diff --git a/src/private/multisplitter/Item.cpp b/src/private/multisplitter/Item.cpp
index 2cc89df2..5d815f77 100644
--- a/src/private/multisplitter/Item.cpp
+++ b/src/private/multisplitter/Item.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,15 @@ QPoint Item::mapToRoot(QPoint p) const
     if (isRoot())
         return p;
 
-    return p + parentContainer()->pos();
+    return p + parentContainer()->mapToRoot(parentContainer()->pos());
+}
+
+QPoint Item::mapFromParent(QPoint p) const
+{
+    if (isRoot())
+        return p;
+
+    return p - pos();
 }
 
 void Item::resize(QSize newSize)
@@ -363,7 +371,7 @@ bool Item::isHorizontal() const
     return m_orientation == Qt::Horizontal;
 }
 
-int Item::visibleCount() const
+int Item::visibleCount_recursive() const
 {
     return m_isVisible ? 1 : 0;
 }
@@ -797,16 +805,68 @@ Item *ItemContainer::itemForFrame(const QWidget *w) const
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-int ItemContainer::visibleCount() const
+int ItemContainer::visibleCount_recursive() const
 {
     int count = 0;
     for (Item *item : m_children) {
-        count += item->visibleCount();
+        count += item->visibleCount_recursive();
     }
 
     return count;
 }
 
+int ItemContainer::count_recursive() const
+{
+    int count = 0;
+    for (Item *item : m_children) {
+        if (auto c = item->asContainer()) {
+            count += c->count_recursive();
+        } else {
+            count++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return count;
+}
+
+Item *ItemContainer::itemAt(QPoint p) const
+{
+    for (Item *item : m_children) {
+        if (item->isVisible() && item->geometry().contains(p))
+            return item;
+    }
+
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+Item *ItemContainer::itemAt_recursive(QPoint p) const
+{
+    if (Item *item = itemAt(p)) {
+        if (auto c = item->asContainer()) {
+            return c->itemAt_recursive(c->mapFromParent(p));
+        } else {
+            return item;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+Item::List ItemContainer::items_recursive() const
+{
+   Item::List items;
+   items.reserve(30); // sounds like a good upper number to minimize allocations
+   for (Item *item : m_children) {
+       if (auto c  = item->asContainer()) {
+           items << c->items_recursive();
+       } else {
+           items << item;
+       }
+   }
+
+   return items;
+}
+
 void ItemContainer::insertItem(Item *item, int index, bool growItem)
 {
     m_children.insert(index, item);
diff --git a/src/private/multisplitter/Item_p.h b/src/private/multisplitter/Item_p.h
index cc6ce44e..4cf11ea0 100644
--- a/src/private/multisplitter/Item_p.h
+++ b/src/private/multisplitter/Item_p.h
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public:
 
     bool isVertical() const;
     bool isHorizontal() const;
-    virtual int visibleCount() const;
+    virtual int visibleCount_recursive() const;
 
     virtual void insertItem(Item *item, Location, SizingOption = SizingOption::Calculate);
 
@@ -234,8 +234,9 @@ public:
     ItemContainer *root() const;
     void deserialize() {}
     void serialize() {}
-    QRect mapToRoot(QRect local) const;
-    QPoint mapToRoot(QPoint local) const;
+    QRect mapToRoot(QRect) const;
+    QPoint mapToRoot(QPoint) const;
+    QPoint mapFromParent(QPoint) const;
 
     QWidget *frame() const { return m_widget; } // TODO: rename
     void setFrame(QWidget *w) { m_widget = w; } // TODO rename
@@ -325,7 +326,11 @@ public:
     bool isResizing() const { return m_isResizing; }
     void clear();
     Item* itemForFrame(const QWidget *w) const; // TODO: Rename
-    int visibleCount() const override;
+    int visibleCount_recursive() const override;
+    int count_recursive() const;
+    Item *itemAt(QPoint p) const;
+    Item *itemAt_recursive(QPoint p) const;
+    Item::List items_recursive() const;
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void itemsChanged();
diff --git a/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout.cpp b/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout.cpp
index 4e8fba6e..391b9622 100644
--- a/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout.cpp
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ void MultiSplitterLayout::addWidget(QWidgetOrQuick *w, Location location, Frame
 
 void MultiSplitterLayout::addItems_internal(const ItemList &items, bool updateConstraints, bool emitSignal)
 {
-    m_items << items;
+
     if (updateConstraints)
         updateSizeConstraints();
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ void MultiSplitterLayout::addItems_internal(const ItemList &items, bool updateCo
     }
 
     if (emitSignal)
-        Q_EMIT widgetCountChanged(m_items.size());
+        Q_EMIT widgetCountChanged(m_rootItem->count_recursive());
 }
 
 QString MultiSplitterLayout::affinityName() const
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ void MultiSplitterLayout::removeItem(Item *item)
     item->parentContainer()->removeItem(item);
 
