diff --git a/elements/basic/container.go b/elements/basic/container.go
index dbd617e..ed66a22 100644
--- a/elements/basic/container.go
+++ b/elements/basic/container.go
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ func NewContainer (layout tomo.Layout) (element *Container) {
 
 func (element *Container) SetLayout (layout tomo.Layout) {
 	element.layout = layout
-	element.recalculate()
 	if element.core.HasImage() {
+		element.recalculate()
 		element.draw()
 		element.core.PushAll()
 	}
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ func (element *Container) Adopt (child tomo.Element, expand bool) {
 
 	element.updateMinimumSize()
 	element.updateSelectable()
-	element.recalculate()
 	if element.core.HasImage() {
+		element.recalculate()
 		element.draw()
 		element.core.PushAll()
 	}
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ func (element *Container) Disown (child tomo.Element) {
 
 	element.updateMinimumSize()
 	element.updateSelectable()
-	element.recalculate()
 	if element.core.HasImage() {
+		element.recalculate()
 		element.draw()
 		element.core.PushAll()
 	}
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ func (element *Container) DisownAll () {
 
 	element.updateMinimumSize()
 	element.updateSelectable()
-	element.recalculate()
 	if element.core.HasImage() {
+		element.recalculate()
 		element.draw()
 		element.core.PushAll()
 	}
diff --git a/elements/basic/test.go b/elements/basic/test.go
index 4c8307d..d5ab164 100644
--- a/elements/basic/test.go
+++ b/elements/basic/test.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ func (element *Test) Handle (event tomo.Event) {
 			element.core, artist.NewUniform(color.White), 1,
 			image.Pt(1, resizeEvent.Height - 2),
 			image.Pt(resizeEvent.Width - 2, 1))
+		// println(resizeEvent.Width, resizeEvent.Height)
 	
