diff --git a/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.cpp b/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.cpp
index 40e621ae8..45baa2f59 100644
--- a/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.cpp
+++ b/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ ViewManager::ViewManager( QObject* parent )
     : QAbstractListModel( parent )
     , m_currentStep( -1 )
     , m_widget( new QWidget() )
+    , m_panelSides( Qt::Horizontal | Qt::Vertical )
 {
     Q_ASSERT( !s_instance );
 
diff --git a/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.h b/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.h
index 73d1a0121..0fb1cbb45 100644
--- a/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.h
+++ b/src/libcalamaresui/ViewManager.h
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ class UIDLLEXPORT ViewManager : public QAbstractListModel
 
     Q_PROPERTY( bool quitVisible READ quitVisible NOTIFY quitVisibleChanged FINAL )
 
+    ///@brief Sides on which the ViewManager has side-panels
+    Q_PROPERTY( Qt::Orientations panelSides MEMBER m_panelSides )
+
 public:
     /**
      * @brief instance access to the ViewManager singleton.
@@ -245,6 +248,8 @@ private:
     QString m_quitTooltip;
     bool m_quitVisible = true;
 
+    Qt::Orientations m_panelSides;
+
 public:
     /** @section Model
      *