diff --git a/src/common/QskGradient.cpp b/src/common/QskGradient.cpp
index e4605c9e..064c9f4b 100644
--- a/src/common/QskGradient.cpp
+++ b/src/common/QskGradient.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 static void qskRegisterGradient()
 {
     qRegisterMetaType< QskGradient >();
-    qRegisterMetaType< QskGradientStop >();
 
     QMetaType::registerConverter< QColor, QskGradient >(
         []( const QColor& color ) { return QskGradient( color ); } );
@@ -168,60 +167,6 @@ static inline QVector< QskGradientStop > qskExtractedStops(
     return extracted;
 }
 
-void QskGradientStop::setPosition( qreal position ) noexcept
-{
-    m_position = position;
-}
-
-void QskGradientStop::resetPosition() noexcept
-{
-    m_position = -1.0;
-}
-
-void QskGradientStop::setColor( const QColor& color ) noexcept
-{
-    m_color = color;
-}
-
-void QskGradientStop::resetColor() noexcept
-{
-    m_color = QColor();
-}
-
-void QskGradientStop::setStop( qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept
-{
-    m_position = position;
-    m_color = color;
-}
-
-uint QskGradientStop::hash( uint seed ) const noexcept
-{
-    uint hash = qHashBits( &m_position, sizeof( m_position ), seed );
-    return qHashBits( &m_color, sizeof( m_color ), hash );
-}
-
-QColor QskGradientStop::interpolated(
-    const QskGradientStop& s1, const QskGradientStop& s2, qreal position ) noexcept
-{
-    if ( s1.color() == s2.color() )
-        return s1.color();
-
-    auto min = &s1;
-    auto max = &s2;
-
-    if ( min->position() > max->position() )
-        std::swap( min, max );
-
-    if ( position <= min->position() )
-        return min->color();
-
-    if ( position >= max->position() )
-        return max->color();
-
-    const qreal r = ( position - min->position() ) / ( max->position() - min->position() );
-    return QskRgb::interpolated( min->color(), max->color(), r );
-}
-
 QskGradient::QskGradient()
     : m_orientation( Vertical )
 {
@@ -423,8 +368,7 @@ bool QskGradient::hasStopAt( qreal value ) const
 
 uint QskGradient::hash( uint seed ) const
 {
-    const int count = m_stops.size();
-    if ( count == 0 )
+    if ( m_stops.isEmpty()  )
         return seed;
 
     uint hash = qHashBits( &m_orientation, sizeof( m_orientation ), seed );
@@ -610,12 +554,6 @@ QVariant QskGradient::interpolate(
 
 #include <qdebug.h>
 
-QDebug operator<<( QDebug debug, const QskGradientStop& stop )
-{
-    debug << stop.position() << ": " << stop.color();
-    return debug;
-}
-
 QDebug operator<<( QDebug debug, const QskGradient& gradient )
 {
     debug << "GR:" << gradient.orientation() << gradient.stops().count();
diff --git a/src/common/QskGradient.h b/src/common/QskGradient.h
index 4df866f1..cac89f16 100644
--- a/src/common/QskGradient.h
+++ b/src/common/QskGradient.h
@@ -7,55 +7,14 @@
 #define QSK_GRADIENT_H
 
 #include "QskGlobal.h"
+#include "QskGradientStop.h"
 
 #include <qcolor.h>
 #include <qmetatype.h>
 #include <qvector.h>
 
-#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK( 5, 14, 0 )
-/*
-    since Qt >= 5.14 QColor has constexpr declarations and we could declare
-    several methods of QskGradientStop being constexpr as well. TODO ...
- */
-#endif
-
-class QDebug;
 class QVariant;
 
-class QSK_EXPORT QskGradientStop
-{
-    Q_GADGET
-
-    Q_PROPERTY( qreal position READ position WRITE setPosition RESET resetPosition )
-    Q_PROPERTY( QColor color READ color WRITE setColor RESET resetColor )
-
-  public:
-    QskGradientStop() noexcept;
-    QskGradientStop( qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept;
-
-    bool operator==( const QskGradientStop& ) const noexcept;
-    bool operator!=( const QskGradientStop& ) const noexcept;
-
-    void setStop( qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept;
-
-    qreal position() const noexcept;
-    void setPosition( qreal position ) noexcept;
-    void resetPosition() noexcept;
-
-    const QColor& color() const noexcept;
-    void setColor( const QColor& color ) noexcept;
-    void resetColor() noexcept;
-
-    static QColor interpolated(
-        const QskGradientStop&, const QskGradientStop&, qreal position ) noexcept;
-
-    uint hash( uint seed ) const noexcept;
-
-  private:
-    qreal m_position;
-    QColor m_color;
-};
-
 class QSK_EXPORT QskGradient
 {
     Q_GADGET
@@ -142,6 +101,8 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskGradient
     QVector< QskGradientStop > m_stops;
 };
 
