diff --git a/src/KPropertyFactory.h b/src/KPropertyFactory.h
--- a/src/KPropertyFactory.h
+++ b/src/KPropertyFactory.h
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@
 
     KPropertyFactoryManager();
     ~KPropertyFactoryManager();
+
+    //! Adds function @a initFunction that will be called after the manager is created.
+    //! Useful for creation custom factories.
+    static void addInitFunction(void (*initFunction)());
+
 private:
 
     class Private;
diff --git a/src/KPropertyFactory.cpp b/src/KPropertyFactory.cpp
--- a/src/KPropertyFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/KPropertyFactory.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     QHash<int, KComposedPropertyCreatorInterface*> composedPropertyCreators;
 };
 
- Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(KPropertyFactoryManager, _self)
+Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(KPropertyFactoryManager, _self)
 
 //! @internal
 class KPropertyFactory::Private
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@
     QSet<KComposedPropertyCreatorInterface*> composedPropertyCreatorsSet;
 };
 
+typedef QList<void (*)()> InitFunctions;
+//! @internal Used by KPropertyFactoryManager::addInitFunction()
+Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(InitFunctions, _initFunctions)
+
 KPropertyFactory::KPropertyFactory()
     : d( new Private )
 {
@@ -89,8 +93,6 @@
         , d(new Private)
 {
     setObjectName(QLatin1String("KPropertyFactoryManager"));
-    //TODO ??? registerFactory(new KDefaultPropertyFactory);
-
 }
 
 KPropertyFactoryManager::~KPropertyFactoryManager()
@@ -100,6 +102,14 @@
 
 KPropertyFactoryManager* KPropertyFactoryManager::self()
 {
+    if (_self.exists()) { // avoid recursion: initFunctions below may call self()
+        return _self;
+    }
+    _self(); // KPropertyFactoryManager should exist as initFunctions may need it
+    foreach(void (*initFunction)(), *_initFunctions) {
+        initFunction();
+    }
+    _initFunctions->clear();
     return _self;
 }
 
@@ -121,6 +131,12 @@
     return creator ? creator->createComposedProperty(parent) : 0;
 }
 
+//static
+void KPropertyFactoryManager::addInitFunction(void (*initFunction)())
+{
+    _initFunctions->append(initFunction);
+}
+
 //! @todo
 #if 0
     const int type = parent->type();
diff --git a/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.h b/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.h
--- a/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.h
+++ b/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This file is part of the KDE project
-   Copyright (C) 2008 Jarosław Staniek <staniek@kde.org>
+   Copyright (C) 2008-2015 Jarosław Staniek <staniek@kde.org>
 
    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QVariant>
 #include <QHash>
-
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QPainter>
 #include <QStyleOptionViewItem>
@@ -179,9 +178,8 @@
 class KProperty;
 class KCustomProperty;
 
-class KPROPERTYWIDGETS_EXPORT KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager : public KPropertyFactoryManager
+class KPROPERTYWIDGETS_EXPORT KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager
 {
-    Q_OBJECT
 public:
     bool isEditorForTypeAvailable( int type ) const;
 
@@ -196,8 +194,6 @@
         const QStyleOptionViewItem & option,
         const QModelIndex & index ) const;
 
-    KComposedPropertyInterface* createComposedProperty(KProperty *parent);
-
     bool canConvertValueToText( int type ) const;
 
     bool canConvertValueToText( const KProperty* property ) const;
@@ -207,8 +203,6 @@
     //! Registers factory @a factory. It becomes owned by the manager.
     void registerFactory(KPropertyWidgetsFactory *factory);
 
-    KCustomProperty* createCustomProperty( KProperty *parent );
-
     /*! \return a pointer to a factory manager instance.*/
     static KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager* self();
 
diff --git a/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.cpp b/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.cpp
--- a/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/KPropertyWidgetsFactory.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This file is part of the KDE project
-   Copyright (C) 2008 Jarosław Staniek <staniek@kde.org>
+   Copyright (C) 2008-2015 Jarosław Staniek <staniek@kde.org>
 
    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
@@ -61,17 +61,26 @@
     }
     ~Private()
     {
-        qDeleteAll(factories);
     }
 
-    QSet<KPropertyFactory*> factories;
     QHash<int, KPropertyEditorCreatorInterface*> editorCreators;
     QHash<int, KPropertyValuePainterInterface*> valuePainters;
     QHash<int, KPropertyValueDisplayInterface*> valueDisplays;
-
 };
 
- Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager, _self)
+Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager, _self)
+
+//! @internal Make sure sure the KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager is created after
+//! KPropertyFactoryManager (delayed). Unless KPropertyFactoryManager is created,
+//! KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager isn't created.
+//! @todo is this worth putting in a reusable macro?
+struct KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManagerInitializer {
+    KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManagerInitializer() {
+        KPropertyFactoryManager::addInitFunction(&initMe);
+    }
+    static void initMe() { KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager::self(); }
+};
+KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManagerInitializer init;
 
 //! @internal
 class KPropertyWidgetsFactory::Private
@@ -94,7 +103,6 @@
     QSet<KPropertyEditorCreatorInterface*> editorCreatorsSet;
     QSet<KPropertyValuePainterInterface*> valuePaintersSet;
     QSet<KPropertyValueDisplayInterface*> valueDisplaysSet;
-
 };
 
 KPropertyWidgetsFactory::KPropertyWidgetsFactory()
@@ -215,10 +223,8 @@
 //------------
 
 KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager::KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager()
-        : KPropertyFactoryManager()
-        , d(new Private)
+        : d(new Private)
 {
-    setObjectName(QLatin1String("KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager"));
     registerFactory(new KDefaultPropertyFactory);
 }
 
@@ -234,7 +240,7 @@
 
 void KPropertyWidgetsFactoryManager::registerFactory(KPropertyWidgetsFactory *factory)
 {
-    d->factories.insert(factory);
+    KPropertyFactoryManager::self()->registerFactory(factory);
 
     QHash<int, KPropertyEditorCreatorInterface*>::ConstIterator editorCreatorsItEnd
         = factory->editorCreators().constEnd();