diff --git a/effects.cpp b/effects.cpp
index 4443c5ba9f..260d4e4e46 100644
--- a/effects.cpp
+++ b/effects.cpp
@@ -1813,6 +1813,9 @@ void EffectWindowImpl::registerThumbnail(AbstractThumbnailItem *item)
         insertThumbnail(thumb);
         connect(thumb, SIGNAL(destroyed(QObject*)), SLOT(thumbnailDestroyed(QObject*)));
         connect(thumb, SIGNAL(wIdChanged(qulonglong)), SLOT(thumbnailTargetChanged()));
+    } else if (DesktopThumbnailItem *desktopThumb = qobject_cast<DesktopThumbnailItem*>(item)) {
+        m_desktopThumbnails.append(desktopThumb);
+        connect(desktopThumb, SIGNAL(destroyed(QObject*)), SLOT(desktopThumbnailDestroyed(QObject*)));
     }
 }
 
@@ -1839,6 +1842,12 @@ void EffectWindowImpl::insertThumbnail(WindowThumbnailItem *item)
     }
 }
 
+void EffectWindowImpl::desktopThumbnailDestroyed(QObject *object)
+{
+    // we know it is a DesktopThumbnailItem
+    m_desktopThumbnails.removeAll(static_cast<DesktopThumbnailItem*>(object));
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // EffectWindowGroupImpl
 //****************************************
diff --git a/effects.h b/effects.h
index 3ecad8ebac..0cc2e28ecb 100644
--- a/effects.h
+++ b/effects.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ namespace KWin
 typedef QPair< Effect*, xcb_window_t > InputWindowPair;
 
 class AbstractThumbnailItem;
+class DesktopThumbnailItem;
 class WindowThumbnailItem;
 
 class Client;
@@ -310,15 +311,20 @@ public:
     QHash<WindowThumbnailItem*, QWeakPointer<EffectWindowImpl> > const &thumbnails() const {
         return m_thumbnails;
     }
+    QList<DesktopThumbnailItem*> const &desktopThumbnails() const {
+        return m_desktopThumbnails;
+    }
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void thumbnailDestroyed(QObject *object);
     void thumbnailTargetChanged();
+    void desktopThumbnailDestroyed(QObject *object);
 private:
     void insertThumbnail(WindowThumbnailItem *item);
     Toplevel* toplevel;
     Scene::Window* sw; // This one is used only during paint pass.
     QHash<int, QVariant> dataMap;
     QHash<WindowThumbnailItem*, QWeakPointer<EffectWindowImpl> > m_thumbnails;
+    QList<DesktopThumbnailItem*> m_desktopThumbnails;
 };
 
 class EffectWindowGroupImpl
diff --git a/scene.cpp b/scene.cpp
index 4f0a4b7c36..45c726a30d 100644
--- a/scene.cpp
+++ b/scene.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 #include <QGraphicsScene>
 #include <QGraphicsView>
+#include <QVector2D>
 
 #include "client.h"
 #include "decorations.h"
@@ -361,6 +362,8 @@ void Scene::paintSimpleScreen(int orig_mask, QRegion region)
         painted_region |= paintedArea;
 }
 
+static Scene::Window *s_recursionCheck = NULL;
+
 void Scene::paintWindow(Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowQuadList quads)
 {
     // no painting outside visible screen (and no transformations)
@@ -368,10 +371,21 @@ void Scene::paintWindow(Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowQuadList quad
     if (region.isEmpty())  // completely clipped
         return;
 
+    if (s_recursionCheck == w) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     WindowPaintData data(w->window()->effectWindow());
     data.quads = quads;
     effects->paintWindow(effectWindow(w), mask, region, data);
     // paint thumbnails on top of window
+    paintWindowThumbnails(w, region, data.opacity(), data.brightness(), data.saturation());
+    // and desktop thumbnails
+    paintDesktopThumbnails(w);
+}
+
+void Scene::paintWindowThumbnails(Scene::Window *w, QRegion region, qreal opacity, qreal brightness, qreal saturation)
+{
     EffectWindowImpl *wImpl = static_cast<EffectWindowImpl*>(effectWindow(w));
     for (QHash<WindowThumbnailItem*, QWeakPointer<EffectWindowImpl> >::const_iterator it = wImpl->thumbnails().constBegin();
             it != wImpl->thumbnails().constEnd();
@@ -385,9 +399,9 @@ void Scene::paintWindow(Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowQuadList quad
         }
         EffectWindowImpl *thumb = it.value().data();
         WindowPaintData thumbData(thumb);
-        thumbData.setOpacity(data.opacity());
-        thumbData.setBrightness(data.brightness() * item->brightness());
-        thumbData.setSaturation(data.saturation() * item->saturation());
+        thumbData.setOpacity(opacity);
+        thumbData.setBrightness(brightness * item->brightness());
+        thumbData.setSaturation(saturation * item->saturation());
 
         const QRect visualThumbRect(thumb->expandedGeometry());
 
