diff --git a/gtkpopover/main.c b/gtkpopover/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e2ea30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gtkpopover/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+// 10 october 2014
+// #qo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+
+typedef gint LONG;
+
+typedef struct POINT POINT;
+
+struct POINT {
+	LONG x;
+	LONG y;
+};
+
+struct popover {
+	void *gopopover;
+
+	// a nice consequence of this design is that it allows four arrowheads to jut out at once; in practice only one will ever be used, but hey — simple implementation!
+	LONG arrowLeft;
+	LONG arrowRight;
+	LONG arrowTop;
+	LONG arrowBottom;
+};
+
+struct popover _p = { NULL, -1, -1, 20, -1 };
+struct popover *p = &_p;
+
+#define ARROWHEIGHT 8
+#define ARROWWIDTH 8		/* should be the same for smooth lines */
+
+void makePopoverPath(cairo_t *cr, LONG width, LONG height)
+{
+	POINT pt[20];
+	int n;
+	LONG xmax, ymax;
+
+	cairo_new_path(cr);
+	n = 0;
+
+	// figure out the xmax and ymax of the box
+	xmax = width;
+	if (p->arrowRight >= 0)
+		xmax -= ARROWWIDTH;
+	ymax = height;
+	if (p->arrowBottom >= 0)
+		ymax -= ARROWHEIGHT;
+
+	// the first point is either at (0,0), (0,arrowHeight), (arrowWidth,0), or (arrowWidth,arrowHeight)
+	pt[n].x = 0;
+	if (p->arrowLeft >= 0)
+		pt[n].x = ARROWWIDTH;
+	pt[n].y = 0;
+	if (p->arrowTop >= 0)
+		pt[n].y = ARROWHEIGHT;
+	n++;
+
+	// the left side
+	pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x;
+	if (p->arrowLeft >= 0) {
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y + p->arrowLeft;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x - ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y + ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x + ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y + ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x;
+	}
+	pt[n].y = ymax;
+	n++;
+
+	// the bottom side
+	pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y;
+	if (p->arrowBottom >= 0) {
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x + p->arrowBottom;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x + ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y + ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x + ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y - ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y;
+	}
+	pt[n].x = xmax;
+	n++;
+
+	// the right side
+	pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x;
+	if (p->arrowRight >= 0) {
+		pt[n].y = pt[0].y + p->arrowRight + (ARROWHEIGHT * 2);
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x + ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y - ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x - ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y - ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x;
+	}
+	pt[n].y = pt[0].y;
+	n++;
+
+	// the top side
+	pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y;
+	if (p->arrowTop >= 0) {
+		pt[n].x = pt[0].x + p->arrowTop + (ARROWWIDTH * 2);
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x - ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y - ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].x = pt[n - 1].x - ARROWWIDTH;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y + ARROWHEIGHT;
+		n++;
+		pt[n].y = pt[n - 1].y;
+	}
+	pt[n].x = pt[0].x;
+	n++;
+
+	int i;
+
+	// TODO bypass subpixel rendering
+	cairo_move_to(cr, pt[0].x, pt[0].y);
+	for (i = 1; i < n; i++)
+		cairo_line_to(cr, pt[i].x, pt[i].y);
+}
+
+void drawPopoverFrame(GtkWidget *widget, cairo_t *cr, LONG width, LONG height, int forceAlpha)
+{
+	GtkStyleContext *context;
+	GdkRGBA background, border;
+
+	// TODO see what GtkPopover itself does
+	// TODO drop shadow
+	context = gtk_widget_get_style_context(widget);
+	gtk_style_context_get_background_color(context, GTK_STATE_FLAG_NORMAL, &background);
+	gtk_style_context_get_border_color(context, GTK_STATE_FLAG_NORMAL, &border);
+	if (forceAlpha) {
+		background.alpha = 1;
+		border.alpha = 1;
+	}
+	makePopoverPath(cr, width, height);
+	cairo_set_source_rgba(cr, background.red, background.green, background.blue, background.alpha);
+	cairo_fill_preserve(cr);
+	cairo_set_source_rgba(cr, border.red, border.green, border.blue, border.alpha);
+	cairo_stroke(cr);
+}
+
+gboolean popoverDraw(GtkWidget *widget, cairo_t *cr, gpointer data)
+{
+	gint width, height;
+
+	width = gtk_widget_get_allocated_width(widget);
+	height = gtk_widget_get_allocated_height(widget);
+	drawPopoverFrame(widget, cr, width, height, 0);
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+void popoverSetSize(GtkWidget *widget, LONG width, LONG height)
+{
+	GdkWindow *gdkwin;
+	cairo_t *cr;
+	cairo_surface_t *cs;
+	cairo_region_t *region;
+
+	gtk_window_resize(GTK_WINDOW(widget), width, height);
+	gdkwin = gtk_widget_get_window(widget);
+	gdk_window_shape_combine_region(gdkwin, NULL, 0, 0);
+	// TODO check errors
+	cs = cairo_image_surface_create(CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32, width, height);
+	cr = cairo_create(cs);
+	drawPopoverFrame(widget, cr, width, height, 1);
+	region = gdk_cairo_region_create_from_surface(cs);
+	gdk_window_shape_combine_region(gdkwin, region, 0, 0);
+	cairo_destroy(cr);
+	cairo_surface_destroy(cs);
+}
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	GtkWidget *w;
+
+	gtk_init(NULL, NULL);
+	w = gtk_window_new(GTK_WINDOW_POPUP);
+	gtk_window_set_decorated(GTK_WINDOW(w), FALSE);
+	gtk_widget_set_app_paintable(w, TRUE);
+	g_signal_connect(w, "draw", G_CALLBACK(popoverDraw), NULL);
+	gtk_widget_realize(w);
+	popoverSetSize(w, 200, 200);
+	gtk_widget_show_all(w);
+	gtk_main();
+	return 0;
+}