diff --git a/lib/gears/init.lua b/lib/gears/init.lua
index 3289483ac..fab5d1f52 100644
--- a/lib/gears/init.lua
+++ b/lib/gears/init.lua
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ return
     timer = require("gears.timer");
     cache = require("gears.cache");
     matrix = require("gears.matrix");
+    shape = require("gears.shape");
 }
 
 -- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80
diff --git a/lib/gears/shape.lua b/lib/gears/shape.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd7594250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/gears/shape.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+--- Module dedicated to gather common shape painters.
+--
+-- It add the concept of "shape" to Awesome. A shape can be applied to a
+-- background, a margin, a mask or a drawable shape bounding.
+--
+-- The functions exposed by this module always take a context as first
+-- parameter followed by the widget and height and additional parameters.
+--
+-- The functions provided by this module only create a path in the content.
+-- to actually draw the content, use cr:fill(), cr:mask(), cr:slip() or
+-- cr:stroke()
+--
+-- In many case, it is necessary to apply the shape using a transformation
+-- such as a rotation. The preferred way to do this is to wrap the function
+-- in another function calling `cr:rotate()` (or any other transformation
+-- matrix)
+--
+-- @author Emmanuel Lepage Vallee
+-- @copyright 2011-2016 Emmanuel Lepage Vallee
+-- @release @AWESOME_VERSION@
+-- @module gears.shape
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+local module = {}
+
+--- Add a rounded rectangle to the current path
+-- @note If the radius is bigger than either half side, it will be reduced
+-- @param cr A cairo content
+-- @param width The rectangle width
+-- @param height The rectangle height
+-- @param radius the corner radius
+function module.rounded_rect(cr, width, height, radius)
+    if width / 2 < radius then
+        radius = width / 2
+    end
+
+    if height / 2 < radius then
+        radius = height / 2
+    end
+
+    cr:arc( radius      , radius       , radius,    math.pi   , 3*(math.pi/2) )
+    cr:arc( width-radius, radius       , radius, 3*(math.pi/2),    math.pi*2  )
+    cr:arc( width-radius, height-radius, radius,    math.pi*2 ,    math.pi/2  )
+    cr:arc( radius      , height-radius, radius,    math.pi/2 ,    math.pi    )
+
+    cr:close_path()
+end
+
+--- Add a rectangle delimited by 2 180 degree arcs to the path
+-- @param cr A cairo content
+-- @param width The rectangle width
+-- @param height The rectangle height
+function module.rounded_bar(cr, width, height)
+    module.rounded_rect(cr, width, height, height / 2)
+end
+
+return module