diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
index f99dc41a..85215d98 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ class QskSkin::PrivateData
     std::unordered_map< const QMetaObject*, SkinletData > skinletMap;
 
     QskSkinHintTable hintTable;
-    QskAspect::States stateMask = QskAspect::AllStates;
 
     std::unordered_map< int, QFont > fonts;
     std::unordered_map< int, QskColorFilter > graphicFilters;
@@ -345,22 +344,6 @@ const int* QskSkin::dialogButtonLayout( Qt::Orientation orientation ) const
     return QPlatformDialogHelper::buttonLayout( orientation, policy );
 }
 
-void QskSkin::setStateMask( QskAspect::States mask )
-{
-    for ( auto state : { QskControl::Disabled, QskControl::Hovered, QskControl::Focused } )
-    {
-        if ( mask & state )
-            m_data->stateMask |= state;
-        else
-            m_data->stateMask &= ~state;
-    }
-}
-
-QskAspect::States QskSkin::stateMask() const
-{
-    return m_data->stateMask;
-}
-
 QskSkinlet* QskSkin::skinlet( const QMetaObject* metaObject )
 {
     while ( metaObject )
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkin.h b/src/controls/QskSkin.h
index adeb2c54..723b0115 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkin.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkin.h
@@ -77,9 +77,6 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskSkin : public QObject
     virtual const int* dialogButtonLayout( Qt::Orientation ) const;
     virtual QString dialogButtonText( int button ) const;
 
-    void setStateMask( QskAspect::States );
-    QskAspect::States stateMask() const;
-
     QskSkinlet* skinlet( const QMetaObject* );
 
     const QskSkinHintTable& hintTable() const;
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.cpp
index 9bac96f0..d43a4434 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ QskSkinHintTable::QskSkinHintTable()
 QskSkinHintTable::QskSkinHintTable( const QskSkinHintTable& other )
     : m_hints( nullptr )
     , m_animatorCount( other.m_animatorCount )
-    , m_statefulCount( other.m_statefulCount )
+    , m_states( other.m_states )
 {
     if ( other.m_hints )
         m_hints = new HintMap( *( other.m_hints ) );
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ QskSkinHintTable::~QskSkinHintTable()
 QskSkinHintTable& QskSkinHintTable::operator=( const QskSkinHintTable& other )
 {
     m_animatorCount = other.m_animatorCount;
-    m_statefulCount = other.m_statefulCount;
+    m_states = other.m_states;
 
     if ( other.m_hints )
     {
@@ -126,11 +126,7 @@ bool QskSkinHintTable::setHint( QskAspect aspect, const QVariant& skinHint )
             QSK_ASSERT_COUNTER( m_animatorCount );
         }
 
-        if ( aspect.hasStates() )
-        {
-            m_statefulCount++;
-            QSK_ASSERT_COUNTER( m_statefulCount );
-        }
+        m_states |= aspect.states();
 
         return true;
     }
@@ -158,8 +154,7 @@ bool QskSkinHintTable::removeHint( QskAspect aspect )
         if ( aspect.isAnimator() )
             m_animatorCount--;
 
-        if ( aspect.hasStates() )
-            m_statefulCount--;
+        // how to clear m_states ? TODO ...
 
         if ( m_hints->empty() )
         {
@@ -184,8 +179,7 @@ QVariant QskSkinHintTable::takeHint( QskAspect aspect )
             if ( aspect.isAnimator() )
                 m_animatorCount--;
 
-            if ( aspect.hasStates() )
-                m_statefulCount--;
+            // how to clear m_states ? TODO ...
 
             if ( m_hints->empty() )
             {
@@ -206,14 +200,14 @@ void QskSkinHintTable::clear()
     m_hints = nullptr;
 
     m_animatorCount = 0;
-    m_statefulCount = 0;
+    m_states = QskAspect::NoState;
 }
 
 const QVariant* QskSkinHintTable::resolvedHint(
     QskAspect aspect, QskAspect* resolvedAspect ) const
 {
     if ( m_hints != nullptr )
-        return qskResolvedHint( aspect, *m_hints, resolvedAspect );
+        return qskResolvedHint( aspect & m_states, *m_hints, resolvedAspect );
 
     return nullptr;
 }
@@ -223,7 +217,7 @@ QskAspect QskSkinHintTable::resolvedAspect( QskAspect aspect ) const
     QskAspect a;
 
     if ( m_hints != nullptr )
-        qskResolvedHint( aspect, *m_hints, &a );
+        qskResolvedHint( aspect & m_states, *m_hints, &a );
 
     return a;
 }
@@ -233,6 +227,8 @@ QskAspect QskSkinHintTable::resolvedAnimator(
 {
     if ( m_hints && m_animatorCount > 0 )
     {
+        aspect &= m_states;
+
         Q_FOREVER
         {
             auto it = m_hints->find( aspect );
@@ -268,15 +264,16 @@ bool QskSkinHintTable::setAnimation(
 bool QskSkinHintTable::isResolutionMatching(
     QskAspect aspect1, QskAspect aspect2 ) const
 {
+    // remove states we do not have early
+    aspect1 &= m_states;
+    aspect2 &= m_states;
+
     if ( aspect1 == aspect2 )
         return true;
 
     if ( aspect1.trunk() != aspect2.trunk() )
         return false;
 
