diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -140,10 +140,10 @@
 
 plasma_install_package(desktoppackage org.kde.plasma.desktop shells shell)
 
-plasma_install_package(layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.defaultPanel org.kde.plasma.desktop.defaultPanel layout-templates layout-template)
-
 add_definitions(-DQT_NO_URL_CAST_FROM_STRING)
 
+add_subdirectory(layout-templates)
+
 add_subdirectory(doc)
 add_subdirectory(runners)
 add_subdirectory(containments)
diff --git a/layout-templates/CMakeLists.txt b/layout-templates/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layout-templates/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+plasma_install_package(org.kde.plasma.desktop.defaultPanel org.kde.plasma.desktop.defaultPanel layout-templates layout-template)
+plasma_install_package(org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel layout-templates layout-template)
diff --git a/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/contents/layout.js b/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/contents/layout.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/contents/layout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+var panel = new Panel
+var panelScreen = panel.screen
+var freeEdges = {"bottom": true, "top": true, "left": true, "right": true}
+
+for (i = 0; i < panelIds.length; ++i) {
+    var tmpPanel = panelById(panelIds[i])
+    if (tmpPanel.screen == panelScreen) {
+        // Ignore the new panel
+        if (tmpPanel.id != panel.id) {
+            freeEdges[tmpPanel.location] = false;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+if (freeEdges["bottom"] == true) {
+    panel.location = "bottom";
+} else if (freeEdges["top"] == true) {
+    panel.location = "top";
+} else if (freeEdges["left"] == true) {
+    panel.location = "left";
+} else if (freeEdges["right"] == true) {
+    panel.location = "right";
+} else {
+    // There is no free edge, so leave the default value
+    panel.location = "top";
+}
+
+panel.height = gridUnit * 2
diff --git a/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/metadata.desktop b/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/metadata.desktop
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layout-templates/org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel/metadata.desktop
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[Desktop Entry]
+Encoding=UTF-8
+Name=Empty Panel
+Type=Service
+ServiceTypes=Plasma/LayoutTemplate
+X-Plasma-Shell=plasmashell
+X-Plasma-ContainmentCategories=panel
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Author=David Edmundson
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Email=davidedmundson@kde.org
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name=org.kde.plasma.desktop.emptyPanel
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Version=1.0
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Website=http://plasma.kde.org/
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Category=
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-Depends=
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-License=GPL
+X-KDE-PluginInfo-EnabledByDefault=true