@@ -403,35 +417,12 @@ void Scene::paintWindow(Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowQuadList quad
         if (item->scene() == 0) {
             continue;
         }
-        // in principle there could be more than one QGraphicsView per QGraphicsScene,
-        // although TabBox does not make use of it so far
-        QList<QGraphicsView*> views = item->scene()->views();
-        QGraphicsView* declview = 0;
-        QPoint viewPos;
-        foreach (QGraphicsView* view, views) {
-            if (view->winId() == w->window()->window()) {
-                declview = view;
-                break;
-            }
-            QWidget *parent = view;
-            while ((parent = parent->parentWidget())) {
-                // if the graphicsview is not the topmost widget we try to go up to the
-                // toplevel widget and check whether that is the window we are looking for.
-                if (parent->winId() == w->window()->window()) {
-                    declview = view;
-                    viewPos = view->mapTo(parent, QPoint());
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            if (declview) {
-                // our nested loop found it, so we can break this loop as well
-                // doesn't look nice, but still better than goto
-                break;
-            }
-        }
+
+        QGraphicsView* declview = findViewForThumbnailItem(item, w);
         if (declview == 0) {
             continue;
         }
+        QPoint viewPos = findOffsetInWindow(declview, w->window()->window());
         const QPoint point = viewPos + declview->mapFromScene(item->scenePos());
         qreal x = point.x() + w->x() + (item->width() - size.width())/2;
         qreal y = point.y() + w->y() + (item->height() - size.height()) / 2;
@@ -462,6 +453,95 @@ void Scene::paintWindow(Window* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowQuadList quad
     }
 }
 
+void Scene::paintDesktopThumbnails(Scene::Window *w)
+{
+    EffectWindowImpl *wImpl = static_cast<EffectWindowImpl*>(effectWindow(w));
+    for (QList<DesktopThumbnailItem*>::const_iterator it = wImpl->desktopThumbnails().constBegin();
+            it != wImpl->desktopThumbnails().constEnd();
+            ++it) {
+        DesktopThumbnailItem *item = *it;
+        if (!item->isVisible()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        // it can happen in the init/closing phase of the tabbox
+        // that the corresponding QGraphicsScene is not available
+        if (item->scene() == 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        QGraphicsView* declview = findViewForThumbnailItem(item, w);
+        if (declview == 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        QPoint viewPos = findOffsetInWindow(declview, w->window()->window());
+        s_recursionCheck = w;
+
+        ScreenPaintData data;
+        QSize size = QSize(displayWidth(), displayHeight());
+
+        size.scale(item->width(), item->height(), Qt::KeepAspectRatio);
+        data *= QVector2D(size.width() / double(displayWidth()),
+                          size.height() / double(displayHeight()));
+        const QPoint point = viewPos + declview->mapFromScene(item->scenePos());
+        const qreal x = point.x() + w->x() + (item->width() - size.width())/2;
+        const qreal y = point.y() + w->y() + (item->height() - size.height()) / 2;
+        const QRect region = QRect(x, y, item->width(), item->height());
+        QRegion clippingRegion = region;
+        clippingRegion &= QRegion(wImpl->x(), wImpl->y(), wImpl->width(), wImpl->height());
+        QPainterPath path = item->clipPath();
+        if (!path.isEmpty()) {
+            // here we assume that the clippath consists of a single rectangle
+            const QPolygonF sceneBounds = item->mapToScene(path.boundingRect());
+            const QRect viewBounds = declview->mapFromScene(sceneBounds).boundingRect();
+            // shrinking the rect due to rounding errors
+            clippingRegion &= viewBounds.adjusted(0,0,-1,-1).translated(viewPos + w->pos());
+        }
+        data += QPointF(x, y);
+        const int desktopMask = PAINT_SCREEN_TRANSFORMED | PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED | PAINT_SCREEN_BACKGROUND_FIRST;
+        paintDesktop(item->desktop(), desktopMask, clippingRegion, data);
+        s_recursionCheck = NULL;
+    }
+}
+
+QGraphicsView *Scene::findViewForThumbnailItem(AbstractThumbnailItem *item, Scene::Window *w)
+{
+    // in principle there could be more than one QGraphicsView per QGraphicsScene,
+    // although TabBox does not make use of it so far
+    QList<QGraphicsView*> views = item->scene()->views();
+    foreach (QGraphicsView* view, views) {
+        if (view->winId() == w->window()->window()) {
+            return view;
+        }
+        QWidget *parent = view;
+        while ((parent = parent->parentWidget())) {
+            // if the graphicsview is not the topmost widget we try to go up to the
+            // toplevel widget and check whether that is the window we are looking for.
+            if (parent->winId() == w->window()->window()) {
+                return view;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+QPoint Scene::findOffsetInWindow(QWidget *view, xcb_window_t idOfTopmostWindow)
+{
+    if (view->winId() == idOfTopmostWindow) {
+        return QPoint();
+    }
+    QWidget *parent = view;
+    while ((parent = parent->parentWidget())) {
+        if (parent->winId() == idOfTopmostWindow) {
+            return view->mapTo(parent, QPoint());
+        }
+    }
+    return QPoint();
+}
+
+void Scene::paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data)
+{
+    static_cast<EffectsHandlerImpl*>(effects)->paintDesktop(desktop, mask, region, data);
+}
+
 // the function that'll be eventually called by paintWindow() above
 void Scene::finalPaintWindow(EffectWindowImpl* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data)
 {
diff --git a/scene.h b/scene.h
index 5d49c40abd..3b8a667e08 100644
--- a/scene.h
+++ b/scene.h
@@ -25,9 +25,12 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "kwineffects.h"
 