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE( QskGradient )
+
 inline QskGradient::QskGradient( Qt::GlobalColor color )
     : QskGradient( QColor( color ) )
 {
@@ -162,38 +123,6 @@ inline QColor QskGradient::endColor() const
     return ( m_stops.size() >= 2 ) ? m_stops.last().color() : QColor();
 }
 
-inline QskGradientStop::QskGradientStop() noexcept
-    : m_position( -1.0 )
-{
-}
-
-inline QskGradientStop::QskGradientStop(
-        qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept
-    : m_position( position )
-    , m_color( color )
-{
-}
-
-inline qreal QskGradientStop::position() const noexcept
-{
-    return m_position;
-}
-
-inline const QColor& QskGradientStop::color() const noexcept
-{
-    return m_color;
-}
-
-inline bool QskGradientStop::operator==( const QskGradientStop& other ) const noexcept
-{
-    return ( m_position == other.m_position ) && ( m_color == other.m_color );
-}
-
-inline bool QskGradientStop::operator!=( const QskGradientStop& other ) const noexcept
-{
-    return ( !( *this == other ) );
-}
-
 inline bool QskGradient::operator==( const QskGradient& other ) const
 {
     return ( m_orientation == other.m_orientation ) && ( m_stops == other.m_stops );
@@ -204,14 +133,10 @@ inline bool QskGradient::operator!=( const QskGradient& other ) const
     return ( !( *this == other ) );
 }
 
-Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO( QskGradientStop, Q_MOVABLE_TYPE );
-
-Q_DECLARE_METATYPE( QskGradientStop )
-Q_DECLARE_METATYPE( QskGradient )
-
 #ifndef QT_NO_DEBUG_STREAM
 