 	case tomo.EventMouseDown:
 		element.drawing = true
diff --git a/elements/layouts/dialog.go b/elements/layouts/dialog.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e166cb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/layouts/dialog.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+package layouts
+
+import "image"
+import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo"
+import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo/theme"
+
+type Dialog struct {
+	// If Gap is true, a gap will be placed between each element.
+	Gap bool
+
+	// If Pad is true, there will be padding running along the inside of the
+	// layout's border.
+	Pad bool
+}
+
+// Arrange arranges a list of entries into a dialog.
+func (layout Dialog) Arrange (entries []tomo.LayoutEntry, width, height int) {
+	if layout.Pad {
+		width  -= theme.Padding() * 2
+		height -= theme.Padding() * 2
+	}
+
+	controlRowWidth, controlRowHeight := 0, 0
+	if len(entries) > 1 {
+		controlRowWidth,
+		controlRowHeight = layout.minimumSizeOf(entries[1:])
+	}
+
+	if len(entries) > 0 {
+		entries[0].Position = image.Point { }
+		if layout.Pad {
+			entries[0].Position.X += theme.Padding()
+			entries[0].Position.Y += theme.Padding()
+		}
+		mainHeight := height - controlRowHeight
+		if layout.Gap {
+			mainHeight -= theme.Padding()
+		}
+		mainBounds := entries[0].Bounds()
+		if mainBounds.Dy() != mainHeight ||
+			mainBounds.Dx() != width {
+			entries[0].Handle (tomo.EventResize {
+				Width:  width,
+				Height: mainHeight,
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(entries) > 1 {
+		freeSpace := width
+		expandingElements := 0
+
+		// count the number of expanding elements and the amount of free
+		// space for them to collectively occupy
+		for index, entry := range entries[1:] {
+			if entry.Expand {
+				expandingElements ++
+			} else {
+				entryMinWidth, _ := entry.MinimumSize()
+				freeSpace -= entryMinWidth
+			}
+			if index > 0 && layout.Gap {
+				freeSpace -= theme.Padding()
+			}
+		}
+		expandingElementWidth := 0
+		if expandingElements > 0 {
+			expandingElementWidth = freeSpace / expandingElements
+		}
+
+		// determine starting position and dimensions for control row
+		x, y := 0, height - controlRowHeight
+		if expandingElements == 0 {
+			x = width - controlRowWidth
+		}
+		if layout.Pad {
+			x += theme.Padding()
+			y += theme.Padding()
+		}
+		height -= controlRowHeight
+
+		// set the size and position of each element in the control row
+		for index, entry := range entries[1:] {
+			if index > 0 && layout.Gap { x += theme.Padding() }
+			
+			entries[index + 1].Position = image.Pt(x, y)
+			entryWidth := 0
+			if entry.Expand {
+				entryWidth = expandingElementWidth
+			} else {
+				entryWidth, _ = entry.MinimumSize()
+			}
+			x += entryWidth
+			entryBounds := entry.Bounds()
+			if entryBounds.Dy() != controlRowHeight ||
+				entryBounds.Dx() != entryWidth {
+				entry.Handle (tomo.EventResize {
+					Width:  entryWidth,
+					Height: controlRowHeight,
+				})
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	
+}
+
+// MinimumSize returns the minimum width and height that will be needed to
+// arrange the given list of entries.
+func (layout Dialog) MinimumSize (entries []tomo.LayoutEntry) (width, height int) {
+	if len(entries) > 0 {
+		mainChildHeight := 0
+		width, mainChildHeight = entries[0].MinimumSize()
+		height += mainChildHeight
+	}
+
+	if len(entries) > 1 {
+		if layout.Gap { height += theme.Padding() }
+		additionalWidth,
+		additionalHeight := layout.minimumSizeOf(entries[1:])
+		height += additionalHeight
+		if additionalWidth > width {
+			width = additionalWidth
+		}
+	}
+
+	if layout.Pad {
+		width  += theme.Padding() * 2
+		height += theme.Padding() * 2
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (layout Dialog) minimumSizeOf (
+	entries []tomo.LayoutEntry,
+) (
+	width, height int,
+) {
+	for index, entry := range entries {
+		entryWidth, entryHeight := entry.MinimumSize()
+		if entryHeight > height {
+			height = entryHeight
+		}
+		width += entryWidth
+		if layout.Gap && index > 0 {
+			width += theme.Padding()
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/elements/layouts/vertical.go b/elements/layouts/vertical.go
index 81783f1..971729c 100644
--- a/elements/layouts/vertical.go
+++ b/elements/layouts/vertical.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func (layout Vertical) Arrange (entries []tomo.LayoutEntry, width, height int) {
 		y += entryHeight
 		entryBounds := entry.Bounds()
 		if entryBounds.Dx() != width || entryBounds.Dy() != entryHeight {
+			// println(entryHeight)
 			entry.Handle (tomo.EventResize {
 				Width:  width,
 				Height: entryHeight,
diff --git a/examples/dialogLayout/main.go b/examples/dialogLayout/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d824937
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/dialogLayout/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package main
+
+import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo"
+import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo/elements/basic"
+import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo/elements/layouts"
+import _ "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/tomo/backends/x"
+
+func main () {
+	tomo.Run(run)
+}
+
+func run () {
+	window, _ := tomo.NewWindow(2, 2)
+	window.SetTitle("dialog")
+
+	container := basic.NewContainer(layouts.Dialog { true, true })
+	window.Adopt(container)
+
+	container.Adopt(basic.NewLabel("you will explode", false), true)
+	cancel := basic.NewButton("Cancel")
+	cancel.SetEnabled(false)
+	container.Adopt(cancel, false)
+	container.Adopt(basic.NewButton("OK"), false)
+	
+	window.OnClose(tomo.Stop)
+	window.Show()
+}
diff --git a/examples/horizontalLayout/main.go b/examples/horizontalLayout/main.go
index e7cf116..092ed5e 100644
--- a/examples/horizontalLayout/main.go
+++ b/examples/horizontalLayout/main.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ func main () {
 
 func run () {
 	window, _ := tomo.NewWindow(2, 2)
-	window.SetTitle("vertical stack")
+	window.SetTitle("horizontal stack")
 
 	container := basic.NewContainer(layouts.Horizontal { true, true })
 	window.Adopt(container)