+class QGraphicsView;
+
 namespace KWin
 {
 
+class AbstractThumbnailItem;
 class Workspace;
 class Deleted;
 class EffectFrameImpl;
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@ protected:
     // let the scene decide whether it's better to paint more of the screen, eg. in order to allow a buffer swap
     // the default is NOOP
     virtual void extendPaintRegion(QRegion &region, bool opaqueFullscreen);
+    virtual void paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data);
     // compute time since the last repaint
     void updateTimeDiff();
     // saved data for 2nd pass of optimized screen painting
@@ -156,6 +160,16 @@ protected:
     int time_diff;
     QElapsedTimer last_time;
     Workspace* wspace;
+private:
+    void paintWindowThumbnails(Scene::Window *w, QRegion region, qreal opacity, qreal brightness, qreal saturation);
+    void paintDesktopThumbnails(Scene::Window *w);
+    /**
+    * Helper function to find the GraphicsView the ThumbnailItem @p item is rendered in which
+    * matches our Window @p w.
+    * If not found @c NULL is returned.
+    **/
+    QGraphicsView *findViewForThumbnailItem(AbstractThumbnailItem *item, Scene::Window *w);
+    QPoint findOffsetInWindow(QWidget *view, xcb_window_t idOfTopmostWindow);
 };
 
 // The base class for windows representations in composite backends
diff --git a/scene_opengl.cpp b/scene_opengl.cpp
index 72dea96f8e..85ea3cd7ff 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.cpp
+++ b/scene_opengl.cpp
@@ -547,6 +547,15 @@ void SceneOpenGL::screenGeometryChanged(const QSize &size)
     ShaderManager::instance()->resetAllShaders();
 }
 
+void SceneOpenGL::paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data)
+{
+    const QRect r = region.boundingRect();
+    glEnable(GL_SCISSOR_TEST);
+    glScissor(r.x(), displayHeight() - r.y() - r.height(), r.width(), r.height());
+    KWin::Scene::paintDesktop(desktop, mask, region, data);
+    glDisable(GL_SCISSOR_TEST);
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // SceneOpenGL2
 //****************************************
@@ -623,6 +632,17 @@ void SceneOpenGL2::paintGenericScreen(int mask, ScreenPaintData data)
     Scene::paintGenericScreen(mask, data);
 }
 
