diff --git a/src/kedittoolbar.cpp b/src/kedittoolbar.cpp
--- a/src/kedittoolbar.cpp
+++ b/src/kedittoolbar.cpp
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@
 #include "../kxmlgui_version.h"
 
 static const char separatorstring[] = I18N_NOOP("--- separator ---");
+static const char spacerstring[] = I18N_NOOP("--- expanding spacer ---");
 
 #define SEPARATORSTRING i18n(separatorstring)
+#define SPACERSTRING i18n(spacerstring)
 
 //static const char *const s_XmlTypeToString[] = { "Shell", "Part", "Local", "Merged" };
 
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@
           m_internalName(name),
           m_statusText(statusText),
           m_isSeparator(false),
+          m_isSpacer(false),
           m_isTextAlongsideIconHidden(false)
     {
         // Drop between items, not onto items
@@ -208,6 +211,10 @@
     {
         m_isSeparator = sep;
     }
+    void setSpacer(bool spacer)
+    {
+        m_isSpacer = spacer;
+    }
     void setTextAlongsideIconHidden(bool hidden)
     {
         m_isTextAlongsideIconHidden = hidden;
@@ -228,6 +235,10 @@
     {
         return m_isSeparator;
     }
+    bool isSpacer() const
+    {
+        return m_isSpacer;
+    }
     bool isTextAlongsideIconHidden() const
     {
         return m_isTextAlongsideIconHidden;
@@ -243,6 +254,7 @@
     QString m_internalName;
     QString m_statusText;
     bool m_isSeparator;
+    bool m_isSpacer;
     bool m_isTextAlongsideIconHidden;
 };
 
@@ -252,6 +264,7 @@
     s << item.internalName();
     s << item.statusText();
     s << item.isSeparator();
+    s << item.isSpacer();
     s << item.isTextAlongsideIconHidden();
     return s;
 }
@@ -269,6 +282,9 @@
     bool sep;
     s >> sep;
     item.setSeparator(sep);
+    bool spacer;
+    s >> spacer;
+    item.setSpacer(spacer);
     bool hidden;
     s >> hidden;
     item.setTextAlongsideIconHidden(hidden);
@@ -1173,13 +1189,16 @@
 void KEditToolBarWidgetPrivate::loadActions(const QDomElement &elem)
 {
     const QLatin1String tagSeparator("Separator");
+    const QLatin1String tagSpacer("Spacer");
     const QLatin1String tagMerge("Merge");
     const QLatin1String tagActionList("ActionList");
     const QLatin1String tagAction("Action");
     const QLatin1String attrName("name");
 
     int     sep_num = 0;
     QString sep_name(QStringLiteral("separator_%1"));
+    int     spacer_num = 0;
+    QString spacer_name(QStringLiteral("spacer_%1"));
 
     // clear our lists
     m_inactiveList->clear();
@@ -1212,6 +1231,13 @@
             it.setAttribute(attrName, act->internalName());
             continue;
         }
+        if (it.tagName() == tagSpacer) {
+            ToolBarItem *act = new ToolBarItem(m_activeList, tagSpacer, spacer_name.arg(spacer_num++), QString());
+            act->setSpacer(true);
+            act->setText(SPACERSTRING);
+            it.setAttribute(attrName, act->internalName());
+            continue;
+        }
 
         if (it.tagName() == tagMerge) {
             // Merge can be named or not - use the name if there is one
@@ -1263,11 +1289,16 @@
 
     m_inactiveList->sortItems(Qt::AscendingOrder);
 
