diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index df10802..cbab9bd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ###| Cmake qtermwidget |###
 
+option(BUILD_DESIGNER_PLUGIN "Build Qt4 designer plugin" ON)
+
 #| Setting required version
 cmake_minimum_required( VERSION 2.4 )
 
diff --git a/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index aa75405..c6196a9 100644
--- a/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ endif (HAVE_UPDWTMPX)
 #add_library( qtermwidget STATIC ${SRCS} ${MOC_SRCS} )
 add_library ( qtermwidget SHARED ${SRCS} ${MOC_SRCS} )
 
+if (APPLE)
+    # this is a must to load the lib correctly
+    set_target_properties( qtermwidget PROPERTIES
+                            INSTALL_NAME_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX} )
+endif (APPLE)
+
+
 #| Set Build Type
 if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
     set ( CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE
@@ -143,3 +150,40 @@ install(FILES ${HDRS_DISTRIB} DESTINATION include)
 # keyboard layouts
 install(DIRECTORY kb-layouts/ DESTINATION ${KB_LAYOUT_DIR} FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.keytab" )
 
+
+#
+# Qt4 designer plugin
+# 
+if (BUILD_DESIGNER_PLUGIN)
+    message(STATUS "Building Qt designer plugin")
+
+    include_directories(designer
+                        ${QT_QTDESIGNER_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+    set(DESIGNER_SRC designer/qtermwidgetplugin.cpp)
+    QT4_WRAP_CPP( DESIGNER_MOC	designer/qtermwidgetplugin.h)
+    QT4_ADD_RESOURCES( DESIGNER_QRC designer/qtermwidgetplugin.qrc)
+
+    link_directories(${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
+    add_library( qtermwidgetplugin SHARED 
+        ${DESIGNER_MOC}
+        ${DESIGNER_QRC}
+        ${DESIGNER_SRC}
+    )
+
+    target_link_libraries( qtermwidgetplugin  
+        ${QT_QTCORE_LIBRARY}
+        ${QT_QTDESIGNER_LIBRARY}
+        ${QT_QTDESIGNERCOMPONENTS_LIBRARY}
+        qtermwidget
+    )
+
+    if (APPLE)
+        # this is a must to load the lib correctly
+        set_target_properties( qtermwidgetplugin PROPERTIES
+                                INSTALL_NAME_DIR ${QT_PLUGINS_DIR}/designer )
+    endif (APPLE)
+    
+    install( TARGETS qtermwidgetplugin DESTINATION ${QT_PLUGINS_DIR}/designer )
+
+endif (BUILD_DESIGNER_PLUGIN)
diff --git a/lib/TerminalDisplay.cpp b/lib/TerminalDisplay.cpp
index 1b8805c..cd1b2ea 100644
--- a/lib/TerminalDisplay.cpp
+++ b/lib/TerminalDisplay.cpp
@@ -232,6 +232,16 @@ void TerminalDisplay::setVTFont(const QFont& f)
 {
     QFont font = f;
 
+#ifdef Q_WS_MAC
+#if QT_VERSION >= 0x040700
+    // mac uses floats for font width specification.
+    // this ensures the same handling for all platforms
+    font.setStyleStrategy(QFont::ForceIntegerMetrics);
+#else
+#warning "Correct handling of the QFont metrics requited Qt>=4.7"
+#endif
+#endif    
+
     QFontMetrics metrics(font);
 
     if ( !QFontInfo(font).fixedPitch() ) {
@@ -549,14 +559,14 @@ void TerminalDisplay::setOpacity(qreal opacity)
 
     // enable automatic background filling to prevent the display
     // flickering if there is no transparency
-    /*if ( color.alpha() == 255 )
+    if ( color.alpha() == 255 )
     {
         setAutoFillBackground(true);
     }
     else
     {
         setAutoFillBackground(false);
-    }*/
+    }
 
