
+#include "LayoutSaver.h"
 #include "QWidgetAdapter.h"
 
 #include <QScopedValueRollback>
@@ -143,18 +143,8 @@ struct LastPositions
         return m_lastFloatingGeometry;
     }
 
-    LayoutSaver::Position serialize()
-    {
-        LayoutSaver::Position result = lastPosition->serialize();
-        result.lastFloatingGeometry = lastFloatingGeometry();
-        return result;
-    }
-
-    void deserialize(const LayoutSaver::Position &p)
-    {
-        m_lastFloatingGeometry = p.lastFloatingGeometry;
-        lastPosition->deserialize(p);
-    }
+    LayoutSaver::Position serialize();
+    void deserialize(const LayoutSaver::Position &p);
 
     Layouting::Item* lastItem() const {
         return lastPosition->layoutItem();