-    if ( !hasStates() )
-        return false;
-
     const auto a1 = aspect1;
     const auto a2 = aspect2;
 
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.h b/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.h
index c1e6a647..ac246376 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinHintTable.h
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskSkinHintTable
     const std::unordered_map< QskAspect, QVariant >& hints() const;
 
     bool hasAnimators() const;
-    bool hasStates() const;
     bool hasHints() const;
 
+    QskAspect::States states() const;
+
     void clear();
 
     const QVariant* resolvedHint( QskAspect,
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskSkinHintTable
     HintMap* m_hints = nullptr;
 
     unsigned short m_animatorCount = 0;
-    unsigned short m_statefulCount = 0;
+    QskAspect::States m_states;
 };
 
 inline bool QskSkinHintTable::hasHints() const
@@ -70,9 +71,9 @@ inline bool QskSkinHintTable::hasHints() const
     return m_hints != nullptr;
 }
 
-inline bool QskSkinHintTable::hasStates() const
+inline QskAspect::States QskSkinHintTable::states() const
 {
-    return m_statefulCount > 0;
+    return m_states;
 }
 
 inline bool QskSkinHintTable::hasAnimators() const
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
index 1268fcde..fba33948 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
@@ -940,23 +940,12 @@ const QVariant& QskSkinnable::storedHint(
 {
     const auto skin = effectiveSkin();
 
-    // clearing all state bits not being handled from the skin
-    aspect.clearStates( ~skin->stateMask() );
-
     QskAspect resolvedAspect;
 
     const auto& localTable = m_data->hintTable;
     if ( localTable.hasHints() )
     {
-        auto a = aspect;
-
-        if ( !localTable.hasStates() )
-        {
-            // we don't need to clear the state bits stepwise
-            a.clearStates();
-        }
-
-        if ( const QVariant* value = localTable.resolvedHint( a, &resolvedAspect ) )
+        if ( const auto value = localTable.resolvedHint( aspect, &resolvedAspect ) )
         {
             if ( status )
             {
@@ -972,10 +961,7 @@ const QVariant& QskSkinnable::storedHint(
     const auto& skinTable = skin->hintTable();
     if ( skinTable.hasHints() )
     {
-        auto a = aspect;
-
-        const QVariant* value = skinTable.resolvedHint( a, &resolvedAspect );
-        if ( value )
+        if ( const auto value = skinTable.resolvedHint( aspect, &resolvedAspect ) )
         {
             if ( status )
             {
@@ -993,8 +979,7 @@ const QVariant& QskSkinnable::storedHint(
             aspect.setSubControl( QskAspect::Control );
             aspect.clearStates();
 
-            value = skinTable.resolvedHint( aspect, &resolvedAspect );
-            if ( value )
+            if ( const auto value = skinTable.resolvedHint( aspect, &resolvedAspect ) )
             {
                 if ( status )
                 {
@@ -1257,7 +1242,8 @@ void QskSkinnable::setSkinStates( QskAspect::States newStates )
 
     if ( skin )
     {
-        const auto mask = skin->stateMask();
+        const auto mask = skin->hintTable().states() | m_data->hintTable.states();
+
         if ( ( newStates & mask ) == ( m_data->skinStates & mask ) )
         {
             // the modified bits are not handled by the skin
@@ -1297,24 +1283,13 @@ void QskSkinnable::setSkinStates( QskAspect::States newStates )
                         const auto primitive = static_cast< QskAspect::Primitive >( i );
                         aspect.setPrimitive( type, primitive );
 
-                        auto a1 = aspect | m_data->skinStates;
-                        auto a2 = aspect | newStates;
+                        const auto a1 = aspect | m_data->skinStates;
+                        const auto a2 = aspect | newStates;
 
                         bool doTransition = true;
 
-                        if ( !m_data->hintTable.hasStates() )
-                        {
-                            /*
-                                The hints are found by stripping the state bits one by
-                                one until a lookup into the hint table is successful.
-                                So for deciding whether two aspects lead to the same hint
-                                we can stop as soon as the aspects have the same state bits.
-                                This way we can reduce the number of lookups significantly
-                                for skinnables with many state bits.
-
-                             */
+                        if ( m_data->hintTable.states() == QskAspect::NoState )
                             doTransition = !skinTable.isResolutionMatching( a1, a2 );
-                        }
 
                         if ( doTransition )
                         {