diff --git a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/Task.qml b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
index 84e5a697..61c9c410 100644
--- a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
+++ b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/Task.qml
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ Item {
     //Workaround
     property bool active: model.IsActive
     onActiveChanged: {
+        //sometimes the task switcher window itself appears, screwing up the state
         if (model.IsActive) {
-            window.currentTaskIndex = index
+           // window.currentTaskIndex = index
         }
     }
 
@@ -88,8 +89,8 @@ Item {
             }
             width: parent.width
             height: parent.height
-            radius: units.gridUnit
-            opacity: 0.8 * (1-Math.abs(x)/width)
+            radius: units.smallSpacing
+            opacity: 0.9 * (1-Math.abs(x)/width)
             PlasmaCore.IconItem {
                 anchors.centerIn: parent
                 width: Math.min(parent.width, parent.height) / 2
diff --git a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/TaskSwitcher.qml b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/TaskSwitcher.qml
index ad172bd5..26eb0456 100644
--- a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/TaskSwitcher.qml
+++ b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/TaskSwitcher.qml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ FullScreenPanel {
     property int tasksCount: filteredWindowModel.count
     property int currentTaskIndex: -1
 
-    color: Qt.rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6 * Math.min(
+    color: Qt.rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8 * Math.min(
         (Math.min(tasksView.contentY + tasksView.height, tasksView.height) / tasksView.height),
         ((tasksView.contentHeight - tasksView.contentY - tasksView.headerItem.height - tasksView.footerItem.height)/tasksView.height)))
 
@@ -73,15 +73,12 @@ FullScreenPanel {
                 plasmoid.nativeInterface.windowModel.requestActivate(filteredWindowModel.mapRowToSource(i));
             } else if (i != id && !task.IsMinimized) {
                 plasmoid.nativeInterface.windowModel.requestToggleMinimized(filteredWindowModel.mapRowToSource(i));
-            } 
+            }
         }
-
         if (id >= 0) {
             plasmoid.nativeInterface.windowModel.requestActivate(filteredWindowModel.mapRowToSource(id));
-        } else {
-            plasmoid.nativeInterface.forgetActiveWindow();
+            currentTaskIndex = id;
         }
-        currentTaskIndex = id;
     }
 
     onOffsetChanged: tasksView.contentY = offset
@@ -207,8 +204,9 @@ FullScreenPanel {
         }
         iconSource: "go-home"
         onClicked: {
-            window.hide();
+            currentTaskIndex = -1;
             setSingleActiveWindow(-1);
+            window.hide();
         }
     }
     Component.onCompleted: plasmoid.nativeInterface.panel = window;
diff --git a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
index f493751f..ccbd3d1e 100644
--- a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -47,12 +47,22 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
         id: mainMouseArea
         anchors.fill: parent
         property int oldMouseY: 0
+        property int startMouseY: 0
+        property bool isDragging: false
         drag.filterChildren: true
-        onPressed: {
-            oldMouseY = mouse.y;
+        function managePressed(mouse) {
+            startMouseY = oldMouseY = mouse.y;
             taskSwitcher.offset = -taskSwitcher.height
         }
+        onPressed: managePressed();
         onPositionChanged: {
+            if (!isDragging && Math.abs(startMouseY - oldMouseY) < root.height) {
+                oldMouseY = mouse.y;
+                return;
+            } else {
+                isDragging = true;
+            }
+
             taskSwitcher.offset = taskSwitcher.offset - (mouse.y - oldMouseY);
             oldMouseY = mouse.y;
             if (taskSwitcher.visibility == Window.Hidden && taskSwitcher.offset > -taskSwitcher.height + units.gridUnit && taskSwitcher.tasksCount) {
@@ -61,10 +71,15 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
             taskSwitcher.setSingleActiveWindow(-1);
         }
         onReleased: {
+            if (!isDragging) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             if (taskSwitcher.visibility == Window.Hidden) {
                 return;
             }
             if (taskSwitcher.offset > -taskSwitcher.height/2) {
+                taskSwitcher.currentTaskIndex = -1
                 taskSwitcher.show();
             } else {
                 taskSwitcher.hide();
@@ -85,9 +100,13 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
                 anchors.left: parent.left
                 height: parent.height
                 width: parent.width/3
-                enabled: taskSwitcher.tasksCount > 0
+                enabled: taskSwitcher.tasksCount > 0 && plasmoid.nativeInterface.hasCloseableActiveWindow;
                 iconSource: "window-list"
-                onClicked: taskSwitcher.visible ? taskSwitcher.hide() : taskSwitcher.show();
+                onClicked: {
+                    taskSwitcher.currentTaskIndex = -1;
+                    taskSwitcher.visible ? taskSwitcher.hide() : taskSwitcher.show();
+                }
+                onPressed: mainMouseArea.managePressed(mouse);
                 onPositionChanged: mainMouseArea.positionChanged(mouse);
                 onReleased: mainMouseArea.released(mouse);
             }
@@ -98,11 +117,26 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
                 width: parent.width/3
                 anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter
                 iconSource: "go-home"
-                onClicked: {
-                    root.taskSwitcher.setSingleActiveWindow(-1);
+                enabled: taskSwitcher.tasksCount > 0
+                checkable: true
+                onCheckedChanged: {
+                    if (checked) {
+                        root.taskSwitcher.setSingleActiveWindow(-1);
+                    } else {
+                        root.taskSwitcher.setSingleActiveWindow(root.taskSwitcher.currentTaskIndex);
+                    }
                 }
+                onPressed: mainMouseArea.managePressed(mouse);
                 onPositionChanged: mainMouseArea.positionChanged(mouse);
                 onReleased: mainMouseArea.released(mouse);
+                Connections {
+                    target: root.taskSwitcher
+                    onCurrentTaskIndexChanged: {
+                        if (root.taskSwitcher.currentTaskIndex < 0) {
+                            showDesktopButton.checked = false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             Button {
@@ -112,6 +146,7 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
                 iconSource: "window-close"
                 enabled: plasmoid.nativeInterface.hasCloseableActiveWindow;
                 onClicked: plasmoid.nativeInterface.closeActiveWindow();
+                onPressed: mainMouseArea.managePressed(mouse);
                 onPositionChanged: mainMouseArea.positionChanged(mouse);
                 onReleased: mainMouseArea.released(mouse);
             }