diff --git a/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.cc b/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.cc
index eac5aab..571cb77 100644
--- a/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.cc
+++ b/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.cc
@@ -338,6 +338,67 @@ void KisPropertiesConfiguration::setPrefixedProperties(const QString &prefix, co
     setPrefixedProperties(prefix, config.data());
 }
 
+QString KisPropertiesConfiguration::escapeString(const QString &string)
+{
+    QString result = string;
+    result.replace(";", "\\;");
+    result.replace("]", "\\]");
+    result.replace(">", "\\>");
+    return result;
+}
+
+QString KisPropertiesConfiguration::unescapeString(const QString &string)
+{
+    QString result = string;
+    result.replace("\\;", ";");
+    result.replace("\\]", "]");
+    result.replace("\\>", ">");
+    return result;
+}
+
+void KisPropertiesConfiguration::setProperty(const QString &name, const QStringList &value)
+{
+    QStringList escapedList;
+    escapedList.reserve(value.size());
+
+    Q_FOREACH (const QString &str, value) {
+        escapedList << escapeString(str);
+    }
+
+    setProperty(name, escapedList.join(';'));
+}
+
+QStringList KisPropertiesConfiguration::getStringList(const QString &name, const QStringList &defaultValue)
+{
+    if (!hasProperty(name)) return defaultValue;
+
+    const QString joined = getString(name);
+
+    QStringList result;
+
+    int afterLastMatch = -1;
+    for (int i = 0; i < joined.size(); i++) {
+        const bool lastChunk = i == joined.size() - 1;
+        const bool matchedSplitter = joined[i] == ';' && (i == 0 || joined[i - 1] != '\\');
+
+        if (lastChunk || matchedSplitter) {
+            result << unescapeString(joined.mid(afterLastMatch, i - afterLastMatch + int(lastChunk && !matchedSplitter)));
+            afterLastMatch = i + 1;
+        }
+
+        if (lastChunk && matchedSplitter) {
+            result << QString();
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+QStringList KisPropertiesConfiguration::getPropertyLazy(const QString &name, const QStringList &defaultValue)
+{
+    return getStringList(name, defaultValue);
+}
+
 // --- factory ---
 
 struct Q_DECL_HIDDEN KisPropertiesConfigurationFactory::Private {
diff --git a/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.h b/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.h
index 0c7be15..9650108 100644
--- a/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.h
+++ b/libs/image/kis_properties_configuration.h
@@ -171,6 +171,13 @@ public:
      */
     void setPrefixedProperties(const QString &prefix, const KisPropertiesConfigurationSP config);
 
+    static QString escapeString(const QString &string);
+    static QString unescapeString(const QString &string);
+
+    void setProperty(const QString &name, const QStringList &value);
+    QStringList getStringList(const QString &name, const QStringList &defaultValue = QStringList());
+    QStringList getPropertyLazy(const QString &name, const QStringList &defaultValue);
+
 public:
 
     void dump() const;
diff --git a/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.cpp b/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.cpp
index 7a42fda..f59eb37 100644
--- a/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.cpp
+++ b/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.cpp
@@ -121,5 +121,56 @@ void KisPropertiesConfigurationTest::testCopy()
     QCOMPARE(p2.getBool("testBool2", true), false);
 }
 
+void roundTripStringList(const QStringList &refList)
+{
+    KisPropertiesConfiguration config1;
+    config1.setProperty("testProp", refList);
+
+    const QString xmlData = config1.toXML();
+
+    KisPropertiesConfiguration config2;
+    config2.fromXML(xmlData);
+
+    const QStringList results = config2.getStringList("testProp");
+
+    QCOMPARE(results, refList);
+}
+
+void KisPropertiesConfigurationTest::testLists()
+{
+    const QString str1("str1 str2\\ str3/ str4; str5% str6& str7;; str8\\; str9]]> str10");
+    const QString str2("str1 str2\\ str3/ str4; str5% str6& str7;; str8\\; str9]]> str10;");
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({str1, str1});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({str2, str2});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({"", str2, str2});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({str2, str2, ""});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({str2, str2, ";"});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const QStringList refList({";", str2, str2});
+        roundTripStringList(refList);
+    }
+}
+
 QTEST_MAIN(KisPropertiesConfigurationTest)
 
diff --git a/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.h b/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.h
index 7528c8c..1802e55 100644
--- a/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.h
+++ b/libs/image/tests/kis_properties_configuration_test.h
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
     void testDefaultValues();
     void testNotSavedValues();
     void testCopy();
+
+    void testLists();
+
 private:
     KisPropertiesConfigurationSP createConfig();
     void testConfig(KisPropertiesConfigurationSP config);