diff --git a/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp b/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
index 219433b..7de9ed8 100644
--- a/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "ControlsPanel.h"
 
+#include <QFont>
 #include <QFrame>
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
 #include <QLabel>
@@ -21,6 +22,20 @@ const int kRefreshMs     = 50;  // see the class comment on why this polls
 // Separates the heading's name from its detail, e.g. "BUILD MODE * Assembler".
 const QChar kHeadingSeparator(0x00B7);  // U+00B7 MIDDLE DOT
 
+// The upper-case heading and caption are tracked out a little so they read as labels
+// rather than as words. Set on the font because Qt's stylesheets have no letter-spacing
+// property -- writing one there is silently ignored apart from a warning per widget.
+QFont makeSpacedFont(QFont font, bool bold, int pointSizeDelta)
+{
+    font.setBold(bold);
+    if (pointSizeDelta != 0 && font.pointSize() > 0)
+    {
+        font.setPointSize(qMax(1, font.pointSize() + pointSizeDelta));
+    }
+    font.setLetterSpacing(QFont::AbsoluteSpacing, 1.0);
+    return font;
+}
+
 // One row: the chips for the bindings, then what the action is called. Built as a plain
 // widget rather than a class of its own -- it holds no state and answers no questions.
 QWidget* makeRow(ControlAction action, const ControlContext& context, QWidget* parent)
@@ -63,19 +78,20 @@ ControlsPanel::ControlsPanel(const GameWorldView* view, QWidget* parent)
     // class scoped selector keeps the border on the panel rather than cascading onto
     // its children.
     setAttribute(Qt::WA_StyledBackground, true);
+    // Letter spacing is deliberately absent here: Qt's stylesheet syntax has no such
+    // property and warns on every widget it is applied to. The heading and the caption
+    // set it on their QFont instead.
     setStyleSheet(QStringLiteral(
         "ControlsPanel { background-color: palette(window);"
         " border: 1px solid palette(mid); border-radius: 4px; }"
-        "QLabel#controlHeading { font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1px;"
-        " color: palette(text); }"
+        "QLabel#controlHeading { color: palette(text); }"
         "QLabel#controlBadge { border: 1px solid palette(mid); border-radius: 3px;"
         " padding: 1px 5px; font-family: monospace; color: palette(text); }"
         "QLabel#controlLabel { color: palette(text); }"
         // The row that leaves the mode reads differently from the ones that act within
         // it (REQ-UI-CONTROLS-CARD).
         "QLabel#controlLabelExit { color: palette(bright-text); }"
-        "QLabel#controlCaption { color: palette(mid); font-size: 10px;"
-        " letter-spacing: 1px; }"));
+        "QLabel#controlCaption { color: palette(mid); }"));
 
     QVBoxLayout* outerLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
     outerLayout->setContentsMargins(kCardMarginPx, kCardMarginPx,
@@ -85,6 +101,7 @@ ControlsPanel::ControlsPanel(const GameWorldView* view, QWidget* parent)
     m_heading = new QLabel(this);
     m_heading->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("controlHeading"));
     m_heading->setCursor(Qt::PointingHandCursor);
+    m_heading->setFont(makeSpacedFont(font(), /*bold*/ true, /*pointSizeDelta*/ 0));
     outerLayout->addWidget(m_heading);
 
     m_rows       = new QWidget(this);
@@ -172,6 +189,7 @@ void ControlsPanel::rebuild(const ControlContext& context)
 
         QLabel* caption = new QLabel(tr("ALWAYS AVAILABLE"), m_rows);
         caption->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("controlCaption"));
+        caption->setFont(makeSpacedFont(font(), /*bold*/ false, /*pointSizeDelta*/ -1));
         m_rowsLayout->addWidget(caption);
     }
 
@@ -221,8 +239,19 @@ void ControlsPanel::refit()
 {
     if (m_bandRect.isNull()) { return; }
 
-    // The layout drops hidden widgets from its size hint, but only once it has been
-    // re-run: collapsing hides the rows before Qt would get around to it on its own.
+    // Both layouts, innermost first, and both invalidated before being re-run. Rows are
+    // created and destroyed wholesale, so the rows layout's cached size hint describes
+    // the previous context until it is discarded; asking the panel for its hint without
+    // this returns the size the last context needed, which is why a first selection
+    // used to draw a card one rebuild behind.
+    //
+    // The polish is part of the same problem: a freshly created label reports an
+    // unstyled size hint until the stylesheet has been applied to it, and the badge
+    // chips carry border and padding that change their width.
+    m_rows->ensurePolished();
+    m_rowsLayout->invalidate();
+    m_rowsLayout->activate();
+    layout()->invalidate();
     layout()->activate();
 
     const QRect band = m_bandRect.adjusted(kMarginPx, kMarginPx, -kMarginPx, -kMarginPx);