+void SceneOpenGL2::paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data)
+{
+    ShaderBinder binder(ShaderManager::GenericShader);
+    GLShader *shader = binder.shader();
+    QMatrix4x4 screenTransformation = shader->getUniformMatrix4x4("screenTransformation");
+
+    KWin::SceneOpenGL::paintDesktop(desktop, mask, region, data);
+
+    shader->setUniform(GLShader::ScreenTransformation, screenTransformation);
+}
+
 void SceneOpenGL2::doPaintBackground(const QVector< float >& vertices)
 {
     GLVertexBuffer *vbo = GLVertexBuffer::streamingBuffer();
@@ -995,7 +1015,7 @@ void SceneOpenGL::Window::performPaint(int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData
     if (region.isEmpty())
         return;
 
-    bool hardwareClipping = region != infiniteRegion() && (mask & PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED);
+    bool hardwareClipping = region != infiniteRegion() && (mask & PAINT_WINDOW_TRANSFORMED) && !(mask & PAINT_SCREEN_TRANSFORMED);
     if (region != infiniteRegion() && !hardwareClipping) {
         WindowQuadList quads;
         const QRegion filterRegion = region.translated(-x(), -y());
diff --git a/scene_opengl.h b/scene_opengl.h
index 409ec3d6a5..774057dc3c 100644
--- a/scene_opengl.h
+++ b/scene_opengl.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ protected:
     virtual void paintBackground(QRegion region);
     virtual void extendPaintRegion(QRegion &region, bool opaqueFullscreen);
     QMatrix4x4 transformation(int mask, const ScreenPaintData &data) const;
+    virtual void paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data);
 
     virtual void doPaintBackground(const QVector<float> &vertices) = 0;
     virtual SceneOpenGL::Window *createWindow(Toplevel *t) = 0;
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ protected:
     virtual void doPaintBackground(const QVector< float >& vertices);
     virtual SceneOpenGL::Window *createWindow(Toplevel *t);
     virtual void finalDrawWindow(EffectWindowImpl* w, int mask, QRegion region, WindowPaintData& data);
+    virtual void paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data);
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void slotColorCorrectedChanged();
diff --git a/scene_xrender.cpp b/scene_xrender.cpp
index 04ad958437..bea0530c05 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.cpp
+++ b/scene_xrender.cpp
@@ -245,6 +245,13 @@ void SceneXrender::paintGenericScreen(int mask, ScreenPaintData data)
     Scene::paintGenericScreen(mask, data);
 }
 
+void SceneXrender::paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data)
+{
+    PaintClipper::push(region);
+    KWin::Scene::paintDesktop(desktop, mask, region, data);
+    PaintClipper::pop(region);
+}
+
 // fill the screen background
 void SceneXrender::paintBackground(QRegion region)
 {
diff --git a/scene_xrender.h b/scene_xrender.h
index 4a939406f9..96cd8e3356 100644
--- a/scene_xrender.h
+++ b/scene_xrender.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ public:
 protected:
     virtual void paintBackground(QRegion region);
     virtual void paintGenericScreen(int mask, ScreenPaintData data);
+    virtual void paintDesktop(int desktop, int mask, const QRegion &region, ScreenPaintData &data);
 public Q_SLOTS:
     virtual void windowOpacityChanged(KWin::Toplevel* c);
     virtual void windowGeometryShapeChanged(KWin::Toplevel* c);
diff --git a/scripting/scripting.cpp b/scripting/scripting.cpp
index ef7b31be96..2618c4e3eb 100644
--- a/scripting/scripting.cpp
+++ b/scripting/scripting.cpp
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ void KWin::DeclarativeScript::run()
     kdeclarative.initialize();
     kdeclarative.setupBindings();
     installScriptFunctions(kdeclarative.scriptEngine());
+    qmlRegisterType<DesktopThumbnailItem>("org.kde.kwin", 0, 1, "DesktopThumbnailItem");
     qmlRegisterType<WindowThumbnailItem>("org.kde.kwin", 0, 1, "ThumbnailItem");
     qmlRegisterType<KWin::ScriptingClientModel::ClientModel>();
     qmlRegisterType<KWin::ScriptingClientModel::SimpleClientModel>("org.kde.kwin", 0, 1, "ClientModel");
diff --git a/tabbox/declarative.cpp b/tabbox/declarative.cpp
index 859d8a92d7..4af5471e3e 100644
--- a/tabbox/declarative.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/declarative.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ DeclarativeView::DeclarativeView(QAbstractItemModel *model, TabBoxConfig::TabBox
     kdeclarative.setDeclarativeEngine(engine());
     kdeclarative.initialize();
     kdeclarative.setupBindings();
+#ifndef TABBOX_KCM
+    qmlRegisterType<DesktopThumbnailItem>("org.kde.kwin", 0, 1, "DesktopThumbnailItem");
+#endif
     qmlRegisterType<WindowThumbnailItem>("org.kde.kwin", 0, 1, "ThumbnailItem");
     rootContext()->setContextProperty("viewId", static_cast<qulonglong>(winId()));
     rootContext()->setContextProperty("plasmaThemeVariant", plasmaThemeVariant());
diff --git a/thumbnailitem.cpp b/thumbnailitem.cpp
index db30252f80..9ec604b049 100644
--- a/thumbnailitem.cpp
+++ b/thumbnailitem.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "thumbnailitem.h"
 // KWin
 #include "client.h"
+#include "composite.h"
 #include "effects.h"
 #include "workspace.h"
 #include "composite.h"
@@ -150,9 +151,6 @@ WindowThumbnailItem::WindowThumbnailItem(QDeclarativeItem* parent)
     , m_wId(0)
     , m_client(NULL)
 {
-    if (effects) {
-        connect(effects, SIGNAL(windowDamaged(KWin::EffectWindow*,QRect)), SLOT(repaint(KWin::EffectWindow*)));
-    }
 }
 