-QSK_EXPORT QDebug operator<<( QDebug, const QskGradientStop& );
+class QDebug;
+
 QSK_EXPORT QDebug operator<<( QDebug, const QskGradient& );
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/common/QskGradientStop.cpp b/src/common/QskGradientStop.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d982eca3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/QskGradientStop.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/******************************************************************************
+ * QSkinny - Copyright (C) 2016 Uwe Rathmann
+ * This file may be used under the terms of the QSkinny License, Version 1.0
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#include "QskGradient.h"
+#include "QskRgbValue.h"
+
+#include <qhashfunctions.h>
+#include <qvariant.h>
+
+#include <algorithm>
+
+static void qskRegisterGradientStop()
+{
+    qRegisterMetaType< QskGradientStop >();
+}
+
+Q_CONSTRUCTOR_FUNCTION( qskRegisterGradientStop )
+
+void QskGradientStop::setPosition( qreal position ) noexcept
+{
+    m_position = position;
+}
+
+void QskGradientStop::resetPosition() noexcept
+{
+    m_position = -1.0;
+}
+
+void QskGradientStop::setColor( const QColor& color ) noexcept
+{
+    m_color = color;
+}
+
+void QskGradientStop::resetColor() noexcept
+{
+    m_color = QColor();
+}
+
+void QskGradientStop::setStop( qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept
+{
+    m_position = position;
+    m_color = color;
+}
+
+uint QskGradientStop::hash( uint seed ) const noexcept
+{
+    uint hash = qHashBits( &m_position, sizeof( m_position ), seed );
+    return qHashBits( &m_color, sizeof( m_color ), hash );
+}
+
+QColor QskGradientStop::interpolated(
+    const QskGradientStop& s1, const QskGradientStop& s2, qreal position ) noexcept
+{
+    if ( s1.color() == s2.color() )
+        return s1.color();
+
+    auto min = &s1;
+    auto max = &s2;
+
+    if ( min->position() > max->position() )
+        std::swap( min, max );
+
+    if ( position <= min->position() )
+        return min->color();
+
+    if ( position >= max->position() )
+        return max->color();
+
+    const qreal r = ( position - min->position() ) / ( max->position() - min->position() );
+    return QskRgb::interpolated( min->color(), max->color(), r );
+}
+
+#ifndef QT_NO_DEBUG_STREAM
+
+#include <qdebug.h>
+
+QDebug operator<<( QDebug debug, const QskGradientStop& stop )
+{
+    debug << stop.position() << ": " << stop.color();
+    return debug;
+}
+
+#endif
+
+#include "moc_QskGradientStop.cpp"
diff --git a/src/common/QskGradientStop.h b/src/common/QskGradientStop.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2371ba77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/QskGradientStop.h
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/******************************************************************************
+ * QSkinny - Copyright (C) 2016 Uwe Rathmann
+ * This file may be used under the terms of the QSkinny License, Version 1.0
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef QSK_GRADIENT_STOP_H
+#define QSK_GRADIENT_STOP_H
+
+#include "QskGlobal.h"
+
+#include <qcolor.h>
+#include <qmetatype.h>
+
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK( 5, 14, 0 )
+/*
+    since Qt >= 5.14 QColor has constexpr declarations and we could declare
+    several methods of QskGradientStop being constexpr as well. TODO ...
+ */
+#endif
+
+class QSK_EXPORT QskGradientStop
+{
+    Q_GADGET
+
+    Q_PROPERTY( qreal position READ position WRITE setPosition RESET resetPosition )
+    Q_PROPERTY( QColor color READ color WRITE setColor RESET resetColor )
+
+  public:
+    QskGradientStop() noexcept;
+    QskGradientStop( qreal position, const QColor& ) noexcept;
+
+    bool operator==( const QskGradientStop& ) const noexcept;
+    bool operator!=( const QskGradientStop& ) const noexcept;
+
+    void setStop( qreal position, const QColor& ) noexcept;
+
+    qreal position() const noexcept;
+    void setPosition( qreal position ) noexcept;
+    void resetPosition() noexcept;
+
+    const QColor& color() const noexcept;
+    void setColor( const QColor& color ) noexcept;
+    void resetColor() noexcept;
+
+    static QColor interpolated(
+        const QskGradientStop&, const QskGradientStop&, qreal position ) noexcept;
+
+    uint hash( uint seed ) const noexcept;
+
+  private:
+    qreal m_position;
+    QColor m_color; // using RGBA instead ?
+};
+
+Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO( QskGradientStop, Q_MOVABLE_TYPE );
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE( QskGradientStop )
+
+inline QskGradientStop::QskGradientStop() noexcept
+    : m_position( -1.0 )
+{
+}
+
+inline QskGradientStop::QskGradientStop(
+        qreal position, const QColor& color ) noexcept
+    : m_position( position )
+    , m_color( color )
+{
+}
+
+inline qreal QskGradientStop::position() const noexcept
+{
+    return m_position;
+}
+
+inline const QColor& QskGradientStop::color() const noexcept
+{
+    return m_color;
+}
+
+inline bool QskGradientStop::operator==( const QskGradientStop& other ) const noexcept
+{
+    return ( m_position == other.m_position ) && ( m_color == other.m_color );
+}
+
+inline bool QskGradientStop::operator!=( const QskGradientStop& other ) const noexcept
+{
+    return ( !( *this == other ) );
+}
+
+#ifndef QT_NO_DEBUG_STREAM
+
+class QDebug;
+
+QSK_EXPORT QDebug operator<<( QDebug, const QskGradientStop& );
+
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/src.pro b/src/src.pro
index 8d49744c..00a55da6 100644
--- a/src/src.pro
+++ b/src/src.pro
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ HEADERS += \
     common/QskFunctions.h \
     common/QskGlobal.h \
     common/QskGradient.h \
+    common/QskGradientStop.h \
     common/QskIntervalF.h \
     common/QskMargins.h \
     common/QskMetaFunction.h \
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ SOURCES += \
     common/QskBoxShapeMetrics.cpp \
     common/QskFunctions.cpp \
     common/QskGradient.cpp \
+    common/QskGradientStop.cpp \
     common/QskIntervalF.cpp \
     common/QskMargins.cpp \
     common/QskMetaFunction.cpp \