diff --git a/src/branding/default/branding.desc b/src/branding/default/branding.desc
index c3c0796cd..e7b9d9898 100644
--- a/src/branding/default/branding.desc
+++ b/src/branding/default/branding.desc
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ windowPlacement: center
 #  - "widget" or unset, use traditional sidebar (logo, items)
 #  - "none", hide it entirely
 #  - "qml", use sidebar.qml from branding folder
-sidebar: none
+sidebar: widget
 
 # These are strings shown to the user in the user interface.
 # There is no provision for translating them -- since they
diff --git a/src/calamares/CMakeLists.txt b/src/calamares/CMakeLists.txt
index 78245f614..81fd0d132 100644
--- a/src/calamares/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/calamares/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,22 +11,19 @@ set( calamaresSources
 )
 
 include_directories(
-    .
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/../libcalamares
-
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/libcalamares
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src//libcalamaresui
-    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/libcalamaresui
+    ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src/libcalamares
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
 )
 
 # Translations
 include( CalamaresAddTranslations )
 add_calamares_translations( ${CALAMARES_TRANSLATION_LANGUAGES} )
+qt5_add_resources( calamaresRc calamares.qrc )
 
-set( final_src ${calamaresSources} ${calamaresRc} ${trans_outfile} )
-
-add_executable( calamares_bin ${final_src} )
+add_executable( calamares_bin ${calamaresSources} ${calamaresRc} ${trans_outfile} )
+target_include_directories( calamares_bin PRIVATE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR} )
 set_target_properties(calamares_bin
     PROPERTIES
         ENABLE_EXPORTS TRUE
@@ -37,7 +34,7 @@ calamares_autouic( calamares_bin )
 
 target_link_libraries( calamares_bin
     PRIVATE
-        ${CALAMARES_LIBRARIES}
+        calamares
         calamaresui
         Qt5::Core
         Qt5::Widgets
@@ -63,6 +60,6 @@ install( FILES ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data/images/squid.svg
 
 if( BUILD_TESTING )
     add_executable( loadmodule testmain.cpp )
-    target_link_libraries( loadmodule ${CALAMARES_LIBRARIES} Qt5::Core Qt5::Widgets calamaresui )
+    target_link_libraries( loadmodule PRIVATE Qt5::Core Qt5::Widgets calamares calamaresui )
     # Don't install, it's just for enable_testing
 endif()
diff --git a/src/calamares/CalamaresWindow.cpp b/src/calamares/CalamaresWindow.cpp
index 33bf66373..71e82cb90 100644
--- a/src/calamares/CalamaresWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/calamares/CalamaresWindow.cpp
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ CalamaresWindow::getQmlSidebar( int desiredWidth )
 {
     CalamaresUtils::registerCalamaresModels();
     QQuickWidget* w = new QQuickWidget( this );
-    w->setSource( QUrl( ":/sidebar.qml" ) );
+    w->setSource( QUrl(
+        CalamaresUtils::searchQmlFile( CalamaresUtils::QmlSearch::Both, QStringLiteral( "calamares-sidebar" ) ) ) );
     return w;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/calamares/calamares-sidebar.qml b/src/calamares/calamares-sidebar.qml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a486bdb17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calamares/calamares-sidebar.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import QtQuick 2.3
+import io.calamares.ui 1.0
+import io.calamares.core 1.0
+
+Column {
+
+Rectangle {
+    id: hello
+    width: 200
+    height: 100
+    color: "red"
+
+    Text {
+        anchors.centerIn: parent
+        text: Branding.string(Branding.VersionedName)
+    }
+}
+
+/* perhaps we could show a branding image here */
+
+Repeater {
+    model: ViewManager
+    Rectangle {
+        width: 200
+        height: 75
+        color: "black"
+
+        Text {
+            color: completed ? "green" : "yellow"
+            text: display
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/calamares/calamares.qrc b/src/calamares/calamares.qrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdcd5e05d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calamares/calamares.qrc
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<!DOCTYPE RCC><RCC version="1.0">
+<qresource>
+  <file alias="calamares-sidebar.qml">calamares-sidebar.qml</file>
+</qresource>
+</RCC>
diff --git a/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.cpp b/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.cpp
index 5dca2fba1..0b2c84616 100644
--- a/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.cpp
+++ b/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.cpp
@@ -52,30 +52,48 @@ callQMLFunction( QQuickItem* qmlObject, const char* method )
     }
 }
 
