diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
index d449749fa89..da1e78fc25d 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <QPainter>
 #include <QStyleOptionGraphicsItem>
 
+#define CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT 5000
+
 QgsLayoutItem::QgsLayoutItem( QgsLayout *layout )
   : QgsLayoutObject( layout )
   , QGraphicsRectItem( 0 )
@@ -44,23 +46,89 @@ void QgsLayoutItem::paint( QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *it
   }
 
   //TODO - remember to disable saving/restoring on graphics view!!
-  painter->save();
-  preparePainter( painter );
 
   if ( shouldDrawDebugRect() )
   {
     drawDebugRect( painter );
+    return;
+  }
+
+  double destinationDpi = itemStyle->matrix.m11() * 25.4;
+  bool useImageCache = true;
+
+  if ( useImageCache )
+  {
+    double widthInPixels = boundingRect().width() * itemStyle->matrix.m11();
+    double heightInPixels = boundingRect().height() * itemStyle->matrix.m11();
+
+    // limit size of image for better performance
+    double scale = 1.0;
+    if ( widthInPixels > CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT || heightInPixels > CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT )
+    {
+      if ( widthInPixels > heightInPixels )
+      {
+        scale = widthInPixels / CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT;
+        widthInPixels = CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT;
+        heightInPixels /= scale;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        scale = heightInPixels / CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT;
+        heightInPixels = CACHE_SIZE_LIMIT;
+        widthInPixels /= scale;
+      }
+      destinationDpi = destinationDpi / scale;
+    }
+
+    if ( !mItemCachedImage.isNull() && qgsDoubleNear( mItemCacheDpi, destinationDpi ) )
+    {
+      // can reuse last cached image
+      QgsRenderContext context = QgsLayoutUtils::createRenderContextForMap( nullptr, painter, destinationDpi );
+      painter->save();
+      preparePainter( painter );
+      double cacheScale = destinationDpi / mItemCacheDpi;
+      painter->scale( cacheScale / context.scaleFactor(), cacheScale / context.scaleFactor() );
+      painter->drawImage( boundingRect().x() * context.scaleFactor() / cacheScale,
+                          boundingRect().y() * context.scaleFactor() / cacheScale, mItemCachedImage );
+      painter->restore();
+      return;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      mItemCacheDpi = destinationDpi;
+
+      mItemCachedImage = QImage( widthInPixels, heightInPixels, QImage::Format_ARGB32 );
+      mItemCachedImage.fill( Qt::transparent );
+      mItemCachedImage.setDotsPerMeterX( 1000 * destinationDpi * 25.4 );
+      mItemCachedImage.setDotsPerMeterY( 1000 * destinationDpi * 25.4 );
+      QPainter p( &mItemCachedImage );
+
+      preparePainter( &p );
+      QgsRenderContext context = QgsLayoutUtils::createRenderContextForMap( nullptr, &p, destinationDpi );
+      // painter is already scaled to dots
+      // need to translate so that item origin is at 0,0 in painter coordinates (not bounding rect origin)
+      p.translate( -boundingRect().x() * context.scaleFactor(), -boundingRect().y() * context.scaleFactor() );
+      draw( context, itemStyle );
+      p.end();
+
+      painter->save();
+      // scale painter from mm to dots
+      painter->scale( 1.0 / context.scaleFactor(), 1.0 / context.scaleFactor() );
+      painter->drawImage( boundingRect().x() * context.scaleFactor(),
+                          boundingRect().y() * context.scaleFactor(), mItemCachedImage );
+      painter->restore();
+    }
   }
   else
   {
-    double destinationDpi = itemStyle->matrix.m11() * 25.4;
+    // no caching or flattening
+    painter->save();
     QgsRenderContext context = QgsLayoutUtils::createRenderContextForMap( nullptr, painter, destinationDpi );
     // scale painter from mm to dots
     painter->scale( 1.0 / context.scaleFactor(), 1.0 / context.scaleFactor() );
     draw( context, itemStyle );
+    painter->restore();
   }
-
-  painter->restore();
 }
 
 void QgsLayoutItem::setReferencePoint( const QgsLayoutItem::ReferencePoint &point )
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.h b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.h
index 3e70bfabbd4..537b89529f6 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.h
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.h
@@ -252,6 +252,9 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsLayoutItem : public QgsLayoutObject, public QGraphicsRectIt
     QgsLayoutPoint mItemPosition;
     double mItemRotation = 0.0;
 