 WindowThumbnailItem::~WindowThumbnailItem()
@@ -188,7 +186,6 @@ void WindowThumbnailItem::setClient(Client *client)
     emit clientChanged();
 }
 
-
 void WindowThumbnailItem::paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget)
 {
     if (effects) {
@@ -213,4 +210,41 @@ void WindowThumbnailItem::repaint(KWin::EffectWindow *w)
     }
 }
 
+DesktopThumbnailItem::DesktopThumbnailItem(QDeclarativeItem *parent)
+    : AbstractThumbnailItem(parent)
+    , m_desktop(0)
+{
+}
+
+DesktopThumbnailItem::~DesktopThumbnailItem()
+{
+}
+
+void DesktopThumbnailItem::setDesktop(int desktop)
+{
+    desktop = qBound<int>(1, desktop, VirtualDesktopManager::self()->count());
+    if (desktop == m_desktop) {
+        return;
+    }
+    m_desktop = desktop;
+    update();
+    emit desktopChanged(m_desktop);
+}
+
+void DesktopThumbnailItem::paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget)
+{
+    if (effects) {
+        QDeclarativeItem::paint(painter, option, widget);
+        return;
+    }
+    // TODO: render icon
+}
+
+void DesktopThumbnailItem::repaint(EffectWindow *w)
+{
+    if (w->isOnDesktop(m_desktop)) {
+        update();
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace KWin
diff --git a/thumbnailitem.h b/thumbnailitem.h
index ca05a4238c..89fd48d715 100644
--- a/thumbnailitem.h
+++ b/thumbnailitem.h
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
 protected:
     explicit AbstractThumbnailItem(QDeclarativeItem *parent = 0);
 
+protected Q_SLOTS:
+    virtual void repaint(KWin::EffectWindow* w) = 0;
+
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void init();
     void effectWindowAdded();
@@ -96,13 +99,34 @@ public:
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void wIdChanged(qulonglong wid);
     void clientChanged();
-private Q_SLOTS:
-    void repaint(KWin::EffectWindow* w);
+protected Q_SLOTS:
+    virtual void repaint(KWin::EffectWindow* w);
 private:
     qulonglong m_wId;
     Client *m_client;
 };
 
+class DesktopThumbnailItem : public AbstractThumbnailItem
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+    Q_PROPERTY(int desktop READ desktop WRITE setDesktop NOTIFY desktopChanged)
+public:
+    DesktopThumbnailItem(QDeclarativeItem *parent = 0);
+    virtual ~DesktopThumbnailItem();
+
+    int desktop() const {
+        return m_desktop;
+    }
+    void setDesktop(int desktop);
+    virtual void paint(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *option, QWidget *widget);
+Q_SIGNALS:
+    void desktopChanged(int desktop);
+protected Q_SLOTS:
+    virtual void repaint(KWin::EffectWindow* w);
+private:
+    int m_desktop;
+};
+
 inline
 qreal AbstractThumbnailItem::brightness() const
 {