diff --git a/lib/gears/init.lua b/lib/gears/init.lua
index 696bed7b..3289483a 100644
--- a/lib/gears/init.lua
+++ b/lib/gears/init.lua
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ return
     wallpaper = require("gears.wallpaper");
     timer = require("gears.timer");
     cache = require("gears.cache");
+    matrix = require("gears.matrix");
 }
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/matrix.lua b/lib/gears/matrix.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8ea2860
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/gears/matrix.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- @author Uli Schlachter
+-- @copyright 2015 Uli Schlachter
+-- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
+-- @module gears.matrix
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
+local debug = require("gears.debug")
+local matrix = {}
+
+--- Copy a cairo matrix
+-- @param matrix The matrix to copy.
+-- @return A copy of the given cairo matrix.
+function matrix.copy(matrix)
+    debug.assert(cairo.Matrix:is_type_of(matrix), "Argument should be a cairo matrix")
+    local ret = cairo.Matrix()
+    ret:init(matrix.xx, matrix.yx, matrix.xy, matrix.yy, matrix.x0, matrix.y0)
+    return ret
+end
+
+--- Check if two cairo matrices are equal
+-- @param m1 The first matrix to compare with.
+-- @param m2 The second matrix to compare with.
+-- @return True if they are equal.
+function matrix.equals(m1, m2)
+    for _, k in pairs{ "xx", "xy", "yx", "yy", "x0", "y0" } do
+        if m1[k] ~= m2[k] then
+            return false
+        end
+    end
+    return true
+end
+
+--- Calculate a bounding rectangle for transforming a rectangle by a matrix.
+-- @param matrix The cairo matrix that describes the transformation.
+-- @param x The x coordinate of the rectangle.
+-- @param y The y coordinate of the rectangle.
+-- @param width The width of the rectangle.
+-- @param height The height of the rectangle.
+-- @return The x, y, width and height of the bounding rectangle.
+function matrix.transform_rectangle(matrix, x, y, width, height)
+    -- Transform all four corners of the rectangle
+    local x1, y1 = matrix:transform_point(x, y)
+    local x2, y2 = matrix:transform_point(x, y + height)
+    local x3, y3 = matrix:transform_point(x + width, y + height)
+    local x4, y4 = matrix:transform_point(x + width, y)
+    -- Find the extremal points of the result
+    local x = math.min(x1, x2, x3, x4)
+    local y = math.min(y1, y2, y3, y4)
+    local width = math.max(x1, x2, x3, x4) - x
+    local height = math.max(y1, y2, y3, y4) - y
+
+    return x, y, width, height
+end
+
+return matrix
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/spec/gears/matrix_spec.lua b/spec/gears/matrix_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f9ef7a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/gears/matrix_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- @author Uli Schlachter
+-- @copyright 2015 Uli Schlachter
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+local matrix = require("gears.matrix")
+local cairo = require("lgi").cairo
+
+describe("gears.matrix", function()
+    describe("copy", function()
+        it("Test copy", function()
+            local m1 = cairo.Matrix()
+            m1:init(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
+            local m2 = matrix.copy(m1)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.xx, m2.xx)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.xy, m2.xy)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.yx, m2.yx)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.yy, m2.yy)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.x0, m2.x0)
+            assert.is.equal(m1.y0, m2.y0)
+
+            m1.x0 = 42
+            assert.is_not.equal(m1.x0, m2.x0)
+        end)
+    end)
+
+    describe("equals", function()
+        it("Same matrix", function()
+            local m = cairo.Matrix.create_rotate(1)
+            assert.is_true(matrix.equals(m, m))
+        end)
+
+        it("Different matrix equals", function()
+            local m1 = cairo.Matrix.create_rotate(1)
+            local m2 = cairo.Matrix.create_rotate(1)
+            assert.is_true(matrix.equals(m1, m2))
+        end)
+
+        it("Different matrix unequal", function()
+            local m1 = cairo.Matrix()
+            local m2 = cairo.Matrix()
+            m1:init(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
+            m2:init(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0)
+            assert.is_false(matrix.equals(m1, m2))
+        end)
+    end)
+
+    describe("transform_rectangle", function()
+        local function round(n)
+            return math.floor(n + 0.5)
+        end
+        local function test(m, x, y, width, height,
+            expected_x, expected_y, expected_width, expected_height)
+            local actual_x, actual_y, actual_width, actual_height =
+                matrix.transform_rectangle(m, x, y, width, height)
+            assert.is.equal(round(actual_x), expected_x)
+            assert.is.equal(round(actual_y), expected_y)
+            assert.is.equal(round(actual_width), expected_width)
+            assert.is.equal(round(actual_height), expected_height)
+            -- Stupid rounding issues...
+            assert.is_true(math.abs(round(actual_x) - actual_x) < 0.00000001)
+            assert.is_true(math.abs(round(actual_y) - actual_y) < 0.00000001)
+            assert.is_true(math.abs(round(actual_width) - actual_width) < 0.00000001)
+            assert.is_true(math.abs(round(actual_height) - actual_height) < 0.00000001)
+        end
+        it("Identity matrix", function()
+            test(cairo.Matrix.create_identity(), 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4)
+        end)
+
+        it("Rotate 180", function()
+            test(cairo.Matrix.create_rotate(math.pi),
+                1, 2, 3, 4, -4, -6, 3, 4)
+        end)
+
+        it("Rotate 90", function()
+            test(cairo.Matrix.create_rotate(math.pi / 2),
+                1, 2, 3, 4, -6, 1, 4, 3)
+        end)
+    end)
+end)
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80