diff --git a/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp b/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
index 78f8898..9cea8a2 100644
--- a/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ControlsPanel.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,18 @@ QWidget* makeRow(ControlAction action, const ControlContext& context, QWidget* p
     return row;
 }
 
+// Adds a freshly built widget to the rows 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 -- it contributes nothing
+// to the size hint until something shows it, which otherwise does not happen until the
+// event loop next runs, long after the panel has measured itself.
+void addAndShow(QVBoxLayout* layout, QWidget* widget)
+{
+    layout->addWidget(widget);
+    widget->show();
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 
 ControlsPanel::ControlsPanel(const GameWorldView* view, QWidget* parent)
@@ -173,7 +185,7 @@ void ControlsPanel::rebuild(const ControlContext& context)
 
     for (ControlAction action : m_shownContextActions)
     {
-        m_rowsLayout->addWidget(makeRow(action, context, m_rows));
+        addAndShow(m_rowsLayout, makeRow(action, context, m_rows));
     }
 
     // The always-available block sits under a divider in every context, the General one
@@ -185,17 +197,17 @@ void ControlsPanel::rebuild(const ControlContext& context)
         divider->setFrameShape(QFrame::HLine);
         divider->setFrameShadow(QFrame::Plain);
         m_rowsLayout->addSpacing(6);
-        m_rowsLayout->addWidget(divider);
+        addAndShow(m_rowsLayout, divider);
 
         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);
+        addAndShow(m_rowsLayout, caption);
     }
 
     for (ControlAction action : m_shownAlwaysActions)
     {
-        m_rowsLayout->addWidget(makeRow(action, context, m_rows));
+        addAndShow(m_rowsLayout, makeRow(action, context, m_rows));
     }
 
     m_rows->setVisible(!m_collapsed);