diff --git a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
index b0abd4b3..0ccf387c 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
@@ -204,13 +204,11 @@ namespace
 class QskHintAnimatorTable::PrivateData
 {
   public:
-    // we won't have many entries, so we prefer less memory over
-    // using a hash table
+    // we could use a std::set< QskHintAnimator > instead
     std::map< QskAspect, QskHintAnimator > map;
 };
 
 QskHintAnimatorTable::QskHintAnimatorTable()
-    : m_data( nullptr )
 {
 }
 
@@ -218,6 +216,7 @@ QskHintAnimatorTable::~QskHintAnimatorTable()
 {
     if ( qskAnimatorGuard )
         qskAnimatorGuard->unregisterTable( this );
+
     delete m_data;
 }
 
@@ -228,6 +227,7 @@ void QskHintAnimatorTable::start( QskControl* control,
     if ( m_data == nullptr )
     {
         m_data = new PrivateData();
+
         if ( qskAnimatorGuard )
             qskAnimatorGuard->registerTable( this );
     }
diff --git a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
index d2d976c2..03fd771d 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
@@ -54,12 +54,13 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskHintAnimatorTable
     QVariant currentValue( QskAspect ) const;
 
     bool cleanup();
+    bool isEmpty() const;
 
   private:
     void reset();
 
     class PrivateData;
-    PrivateData* m_data;
+    PrivateData* m_data = nullptr;
 };
 
 inline QskAspect QskHintAnimator::aspect() const noexcept
@@ -82,4 +83,9 @@ inline bool QskHintAnimator::operator<( const QskHintAnimator& other ) const noe
     return m_aspect < other.m_aspect;
 }
 
+inline bool QskHintAnimatorTable::isEmpty() const
+{
+    return m_data == nullptr;
+}
+
 #endif