     Q_EMIT widgetRemoved(item);
-    Q_EMIT widgetCountChanged(m_items.size());
+    Q_EMIT widgetCountChanged(m_rootItem->numVisibleChildren());
 }
 
 bool MultiSplitterLayout::contains(const Item *item) const
@@ -245,12 +245,7 @@ bool MultiSplitterLayout::contains(const Frame *frame) const
 
 Item *MultiSplitterLayout::itemAt(QPoint p) const
 {
-    for (Layouting::Item *item : m_items) {
-        if (!item->isPlaceholder() && item->geometry().contains(p))
-            return item;
-    }
-
-    return nullptr;
+    return m_rootItem->itemAt_recursive(p);
 }
 
 void MultiSplitterLayout::clear()
@@ -268,7 +263,7 @@ void MultiSplitterLayout::clear()
 
 int MultiSplitterLayout::visibleCount() const
 {
-    return m_rootItem->visibleCount();
+    return m_rootItem->visibleCount_recursive();
 }
 
 int MultiSplitterLayout::placeholderCount() const
@@ -328,9 +323,12 @@ Frame::List MultiSplitterLayout::framesFrom(QWidgetOrQuick *frameOrMultiSplitter
 
 Frame::List MultiSplitterLayout::frames() const
 {
-    Frame::List result;
+    const Item::List items = m_rootItem->items_recursive();
 
-    for (Item *item : m_items) {
+    Frame::List result;
+    result.reserve(items.size());
+
+    for (Item *item : items) {
         if (auto f = static_cast<Frame*>(item->frame()))
             result.push_back(f);
     }
@@ -416,7 +414,7 @@ void MultiSplitterLayout::setMinimumSize(QSize sz)
 
 const ItemList MultiSplitterLayout::items() const
 {
-    return m_items;
+    return m_rootItem->items_recursive();
 }
 
 Item *MultiSplitterLayout::rootItem() const
@@ -452,51 +450,13 @@ bool MultiSplitterLayout::eventFilter(QObject *o, QEvent *e)
     return false;
 }
 
-bool MultiSplitterLayout::deserialize(const LayoutSaver::MultiSplitterLayout &msl)
+bool MultiSplitterLayout::deserialize(const LayoutSaver::MultiSplitterLayout &)
 {
-    clear();
-
-    ItemList items;
-    items.reserve(msl.items.size());
-    for (const auto &i : qAsConst(msl.items)) {
-        Q_UNUSED(i);
-        //Item *item = deserialize(); TODO
-        //items.push_back(item);
-    }
-
-    m_items = items; // Set the items, so Anchor::deserialize() can set the side1 and side2 items
-
-    m_items.clear(); // Now properly set the items, which installs needed event filters, etc.
-    addItems_internal(items, false, false); // Add the items only after we have the static anchors set
-
-    setSize(msl.size);
-    setMinimumSize(msl.minSize);
-
-    if (!m_items.isEmpty())
-        Q_EMIT widgetCountChanged(m_items.size());
-
-
-    // The main window that we're restoring can have more stuff now (other-toolbars etc), so by
-    // having restored its geometry it can mean our dockwidget layout is now different, so update
-    // its content size if needed
-    Q_EMIT minimumSizeChanged(m_minSize);
-
-    if (size() != multiSplitter()->size()) {
-        setSize(multiSplitter()->size());
-    }
-
     return true;
 }
 
 LayoutSaver::MultiSplitterLayout MultiSplitterLayout::serialize() const
 {
     LayoutSaver::MultiSplitterLayout l;
-
-    l.size = size();
-    l.minSize = minimumSize();
-
-    //for (Item *item : m_items) TODO
-        //l.items.push_back(item->serialize());
-
     return l;
 }
diff --git a/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout_p.h b/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout_p.h
index f54b95e0..66394133 100644
--- a/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout_p.h
+++ b/src/private/multisplitter/MultiSplitterLayout_p.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public:
      * This includes non-visible (placeholder) Items too.
      * @sa visibleCount
      */
-    int count() const { return m_items.size(); }
+    int count() const { return m_rootItem->count_recursive();  }
 
     /**
      * @brief Returns the number of visible Items in this layout.
@@ -161,11 +161,6 @@ public:
      */
     int placeholderCount() const;
 
-    /**
-     * @brief Returns true if count is 0.
-     */
-    bool isEmpty() const { return m_items.isEmpty(); }
-
     /**
      * @brief Returns whether there's non placeholder items.
      */
@@ -421,7 +416,6 @@ private:
     MultiSplitter *const m_multiSplitter;
     Layouting::Anchor::List m_anchors;
 
-    ItemList m_items;
     bool m_inCtor = true;
     bool m_inDestructor = false;
     bool m_beingMergedIntoAnotherMultiSplitter = false; // TODO