diff --git a/src/ui/SelectionPanel.cpp b/src/ui/SelectionPanel.cpp
index aa791d2..4962693 100644
--- a/src/ui/SelectionPanel.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/SelectionPanel.cpp
@@ -193,6 +193,13 @@ void SelectionPanel::rebuildContent()
     if (m_content)
     {
         m_bodyLayout->addWidget(m_content);
+        // The show is what makes the card count. A widget created under an
+        // already-visible parent starts hidden, and a layout treats a hidden item as
+        // empty -- it adds nothing to the size hint until something shows it, which
+        // otherwise does not happen until the event loop next runs, long after refit()
+        // has measured the panel. The panel then fits itself to an empty body and
+        // collapses to its scroll bar.
+        m_content->show();
         m_content->refresh();
     }
     updateVisibility();
@@ -214,11 +221,6 @@ void SelectionPanel::updateVisibility()
 
 void SelectionPanel::refit()
 {
-    // The layout drops hidden widgets from its size hint, but only once it has been
-    // re-run: a card hides and shows its parts as it refreshes, before Qt would get
-    // around to it on its own.
-    m_body->layout()->activate();
-
     const QRect band =
         m_bandRect.adjusted(kMarginPx, kMarginPx, -kMarginPx, -kMarginPx);
 
@@ -234,6 +236,22 @@ void SelectionPanel::refit()
         return;
     }
 
+    // Measured at the cap rather than at whatever width the panel happens to have. A
+    // word-wrapped label's size hint follows its current width, so a panel that once
+    // came out too narrow would keep reporting a narrow, tall hint and stay that way.
+    m_body->resize(maxWidthPx, m_body->height());
+
+    // Cards are built and thrown away whole, so the body layout's cached hint describes
+    // the card before this one until it is discarded. Re-running the layout is what
+    // makes the current card's parts measurable: a card hides and shows its parts as it
+    // refreshes, and Qt would not get around to either on its own before the panel is
+    // sized here. The polish belongs to the same step -- a freshly created chip reports
+    // an unstyled hint until the stylesheet has reached it, and the chips carry border
+    // and padding that change their width.
+    m_body->ensurePolished();
+    m_body->layout()->invalidate();
+    m_body->layout()->activate();
+
     int contentWidthPx = qMin(m_body->sizeHint().width(), maxWidthPx);
     // Word-wrapped labels only know their height once the width is fixed; the layout
     // reports -1 when nothing in it wraps, in which case the plain hint is exact.
diff --git a/src/ui/selection/ItemChipRow.cpp b/src/ui/selection/ItemChipRow.cpp
index bccf8a8..7501458 100644
--- a/src/ui/selection/ItemChipRow.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/selection/ItemChipRow.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ void ItemChipRow::rebuildChips(const std::vector<Entry>& entries)
         ItemChip* chip = new ItemChip(icon, this);
         m_layout->addWidget(chip, static_cast<int>(index) / kChipsPerRow,
                             static_cast<int>(index) % kChipsPerRow);
+        // Shown right away, because the panel measures itself as soon as this returns. A
+        // widget created under an already-visible parent starts hidden, and a layout
+        // treats a hidden item as empty, so an unshown chip would add nothing to the
+        // size hint and the panel would be fitted to a buffer section that looks empty.
+        chip->show();
         m_chips.push_back(chip);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/selection/RecipeSummaryRow.cpp b/src/ui/selection/RecipeSummaryRow.cpp
index 37e3369..ecf85b5 100644
--- a/src/ui/selection/RecipeSummaryRow.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/selection/RecipeSummaryRow.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,18 @@ namespace
 // Size the item icons are drawn at on the summary line, in device-independent pixels.
 const int kSummaryIconSizePx = 14;
 
+// Adds a freshly built label to the summary and shows it.
+//
+// The show is what makes it count: a widget created under an already-visible parent
+// starts hidden, and a layout treats a hidden item as empty, so an unshown label would
+// add nothing to the size hint the panel measures itself against as soon as this
+// returns.
+void addAndShow(QHBoxLayout* layout, QLabel* label)
+{
+    layout->addWidget(label);
+    label->show();
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 
 
@@ -71,14 +83,14 @@ void RecipeSummaryRow::rebuild(const std::vector<Amount>& inputs,
     if (!inputs.empty())
     {
         const QChar rightArrow(0x2192);  // U+2192 RIGHTWARDS ARROW
-        m_layout->addWidget(new QLabel(QString(rightArrow), this));
+        addAndShow(m_layout, new QLabel(QString(rightArrow), this));
     }
     addAmounts(outputs);
 
     if (durationSeconds > 0.0)
     {
         const QChar middleDot(0x00B7);  // U+00B7 MIDDLE DOT
-        m_layout->addWidget(new QLabel(
+        addAndShow(m_layout, new QLabel(
             QStringLiteral("%1 %2").arg(middleDot).arg(
                 tr("%1 s").arg(durationSeconds, 0, 'f', 1)), this));
     }
@@ -96,13 +108,13 @@ void RecipeSummaryRow::addAmounts(const std::vector<Amount>& amounts)
             QLabel* iconLabel = new QLabel(this);
             iconLabel->setPixmap(
                 m_itemIcons->getPixmap(entry.itemId, kSummaryIconSizePx));
-            m_layout->addWidget(iconLabel);
+            addAndShow(m_layout, iconLabel);
         }
         else
         {
-            m_layout->addWidget(
-                new QLabel(QString::fromStdString(entry.itemId), this));
+            addAndShow(m_layout,
+                       new QLabel(QString::fromStdString(entry.itemId), this));
         }
-        m_layout->addWidget(new QLabel(QString::number(entry.amount), this));
+        addAndShow(m_layout, new QLabel(QString::number(entry.amount), this));
     }
 }