diff --git a/src/layouts/QskLayoutChain.cpp b/src/layouts/QskLayoutChain.cpp
index 7f7cbb53..28d92abb 100644
--- a/src/layouts/QskLayoutChain.cpp
+++ b/src/layouts/QskLayoutChain.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ void QskLayoutChain::expandCell( int index, const CellData& newCell )
     if ( !cell.isValid )
     {
         cell = newCell;
-        cell.stretch = qMax( cell.stretch, 0 );
         m_validCells++;
     }
     else
@@ -105,58 +104,63 @@ void QskLayoutChain::expandCells(
     int index, int count, const CellData& multiCell )
 {
     QskLayoutChain chain;
+    chain.setSpacing( m_spacing );
     chain.reset( count, -1 );
 
     for ( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
     {
-        chain.expandCell( i, m_cells[ index + i ] );
-
         auto& cell = chain.m_cells[ i ];
-#if 1
-        // what to do now ??
+        cell = m_cells[ index + i ];
+
         if ( !cell.isValid )
         {
             cell.isValid = true;
             cell.canGrow = multiCell.canGrow;
-            cell.stretch = qMax( cell.stretch, 0 );
+            cell.stretch = multiCell.stretch;
         }
-#endif
     }
-    chain.m_validCells = count;
+    chain.finish();
 
-    QVarLengthArray< QskLayoutHint > hints( count );
+    QskLayoutChain::Segments minimum;
+    QskLayoutChain::Segments preferred;
+    QskLayoutChain::Segments maximum;
 
-    const auto& hint = multiCell.hint;
     const auto chainHint = chain.boundingHint();
 
-    if ( hint.minimum() > chainHint.minimum() )
-    {
-        const auto segments = chain.segments( hint.minimum() );
-        for ( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
-            hints[i].setMinimum( segments[i].length );
-    }
+    if ( multiCell.hint.minimum() > chainHint.minimum() )
+        minimum = chain.segments( multiCell.hint.minimum() );
 
-    if ( hint.preferred() > chainHint.preferred() )
-    {
-        const auto segments = chain.segments( hint.preferred() );
-        for ( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
-            hints[i].setPreferred( segments[i].length );
-    }
+    if ( multiCell.hint.preferred() > chainHint.preferred() )
+        preferred = chain.segments( multiCell.hint.preferred() );
 
-    if ( hint.maximum() < chainHint.maximum() )
+    if ( chainHint.maximum() == QskLayoutConstraint::unlimited )
     {
-        const auto segments = chain.segments( hint.maximum() );
-        for ( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
-            hints[i].setMaximum( segments[i].length );
+        if ( multiCell.hint.maximum() < QskLayoutConstraint::unlimited )
+            maximum = chain.segments( multiCell.hint.maximum() );
     }
 
     for ( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
     {
-        auto cell = multiCell;
-        cell.hint = hints[i];
+        auto& cell = m_cells[ index + i ];
 
-        expandCell( index + i, cell );
-    }
+        cell.canGrow |= multiCell.canGrow;
+        cell.stretch = qMax( cell.stretch, multiCell.stretch );
+
+        if ( !minimum.isEmpty() )
+            cell.hint.expandMinimum( minimum[i].length );
+
+        if ( !preferred.isEmpty() )
+            cell.hint.expandPreferred( preferred[i].length );
+
+        if ( !maximum.isEmpty() && !cell.isValid )
+            cell.hint.setMaximum( maximum[i].length );
+
+        if ( !cell.isValid )
+        {
+            cell.isValid = true;
+            m_validCells++;
+        }
+    }    
 }
 
 void QskLayoutChain::finish()
diff --git a/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.cpp b/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.cpp
index ee386e54..98fffff7 100644
--- a/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.cpp
+++ b/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ void QskLayoutHint::setSize( int which, qreal size )
     }
 }
 
+void QskLayoutHint::expandTo( const QskLayoutHint& other )
+{
+    m_minimum = qMax( m_minimum, other.m_minimum );
+    m_preferred = qMax( m_preferred, other.m_preferred );
+    m_maximum = qMax( m_maximum, other.m_maximum );
+}
+
 void QskLayoutHint::normalize()
 {
     m_minimum = qMax( m_minimum, qreal( 0.0 ) );
diff --git a/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.h b/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.h
index 3551a66d..4a04550f 100644
--- a/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.h
+++ b/src/layouts/QskLayoutHint.h
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskLayoutHint
     qreal maximum() const;
 
     void setSizes( qreal minimum, qreal preferred, qreal maximum );
+    void expandTo( const QskLayoutHint& );
+
+    void expandMinimum( qreal value );
+    void expandPreferred( qreal value );
+    void expandMaximum( qreal value );
 
   private:
     qreal m_minimum;
@@ -75,6 +80,24 @@ inline void QskLayoutHint::setMaximum( qreal value )
     m_maximum = value;
 }
 
+inline void QskLayoutHint::expandMinimum( qreal value )
+{
+    if ( value > m_minimum )
+        m_minimum = value;
+}
+
+inline void QskLayoutHint::expandPreferred( qreal value )
+{
+    if ( value > m_preferred )
+        m_preferred = value;
+}
+
+inline void QskLayoutHint::expandMaximum( qreal value )
+{
+    if ( value > m_maximum )
+        m_maximum = value;
+}
+
 inline void QskLayoutHint::setSizes(
     qreal minimum, qreal preferred, qreal maximum )
 {