diff --git a/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/_astal.ts b/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/_astal.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7093131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/_astal.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
+import { execAsync, Variable } from 'astal';
+import Binding, { Connectable, kebabify, snakeify, Subscribable } from 'astal/binding';
+
+export const noImplicitDestroy = Symbol('no no implicit destroy');
+export const setChildren = Symbol('children setter method');
+
+const mergeBindings = (array: any[]) => {
+    const getValues = (...args: any[]) => {
+        let i = 0;
+
+        return array.map((value) => value instanceof Binding ?
+            args[i++] :
+            value);
+    };
+
+    const bindings = array.filter((i) => i instanceof Binding);
+
+    if (bindings.length === 0) { return array; }
+
+    if (bindings.length === 1) { return bindings[0].as(getValues); }
+
+    return Variable.derive(bindings, getValues)();
+};
+
+const setProp = (obj: any, prop: string, value: any) => {
+    try {
+        const setter = `set_${snakeify(prop)}`;
+
+        if (typeof obj[setter] === 'function') { return obj[setter](value); }
+
+        return (obj[prop] = value);
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+        console.error(`could not set property "${prop}" on ${obj}:`, error);
+    }
+};
+
+export const hook = <Widget extends Connectable>(
+    widget: Widget,
+    object: Connectable | Subscribable,
+    signalOrCallback: string | ((self: Widget, ...args: any[]) => void),
+    callback?: (self: Widget, ...args: any[]) => void,
+) => {
+    if (typeof object.connect === 'function' && callback) {
+        const id = object.connect(signalOrCallback, (_: any, ...args: unknown[]) => {
+            callback(widget, ...args);
+        });
+
+        widget.connect('destroy', () => {
+            (object.disconnect as Connectable['disconnect'])(id);
+        });
+    }
+    else if (typeof object.subscribe === 'function' && typeof signalOrCallback === 'function') {
+        const unsub = object.subscribe((...args: unknown[]) => {
+            signalOrCallback(widget, ...args);
+        });
+
+        widget.connect('destroy', unsub);
+    }
+};
+
+export const construct = <Widget extends Connectable & {
+    [setChildren]: (children: any[]) => void
+}>(widget: Widget, config: any) => {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line prefer-const
+    let { setup, child, children = [], ...props } = config;
+
+    if (children instanceof Binding) {
+        children = [children];
+    }
+
+    if (child) {
+        children.unshift(child);
+    }
+
+    // remove undefined values
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(props)) {
+        if (typeof value === 'undefined') {
+            delete props[key];
+        }
+    }
+
+    // collect bindings
+    const bindings: [string, Binding<any>][] = Object
+        .keys(props)
+        .reduce((acc: any, prop) => {
+            if (props[prop] instanceof Binding) {
+                const binding = props[prop];
+
+                delete props[prop];
+
+                return [...acc, [prop, binding]];
+            }
+
+            return acc;
+        }, []);
+
+    // collect signal handlers
+    const onHandlers: [string, string | (() => unknown)][] = Object
+        .keys(props)
+        .reduce((acc: any, key) => {
+            if (key.startsWith('on')) {
+                const sig = kebabify(key).split('-').slice(1).join('-');
+                const handler = props[key];
+
+                delete props[key];
+
+                return [...acc, [sig, handler]];
+            }
+
+            return acc;
+        }, []);
+
+    // set children
+    const mergedChildren = mergeBindings(children.flat(Infinity));
+
+    if (mergedChildren instanceof Binding) {
+        widget[setChildren](mergedChildren.get());
+        widget.connect('destroy', mergedChildren.subscribe((v) => {
+            widget[setChildren](v);
+        }));
+    }
+    else if (mergedChildren.length > 0) {
+        widget[setChildren](mergedChildren);
+    }
+
+    // setup signal handlers
+    for (const [signal, callback] of onHandlers) {
+        const sig = signal.startsWith('notify') ?
+            signal.replace('-', '::') :
+            signal;
+
+        if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+            widget.connect(sig, callback);
+        }
+        else {
+            widget.connect(sig, () => execAsync(callback)
+                .then(print).catch(console.error));
+        }
+    }
+
+    // setup bindings handlers
+    for (const [prop, binding] of bindings) {
+        if (prop === 'child' || prop === 'children') {
+            widget.connect('destroy', binding.subscribe((v: any) => {
+                widget[setChildren](v);
+            }));
+        }
+        widget.connect('destroy', binding.subscribe((v: any) => {
+            setProp(widget, prop, v);
+        }));
+        setProp(widget, prop, binding.get());
+    }
+
+    // filter undefined values
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(props)) {
+        if (typeof value === 'undefined') {
+            delete props[key];
+        }
+    }
+
+    Object.assign(widget, props);
+    setup?.(widget);
+
+    return widget;
+};
diff --git a/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/astalify.ts b/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/astalify.ts
index 0aa5a92e..099d6471 100644
--- a/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/astalify.ts
+++ b/modules/ags/gtk4/widget/subclasses/astalify.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
     noImplicitDestroy,
     setChildren,
     construct,
-} from 'astal/_astal';
+} from './_astal';
 
 export type BindableChild = Gtk.Widget | Binding<Gtk.Widget>;