+    QImage mItemCachedImage;
+    double mItemCacheDpi = -1;
+
     void initConnectionsToLayout();
 
     //! Prepares a painter by setting rendering flags
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.cpp
index 5d5e8f81086..08683ef7e38 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,16 @@ TestLayoutItem::TestLayoutItem( QgsLayout *layout )
   int s = ( qrand() % ( 200 - 100 + 1 ) ) + 100;
   int v = ( qrand() % ( 130 - 255 + 1 ) ) + 130;
   mColor = QColor::fromHsv( h, s, v );
+
+  QgsStringMap properties;
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "color" ), mColor.name() );
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "style" ), QStringLiteral( "solid" ) );
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "style_border" ), QStringLiteral( "solid" ) );
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "color_border" ), QStringLiteral( "black" ) );
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "width_border" ), QStringLiteral( "0.3" ) );
+  properties.insert( QStringLiteral( "joinstyle" ), QStringLiteral( "miter" ) );
+  mShapeStyleSymbol = QgsFillSymbol::createSimple( properties );
+
 }
 
 void TestLayoutItem::draw( QgsRenderContext &context, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem *itemStyle )
@@ -114,9 +124,15 @@ void TestLayoutItem::draw( QgsRenderContext &context, const QStyleOptionGraphics
   painter->setBrush( mColor );
 
   double scale = context.convertToPainterUnits( 1, QgsUnitTypes::RenderMillimeters );
-  QRectF r = QRectF( rect().left() * scale, rect().top() * scale,
-                     rect().width() * scale, rect().height() * scale );
-  painter->drawRect( r );
+
+  QPolygonF shapePolygon = QPolygonF( QRectF( 0, 0, rect().width() * scale, rect().height() * scale ) );
+  QList<QPolygonF> rings; //empty list
+
+  mShapeStyleSymbol->startRender( context );
+  mShapeStyleSymbol->renderPolygon( shapePolygon, &rings, nullptr, context );
+  mShapeStyleSymbol->stopRender( context );
+
+// painter->drawRect( r );
   painter->restore();
   stack.end( context );
 }
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.h b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.h
index a2cda2eb7e7..c4abaae1952 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.h
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemregistry.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 class QgsLayout;
 class QgsLayoutView;
 class QgsLayoutItem;
+class QgsFillSymbol;
 
 /**
  * \ingroup core
@@ -271,8 +272,10 @@ class TestLayoutItem : public QgsLayoutItem
 
   private:
     QColor mColor;
+    QgsFillSymbol *mShapeStyleSymbol = nullptr;
 };
 
+
 ///@endcond
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutviewtooladditem.cpp b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutviewtooladditem.cpp
index 497924aa1a1..b4634fbb530 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutviewtooladditem.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutviewtooladditem.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ void QgsLayoutViewToolAddItem::layoutReleaseEvent( QgsLayoutViewMouseEvent *even
   Q_UNUSED( clickOnly );
 
   QgsLayoutItem *item = QgsApplication::layoutItemRegistry()->createItem( mItemType, layout() );
-  item->setRect( rect );
+  item->attemptResize( QgsLayoutSize( rect.width(), rect.height(), QgsUnitTypes::LayoutMillimeters ) );
+  item->attemptMove( QgsLayoutPoint( rect.left(), rect.top(), QgsUnitTypes::LayoutMillimeters ) );
   layout()->addItem( item );
 }