diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/locator/locatorwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/locator/locatorwidget.cpp
index 0cd6a94237d..93d02df0153 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/locator/locatorwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/locator/locatorwidget.cpp
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ LocatorWidget::LocatorWidget(Locator *qop) :
     setFocusProxy(m_fileLineEdit);
     setWindowTitle(tr("Locate..."));
     resize(200, 90);
-    QSizePolicy sizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Fixed, QSizePolicy::Preferred);
+    QSizePolicy sizePolicy(QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding, QSizePolicy::Preferred);
     sizePolicy.setHorizontalStretch(0);
     sizePolicy.setVerticalStretch(0);
     setSizePolicy(sizePolicy);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
index eb4cb803c59..ea57d05b472 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1263,6 +1263,7 @@ void MainWindow::restoreWindowState()
     restoreState(settings->value(QLatin1String(windowStateKey)).toByteArray());
     settings->endGroup();
     show();
+    m_statusBarManager->restoreSettings();
 }
 
 } // namespace Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.cpp
index b2769c3782c..188776b51ea 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.cpp
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ namespace Internal {
 class MiniSplitterHandle : public QSplitterHandle
 {
 public:
-    MiniSplitterHandle(Qt::Orientation orientation, QSplitter *parent)
-            : QSplitterHandle(orientation, parent)
+    MiniSplitterHandle(Qt::Orientation orientation, QSplitter *parent, bool lightColored = false)
+            : QSplitterHandle(orientation, parent),
+              m_lightColored(lightColored)
     {
         setMask(QRegion(contentsRect()));
         setAttribute(Qt::WA_MouseNoMask, true);
@@ -50,6 +51,9 @@ public:
 protected:
     void resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *event);
     void paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event);
+
+private:
+    bool m_lightColored;
 };
 
 } // namespace Internal
@@ -71,24 +75,26 @@ void MiniSplitterHandle::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *event)
 void MiniSplitterHandle::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event)
 {
     QPainter painter(this);
-    painter.fillRect(event->rect(), Utils::StyleHelper::borderColor());
+    painter.fillRect(event->rect(), Utils::StyleHelper::borderColor(m_lightColored));
 }
 
 QSplitterHandle *MiniSplitter::createHandle()
 {
-    return new MiniSplitterHandle(orientation(), this);
+    return new MiniSplitterHandle(orientation(), this, m_style == Light);
 }
 
-MiniSplitter::MiniSplitter(QWidget *parent)
-    : QSplitter(parent)
+MiniSplitter::MiniSplitter(QWidget *parent, SplitterStyle style)
+    : QSplitter(parent),
+      m_style(style)
 {
     setHandleWidth(1);
     setChildrenCollapsible(false);
     setProperty("minisplitter", true);
 }
 
-MiniSplitter::MiniSplitter(Qt::Orientation orientation)
-    : QSplitter(orientation)
+MiniSplitter::MiniSplitter(Qt::Orientation orientation, SplitterStyle style)
+    : QSplitter(orientation),
+      m_style(style)
 {
     setHandleWidth(1);
     setChildrenCollapsible(false);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.h
index a021cada880..741174bafbe 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/minisplitter.h
@@ -44,11 +44,16 @@ namespace Core {
 class CORE_EXPORT MiniSplitter : public QSplitter
 {
 public:
-    MiniSplitter(QWidget *parent = 0);
-    MiniSplitter(Qt::Orientation orientation);
+    enum SplitterStyle {Dark, Light};
+
+    MiniSplitter(QWidget *parent = 0, SplitterStyle style = Dark);
+    MiniSplitter(Qt::Orientation orientation, SplitterStyle style = Dark);
 
 protected:
     QSplitterHandle *createHandle();
+
+private:
+    SplitterStyle m_style;
 };
 
 } // namespace Core
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.cpp
index 8d686b7bf19..797580d7a9a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.cpp
@@ -36,8 +36,13 @@
 
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
 #include <QLabel>
+#include <QResizeEvent>
+#include <QSplitter>
 #include <QStatusBar>
 
+static const char kSettingsGroup[] = "StatusBar";
+static const char kLeftSplitWidthKey[] = "LeftSplitWidth";
+
 using namespace Core;
 using namespace Core::Internal;
 
