diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a6e254bb..951d6b96 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ AC_SUBST(GNOMEPYTHONEXTRAS_DEFSDIR)
 PYGTK_DEFSDIR=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=defsdir pygtk-2.0`
 AC_SUBST(PYGTK_DEFSDIR)
 
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(PYCAIRO, pycairo)
+
 #
 # Setup GETTEXT
 #
diff --git a/lib/python/Makefile.am b/lib/python/Makefile.am
index be712d70..6f28d335 100644
--- a/lib/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/python/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 INCLUDES =				\
 	$(PYTHON_INCLUDES)		\
 	$(PYGTK_CFLAGS)			\
+	$(PYCAIRO_CFLAGS)			\
 	$(LIB_CFLAGS)			\
 	-I $(top_srcdir)/lib/src
 
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ pkgpyexec_LTLIBRARIES = _sugar.la
 _sugar_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version -R$(MOZILLA_HOME)
 _sugar_la_LIBADD =					\
 	$(LIB_LIBS)					\
+	$(PYCAIRO_LIBS)					\
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/src/libsugarprivate.la
 
 _sugar_la_SOURCES = 		\
diff --git a/lib/python/_sugar.defs b/lib/python/_sugar.defs
index bead7b48..4ea9b8de 100644
--- a/lib/python/_sugar.defs
+++ b/lib/python/_sugar.defs
@@ -247,6 +247,15 @@
     '("GdkPixbuf*" "pixbuf")
   )
 )
+
+(define-function cairo_surface_from_gdk_pixbuf
+  (c-name "sugar_cairo_surface_from_gdk_pixbuf")
+  (return-type "cairo_surface_t*")
+  (parameters
+    '("GdkPixbuf*" "pixbuf")
+  )
+)
+
 ;; Enumerations and flags ...
 
 
diff --git a/lib/python/_sugar.override b/lib/python/_sugar.override
index 6e0fe720..8dd90f96 100644
--- a/lib/python/_sugar.override
+++ b/lib/python/_sugar.override
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ headers
 #include "sugar-download.h"
 #include "sugar-audio-manager.h"
 
+#include "pycairo.h"
 #include <pygtk/pygtk.h>
 #include <glib.h>
 
+extern Pycairo_CAPI_t *Pycairo_CAPI;
 
 %%
 modulename gecko
@@ -159,3 +161,23 @@ _wrap_sugar_hippo_canvas_image_set_image_from_gdk_pixbuf(PyGObject *self, PyObje
     return Py_None;
 }
 %%
+override sugar_cairo_surface_from_gdk_pixbuf kwargs
+static PyObject*
+_wrap_sugar_cairo_surface_from_gdk_pixbuf(PyGObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
+{
+    static char *kwlist[] = { "pixbuf", NULL };
+    PyGObject *child;
+    cairo_surface_t *surface;
+
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs,"O!:sugar.cairo_surface_from_gdk_pixbuf", kwlist, &PyGdkPixbuf_Type, &child))
+        return NULL;
+
+    surface = _cairo_surface_from_pixbuf(GDK_PIXBUF (child->obj));
+	if (surface == NULL) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "pixbuf could not be converted");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return PycairoSurface_FromSurface(surface, NULL);
+}
+%%
diff --git a/lib/python/_sugarmodule.c b/lib/python/_sugarmodule.c
index 4d8511b9..c576efb0 100644
--- a/lib/python/_sugarmodule.c
+++ b/lib/python/_sugarmodule.c
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 /* include this first, before NO_IMPORT_PYGOBJECT is defined */
 #include <pygobject.h>
 
+#include <pycairo.h>
+Pycairo_CAPI_t *Pycairo_CAPI;
+
 void py_sugar_register_classes (PyObject *d);
 
 extern PyMethodDef py_sugar_functions[];
@@ -16,6 +19,8 @@ init_sugar(void)
 
     init_pygobject ();
 
+    Pycairo_IMPORT;
+
     m = Py_InitModule ("_sugar", py_sugar_functions);
     d = PyModule_GetDict (m);