diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.py
index 31b23433bd..3b80155b11 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.py
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import importlib
 
-from PyQt5.Qt import QIcon, Qt, QStringListModel
+from PyQt5.Qt import (
+    QIcon, Qt, QStringListModel, QListView, QSizePolicy, QHBoxLayout, QSize,
+    QStackedWidget, pyqtSignal)
 
 from calibre.gui2.preferences import ConfigWidgetBase, test_widget, AbortCommit
 from calibre.ebooks.conversion.plumber import Plumber
 from calibre.utils.logging import Log
-from calibre.gui2.preferences.conversion_ui import Ui_Form
 from calibre.gui2.convert.look_and_feel import LookAndFeelWidget
 from calibre.gui2.convert.heuristics import HeuristicsWidget
 from calibre.gui2.convert.search_and_replace import SearchAndReplaceWidget
@@ -36,12 +37,39 @@ class Model(QStringListModel):
                 return (QIcon(w.ICON))
         return QStringListModel.data(self, index, role)
 
-class Base(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
+
+class ListView(QListView):
+
+    current_changed = pyqtSignal(object, object)
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        QListView.__init__(self, parent)
+        self.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.MinimumExpanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+        f = self.font()
+        f.setBold(True)
+        self.setFont(f)
+        self.setIconSize(QSize(48, 48))
+        self.setFlow(self.TopToBottom)
+        self.setSpacing(10)
+
+    def currentChanged(self, cur, prev):
+        QListView.currentChanged(self, cur, prev)
+        self.current_changed.emit(cur, prev)
+
+class Base(ConfigWidgetBase):
 
     restore_defaults_desc = _('Restore settings to default values. '
             'Only settings for the currently selected section '
             'are restored.')
 
+    def setupUi(self, x):
+        self.resize(720, 603)
+        self.l = l = QHBoxLayout(self)
+        self.list = lv = ListView(self)
+        l.addWidget(lv)
+        self.stack = s = QStackedWidget(self)
+        l.addWidget(s, stretch=10)
+
     def genesis(self, gui):
         log = Log()
         log.outputs = []
@@ -64,7 +92,7 @@ class Base(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
             if isinstance(w, TOCWidget):
                 w.manually_fine_tune_toc.hide()
 
-        self.list.currentChanged = self.category_current_changed
+        self.list.current_changed.connect(self.category_current_changed)
         self.list.setCurrentIndex(self.model.index(0))
 
     def initialize(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.ui
deleted file mode 100644
index d9f335d443..0000000000
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/conversion.ui
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,82 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<ui version="4.0">
- <class>Form</class>
- <widget class="QWidget" name="Form">
-  <property name="geometry">
-   <rect>
-    <x>0</x>
-    <y>0</y>
-    <width>720</width>
-    <height>603</height>
-   </rect>
-  </property>
-  <property name="windowTitle">
-   <string>Form</string>
-  </property>
-  <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
-   <item>
-    <widget class="QListView" name="list">
-     <property name="sizePolicy">
-      <sizepolicy hsizetype="MinimumExpanding" vsizetype="Expanding">
-       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
-       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
-      </sizepolicy>
-     </property>
-     <property name="minimumSize">
-      <size>
-       <width>180</width>
-       <height>0</height>
-      </size>
-     </property>
-     <property name="maximumSize">
-      <size>
-       <width>180</width>
-       <height>16777215</height>
-      </size>
-     </property>
-     <property name="font">
-      <font>
-       <weight>75</weight>
-       <bold>true</bold>
-      </font>
-     </property>
-     <property name="editTriggers">
-      <set>QAbstractItemView::NoEditTriggers</set>
-     </property>
-     <property name="tabKeyNavigation">
-      <bool>true</bool>
-     </property>
-     <property name="showDropIndicator" stdset="0">
-      <bool>false</bool>
-     </property>
-     <property name="iconSize">
-      <size>
-       <width>48</width>
-       <height>48</height>
-      </size>
-     </property>
-     <property name="verticalScrollMode">
-      <enum>QAbstractItemView::ScrollPerItem</enum>
-     </property>
-     <property name="horizontalScrollMode">
-      <enum>QAbstractItemView::ScrollPerPixel</enum>
-     </property>
-     <property name="flow">
-      <enum>QListView::TopToBottom</enum>
-     </property>
-     <property name="spacing">
-      <number>10</number>
-     </property>
-     <property name="viewMode">
-      <enum>QListView::ListMode</enum>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item>
-    <widget class="QStackedWidget" name="stack"/>
-   </item>
-  </layout>
- </widget>
- <resources/>
- <connections/>
-</ui>