     _blendColor = color.rgba();
 }
diff --git a/lib/designer/qtermwidget.png b/lib/designer/qtermwidget.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b9abcc
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/designer/qtermwidget.png differ
diff --git a/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.cpp b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb9ad91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+
+#include "qtermwidgetplugin.h"
+
+#include <QtPlugin>
+
+#include "qtermwidget.h"
+
+
+QTermWidgetPlugin::QTermWidgetPlugin(QObject *parent)
+    : QObject(parent), initialized(false)
+{
+    Q_INIT_RESOURCE(qtermwidgetplugin);
+}
+
+
+QTermWidgetPlugin::~QTermWidgetPlugin()
+{
+}
+
+
+void QTermWidgetPlugin::initialize(QDesignerFormEditorInterface * /* core */)
+{
+    initialized = true;
+}
+
+
+bool QTermWidgetPlugin::isInitialized() const
+{
+    return initialized;
+}
+
+
+QWidget *QTermWidgetPlugin::createWidget(QWidget *parent)
+{
+    return new QTermWidget(0, parent);
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::name() const
+{
+    return "QTermWidget";
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::group() const
+{
+    return "Input Widgets";
+}
+
+
+QIcon QTermWidgetPlugin::icon() const
+{
+    return QIcon(":qtermwidget.png");
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::toolTip() const
+{
+    return "QTermWidget component/widget";
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::whatsThis() const
+{
+    return "Qt based terminal emulator";
+}
+
+
+bool QTermWidgetPlugin::isContainer() const
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::domXml() const
+{
+    return "<widget class=\"QTermWidget\" name=\"termWidget\">\n"
+        " <property name=\"geometry\">\n"
+        "  <rect>\n"
+        "   <x>0</x>\n"
+        "   <y>0</y>\n"
+        "   <width>400</width>\n"
+        "   <height>200</height>\n"
+        "  </rect>\n"
+        " </property>\n"
+        " <property name=\"toolTip\" >\n"
+        "  <string></string>\n"
+        " </property>\n"
+        " <property name=\"whatsThis\" >\n"
+        "  <string></string>\n"
+        " </property>\n"
+        "</widget>\n";
+}
+
+
+QString QTermWidgetPlugin::includeFile() const
+{
+    return "qtermwidget.h";
+}
+
+
+Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2(QTermWidgetPlugin, QTermWidgetPlugin)
diff --git a/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.h b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a216de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+
+#ifndef QTERMWIDGETPLUGIN_H
+#define QTERMWIDGETPLUGIN_H
+
+#include <QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface>
+
+
+class QTermWidgetPlugin : public QObject, public QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+    Q_INTERFACES(QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface)
+
+public:
+    QTermWidgetPlugin(QObject *parent = 0);
+    virtual ~QTermWidgetPlugin();
+
+    bool isContainer() const;
+    bool isInitialized() const;
+    QIcon icon() const;
+    QString domXml() const;
+    QString group() const;
+    QString includeFile() const;
+    QString name() const;
+    QString toolTip() const;
+    QString whatsThis() const;
+    QWidget *createWidget(QWidget *parent);
+    void initialize(QDesignerFormEditorInterface *core);
+
+private:
+    bool initialized;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.qrc b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.qrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbf222c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/designer/qtermwidgetplugin.qrc
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<!DOCTYPE RCC>
+<RCC version="1.0">
+    <qresource>
+        <file>qtermwidget.png</file>
+    </qresource>
+</RCC>
diff --git a/lib/qtermwidget.cpp b/lib/qtermwidget.cpp
index 8220fb8..dc329a7 100644
--- a/lib/qtermwidget.cpp
+++ b/lib/qtermwidget.cpp
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@ void QTermWidget::setTerminalFont(QFont &font)
     m_impl->m_terminalDisplay->setVTFont(font);
 }
 
+void QTermWidget::setTerminalOpacity(qreal level)
+{
+    if (!m_impl->m_terminalDisplay)
+        return;
+    m_impl->m_terminalDisplay->setOpacity(level);
+}
+
 void QTermWidget::setShellProgram(const QString &progname)
 {
     if (!m_impl->m_session)
diff --git a/lib/qtermwidget.h b/lib/qtermwidget.h
index ee2b760..eb586b0 100644
--- a/lib/qtermwidget.h
+++ b/lib/qtermwidget.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ public:
     // otherwise symbols' position could be incorrect
     void setTerminalFont(QFont & font);
 
+    void setTerminalOpacity(qreal level);
+
     //environment
     void setEnvironment(const QStringList & environment);