@@ -55,16 +60,31 @@ StatusBarManager::StatusBarManager(MainWindow *mainWnd)
     m_mainWnd(mainWnd)
 {
     QStatusBar *bar = m_mainWnd->statusBar();
-    for (int i = 0; i <= StatusBarWidget::LastLeftAligned; ++i) {
-        QWidget *w = createWidget(bar);
-        bar->insertPermanentWidget(i, w);
-        m_statusBarWidgets.append(w);
-    }
-    m_mainWnd->statusBar()->insertPermanentWidget(StatusBarWidget::LastLeftAligned + 1,
-                                                  new QLabel(), 1);
+    m_splitter = new NonResizingSplitter(bar);
+    bar->insertPermanentWidget(0, m_splitter, 10);
+    m_splitter->setChildrenCollapsible(false);
+    // first
+    QWidget *w = createWidget(m_splitter);
+    w->layout()->setContentsMargins(0, 0, 3, 0);
+    m_splitter->addWidget(w);
+    m_statusBarWidgets.append(w);
+
+    QWidget *w2 = createWidget(m_splitter);
+    w2->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Ignored, QSizePolicy::Fixed);
+    m_splitter->addWidget(w2);
+    // second
+    w = createWidget(w2);
+    w2->layout()->addWidget(w);
+    m_statusBarWidgets.append(w);
+    // third
+    w = createWidget(w2);
+    w2->layout()->addWidget(w);
+    m_statusBarWidgets.append(w);
+
+    static_cast<QBoxLayout *>(w2->layout())->addStretch(1);
+
     QWidget *rightCornerWidget = createWidget(bar);
-    m_mainWnd->statusBar()->insertPermanentWidget(StatusBarWidget::LastLeftAligned + 2,
-                                                  rightCornerWidget);
+    bar->insertPermanentWidget(1, rightCornerWidget);
     m_statusBarWidgets.append(rightCornerWidget);
 }
 
@@ -78,6 +98,7 @@ void StatusBarManager::init()
             this, SLOT(objectAdded(QObject*)));
     connect(ExtensionSystem::PluginManager::instance(), SIGNAL(aboutToRemoveObject(QObject*)),
             this, SLOT(aboutToRemoveObject(QObject*)));
+    connect(ICore::instance(), SIGNAL(saveSettingsRequested()), this, SLOT(saveSettings()));
 }
 
 void StatusBarManager::objectAdded(QObject *obj)
@@ -101,6 +122,44 @@ void StatusBarManager::aboutToRemoveObject(QObject *obj)
     m_mainWnd->removeContextObject(view);
 }
 
+void StatusBarManager::saveSettings()
+{
+    QSettings *s = ICore::settings();
+    s->beginGroup(QLatin1String(kSettingsGroup));
+    s->setValue(QLatin1String(kLeftSplitWidthKey), m_splitter->sizes().at(0));
+    s->endGroup();
+}
+
 void StatusBarManager::extensionsInitalized()
 {
 }
+
+void StatusBarManager::restoreSettings()
+{
+    QSettings *s = ICore::settings();
+    s->beginGroup(QLatin1String(kSettingsGroup));
+    int leftSplitWidth = s->value(QLatin1String(kLeftSplitWidthKey), -1).toInt();
+    s->endGroup();
+    if (leftSplitWidth < 0) {
+        // size first split after its sizeHint + a bit of buffer
+        leftSplitWidth = m_splitter->widget(0)->sizeHint().width();
+    }
+    int sum = 0;
+    foreach (int w, m_splitter->sizes())
+        sum += w;
+    m_splitter->setSizes(QList<int>() << leftSplitWidth << (sum - leftSplitWidth));
+}
+
+NonResizingSplitter::NonResizingSplitter(QWidget *parent)
+    : MiniSplitter(parent, Light)
+{
+}
+
+void NonResizingSplitter::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *ev)
+{
+    // bypass QSplitter magic
+    int leftSplitWidth = qMin(sizes().at(0), ev->size().width());
+    int rightSplitWidth = qMax(0, ev->size().width() - leftSplitWidth);
+    setSizes(QList<int>() << leftSplitWidth << rightSplitWidth);
+    return QWidget::resizeEvent(ev);
+}
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.h
index 4c24b902c8c..38f0899638f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/statusbarmanager.h
@@ -30,16 +30,31 @@
 #ifndef STATUSBARMANAGER_H
 #define STATUSBARMANAGER_H
 
-#include <QObject>
-#include <QList>
+#include "minisplitter.h"
 
-QT_FORWARD_DECLARE_CLASS(QWidget)
+#include <QList>
+#include <QObject>
+
+QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
+class QWidget;
+QT_END_NAMESPACE
 
 namespace Core {
 namespace Internal {
 
 class MainWindow;
 
+class NonResizingSplitter : public MiniSplitter
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+    explicit NonResizingSplitter(QWidget *parent);
+
+protected:
+    void resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *ev);
+};
+
 class StatusBarManager : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -50,13 +65,16 @@ public:
 
     void init();
     void extensionsInitalized();
+    void restoreSettings();
 
 private slots:
     void objectAdded(QObject *obj);
     void aboutToRemoveObject(QObject *obj);
+    void saveSettings();
 
 private:
     MainWindow *m_mainWnd;
+    QSplitter *m_splitter;
     QList<QWidget *> m_statusBarWidgets;
 };