-    // finally, add default separators to the inactive list
-    ToolBarItem *act = new ToolBarItem(nullptr, tagSeparator, sep_name.arg(sep_num++), QString());
-    act->setSeparator(true);
-    act->setText(SEPARATORSTRING);
-    m_inactiveList->insertItem(0, act);
+    // finally, add default separators and spacers to the inactive list
+    ToolBarItem *sep = new ToolBarItem(nullptr, tagSeparator, sep_name.arg(sep_num++), QString());
+    sep->setSeparator(true);
+    sep->setText(SEPARATORSTRING);
+    m_inactiveList->insertItem(0, sep);
+    
+    ToolBarItem *spacer = new ToolBarItem(nullptr, tagSpacer, spacer_name.arg(spacer_num++), QString());
+    spacer->setSpacer(true);
+    spacer->setText(SPACERSTRING);
+    m_inactiveList->insertItem(1, spacer);
 }
 
 KActionCollection *KEditToolBarWidget::actionCollection() const
@@ -1400,9 +1431,11 @@
     }
 
     QDomElement new_item;
-    // let's handle the separator specially
+    // let's handle the separator and spacer specially
     if (item->isSeparator()) {
         new_item = m_widget->domDocument().createElement(QStringLiteral("Separator"));
+    } else if (item->isSpacer()) {
+        new_item = m_widget->domDocument().createElement(QStringLiteral("Spacer"));
     } else {
         new_item = m_widget->domDocument().createElement(QStringLiteral("Action"));
     }
diff --git a/src/kxmlgui.xsd b/src/kxmlgui.xsd
--- a/src/kxmlgui.xsd
+++ b/src/kxmlgui.xsd
@@ -80,6 +80,20 @@
         </xsd:complexType>
     </xsd:element>
 
+    <xsd:element name="Spacer">
+        <xsd:annotation>
+            <xsd:documentation>
+
+                Inserts a spacer item into a toolbar.
+
+            </xsd:documentation>
+        </xsd:annotation>
+        <xsd:complexType>
+            <xsd:attribute name="append" type="identifier"/>
+            <xsd:attribute name="group" type="identifier"/>
+        </xsd:complexType>
+    </xsd:element>
+
     <xsd:element name="Merge">
         <xsd:complexType>
             <xsd:attribute name="name" type="identifier" use="optional" />
@@ -335,6 +349,7 @@
                             <xsd:element ref="Action" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
                             <!-- Should 0 ActionS really be allowed? konqueror.rc does it.. -->
                             <xsd:element ref="Separator" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
+                            <xsd:element ref="Spacer" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
                             <xsd:element ref="ActionList" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
                             <xsd:element ref="Merge" minOccurs="0" />
                             <xsd:element ref="MergeLocal" minOccurs="0" />
diff --git a/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp b/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
--- a/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
+++ b/src/kxmlguibuilder.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     QString tagStatusBar;
 
     QString tagSeparator;
+    QString tagSpacer;
     QString tagTearOffHandle;
     QString tagMenuTitle;
 
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@
     d->tagStatusBar = QStringLiteral("statusbar");
 
     d->tagSeparator = QStringLiteral("separator");
+    d->tagSpacer = QStringLiteral("spacer");
     d->tagTearOffHandle = QStringLiteral("tearoffhandle");
     d->tagMenuTitle = QStringLiteral("title");
 
@@ -297,7 +299,7 @@
 QStringList KXMLGUIBuilder::customTags() const
 {
     QStringList res;
-    res << d->tagSeparator << d->tagTearOffHandle << d->tagMenuTitle;
+    res << d->tagSeparator << d->tagSpacer << d->tagTearOffHandle << d->tagMenuTitle;
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -343,6 +345,13 @@
 
             return bar->insertSeparator(before);
         }
+    } else if (tagName == d->tagSpacer) {
+        if (QToolBar *bar = qobject_cast<QToolBar *>(parent)) {
+            // Create the simple spacer widget
+            QWidget *spacer = new QWidget(parent);
+            spacer->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding, QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding);
+            return bar->insertWidget(before, spacer);
+        }
     } else if (tagName == d->tagTearOffHandle) {
         static_cast<QMenu *>(parent)->setTearOffEnabled(true);
     } else if (tagName == d->tagMenuTitle) {