diff --git a/src/gsiqt/gsiQt.cc b/src/gsiqt/gsiQt.cc
index ec84ffde5..f384d4580 100644
--- a/src/gsiqt/gsiQt.cc
+++ b/src/gsiqt/gsiQt.cc
@@ -117,39 +117,6 @@ AbstractMethodCalledException::AbstractMethodCalledException (const char *method
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
 
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-//  QtNativeClass implementation
-
-namespace
-{
-  /**
-   *  @brief A tiny watcher object linking QObject and gsi::ObjectBase
-   *  This object is hooked into the watched object's child list to watch it's lifetime.
-   */
-  class QtWatcherObject
-    : public QObject, public gsi::ObjectBase
-  {
-  public:
-    QtWatcherObject (QObject *parent)
-      : QObject (parent), gsi::ObjectBase ()
-    {
-      //  .. nothing yet ..
-    }
-  };
-}
-
-/**
- *  @brief Attaches a watcher object to a native QObject
- */
-gsi::ObjectBase *get_watcher_object (QObject *qobject, bool required)
-{
-  QtWatcherObject *watcher = qobject->findChild<QtWatcherObject *> ();
-  if (! watcher && required) {
-    watcher = new QtWatcherObject (qobject);
-  }
-  return watcher;
-}
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //  QtObjectBase implementation
 
diff --git a/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.cc b/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24fa8977f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+
+/*
+
+  KLayout Layout Viewer
+  Copyright (C) 2006-2017 Matthias Koefferlein
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+  (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+
+*/
+
+#include "gsiQtHelper.h"
+
+namespace qt_gsi
+{
+
+/**
+ *  @brief Attaches a watcher object to a native QObject
+ */
+gsi::ObjectBase *get_watcher_object (QObject *qobject, bool required)
+{
+  QtWatcherObject *watcher = qobject->findChild<QtWatcherObject *> ();
+  if (! watcher && required) {
+    watcher = new QtWatcherObject (qobject);
+  }
+  return watcher;
+}
+
+}
+
diff --git a/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.h b/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9dab7ed55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gsiqt/gsiQtHelper.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+
+  KLayout Layout Viewer
+  Copyright (C) 2006-2017 Matthias Koefferlein
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+  (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+
+*/
+
+
+#if !defined(HDR_gsiQtHelper_h)
+# define HDR_gsiQtHelper_h
+
+#include "gsiDecl.h"
+
+#include <QObject>
+
+namespace qt_gsi
+{
+
+gsi::ObjectBase *get_watcher_object (QObject *qobject, bool required);
+
+/**
+ *  @brief A tiny watcher object linking QObject and gsi::ObjectBase
+ *  This object is hooked into the watched object's child list to watch it's lifetime.
+ */
+class QtWatcherObject
+  : public QObject, public gsi::ObjectBase
+{
+Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+  QtWatcherObject (QObject *parent)
+    : QObject (parent), gsi::ObjectBase ()
+  {
+    //  .. nothing yet ..
+  }
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/gsiqt/gsiqt.pro b/src/gsiqt/gsiqt.pro
index c1fc345ef..4c6e1857a 100644
--- a/src/gsiqt/gsiqt.pro
+++ b/src/gsiqt/gsiqt.pro
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ TEMPLATE = lib
 SOURCES += \
   gsiQt.cc \
   gsiDeclQtBasic.cc \
+    gsiQtHelper.cc
 
 HEADERS += \
   gsiQt.h \
-    gsiQtCommon.h
+    gsiQtCommon.h \
+    gsiQtHelper.h
 
 # NOTE: db is required since some bridges to db are provided (i.e db::Polygon)
 INCLUDEPATH += ../tl ../gsi ../db