-
-QString
-searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& configuredName, const Calamares::ModuleSystem::InstanceKey& i )
+/** @brief Appends to @p candidates suitable expansions of @p names
+ *
+ * Depending on @p method, adds search expansions for branding, or QRC,
+ * or both (with branding having precedence).
+ */
+static void
+addExpansions( QmlSearch method, QStringList& candidates, const QStringList& names )
 {
     QString bPath( QStringLiteral( "%1/%2.qml" ) );
     QString qrPath( QStringLiteral( ":/%1.qml" ) );
 
-    cDebug() << "Looking for QML for" << i.toString();
+    if ( ( method == QmlSearch::Both ) || ( method == QmlSearch::BrandingOnly ) )
+    {
+        QString brandDir = Calamares::Branding::instance()->componentDirectory();
+        std::transform( names.constBegin(),
+                        names.constEnd(),
+                        std::back_inserter( candidates ),
+                        [&]( const QString& s ) { return s.isEmpty() ? QString() : bPath.arg( brandDir, s ); } );
+    }
+    if ( ( method == QmlSearch::Both ) || ( method == QmlSearch::QrcOnly ) )
+    {
+        std::transform( names.constBegin(),
+                        names.constEnd(),
+                        std::back_inserter( candidates ),
+                        [&]( const QString& s ) { return s.isEmpty() ? QString() : qrPath.arg( s ); } );
+    }
+}
+
+/** @brief Does actual search and returns result.
+ *
+ * Empty items in @p candidates are ignored.
+ */
+static QString
+searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& configuredName, const QStringList& hints )
+{
     QStringList candidates;
     if ( configuredName.startsWith( '/' ) )
     {
         candidates << configuredName;
     }
-    if ( ( method == QmlSearch::Both ) || ( method == QmlSearch::BrandingOnly ) )
-    {
-        QString brandDir = Calamares::Branding::instance()->componentDirectory();
-        candidates << ( configuredName.isEmpty() ? QString() : bPath.arg( brandDir, configuredName ) )
-                   << bPath.arg( brandDir, i.toString() ) << bPath.arg( brandDir, i.module() );
-    }
-    if ( ( method == QmlSearch::Both ) || ( method == QmlSearch::QrcOnly ) )
-    {
-        candidates << ( configuredName.isEmpty() ? QString() : qrPath.arg( configuredName ) )
-                   << qrPath.arg( i.toString() ) << qrPath.arg( i.module() );
-    }
+    addExpansions( method, candidates, hints );
+
     for ( const QString& candidate : candidates )
     {
         if ( candidate.isEmpty() )
@@ -98,6 +116,20 @@ searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& configuredName, const Calamares:
     return QString();
 }
 
+QString
+searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& configuredName, const Calamares::ModuleSystem::InstanceKey& i )
+{
+    cDebug() << "Looking for QML for" << i.toString();
+    return searchQmlFile( method, configuredName, { configuredName, i.toString(), i.module() } );
+}
+
+QString
+searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& configuredName )
+{
+    cDebug() << "Looking for QML for" << configuredName;
+    return searchQmlFile( method, configuredName, { configuredName } );
+}
+
 const NamedEnumTable< QmlSearch >&
 qmlSearchNames()
 {
diff --git a/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.h b/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.h
index f859add21..f4c722fba 100644
--- a/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.h
+++ b/src/libcalamaresui/utils/Qml.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ UIDLLEXPORT const NamedEnumTable< QmlSearch >& qmlSearchNames();
 UIDLLEXPORT QString searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method,
                                    const QString& configuredName,
                                    const Calamares::ModuleSystem::InstanceKey& i );
+UIDLLEXPORT QString searchQmlFile( QmlSearch method, const QString& fileNameNoSuffix );
 
 }  // namespace CalamaresUtils