diff --git a/mainwindow.ui b/mainwindow.ui
index 0ce6d49..f253073 100644
--- a/mainwindow.ui
+++ b/mainwindow.ui
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="sizePolicy">
-   <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Expanding">
+   <sizepolicy hsizetype="Fixed" vsizetype="Preferred">
     <horstretch>0</horstretch>
     <verstretch>0</verstretch>
    </sizepolicy>
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     <bool>true</bool>
    </property>
    <property name="sizePolicy">
-    <sizepolicy hsizetype="Maximum" vsizetype="Maximum">
+    <sizepolicy hsizetype="Fixed" vsizetype="Expanding">
      <horstretch>0</horstretch>
      <verstretch>0</verstretch>
     </sizepolicy>
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@
     <locale language="English" country="UnitedStates"/>
    </property>
    <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
+    <property name="sizeConstraint">
+     <enum>QLayout::SetDefaultConstraint</enum>
+    </property>
     <property name="margin">
      <number>0</number>
     </property>
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@
     <item row="0" column="0">
      <widget class="QTableWidget" name="table">
       <property name="sizePolicy">
-       <sizepolicy hsizetype="Minimum" vsizetype="Minimum">
+       <sizepolicy hsizetype="Fixed" vsizetype="Minimum">
         <horstretch>0</horstretch>
         <verstretch>0</verstretch>
        </sizepolicy>
diff --git a/qubesmanager/main.py b/qubesmanager/main.py
index 8cd02a5..b0a6957 100755
--- a/qubesmanager/main.py
+++ b/qubesmanager/main.py
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class VmShutdownMonitor(QObject):
 class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
     row_height = 30
     column_width = 200
-    max_visible_rows = 7
+    min_visible_rows = 10
     update_interval = 1000 # in msec
     show_inactive_vms = True
     columns_indices = { "Label": 0,
@@ -573,7 +573,6 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
 
         self.table.horizontalHeader().setResizeMode(QHeaderView.Fixed)
     
-
         self.table.sortItems(self.columns_indices["Label"], Qt.AscendingOrder)
         self.sort_by_mem = None
         self.sort_by_cpu = None
@@ -624,7 +623,7 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
     def show(self):
         super(VmManagerWindow, self).show()
         self.set_table_geom_height()
-        self.update_table_columns()
+        self.set_table_geom_width()
 
     def set_table_geom_height(self):
         minH =  self.table.horizontalHeader().height() +\
@@ -634,10 +633,9 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
         #or if you know what you're doing :)
                
         n = self.table.rowCount();
-
         maxH = minH
-        if n >= self.max_visible_rows:
-            minH += self.max_visible_rows*self.row_height
+        if n >= self.min_visible_rows:
+            minH += self.min_visible_rows*self.row_height
             maxH += n*self.row_height
         else:
             minH += n*self.row_height
@@ -655,10 +653,12 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
         maxH += mainwindow_to_add
         minH += mainwindow_to_add
 
-        self.setMaximumHeight(maxH)
+        desktop_height = app.desktop().availableGeometry().height() - 2*self.row_height
+
+        self.setMaximumHeight(min(desktop_height, maxH))
         self.setMinimumHeight(minH)
 
-        
+
     def get_vms_list(self):
         self.qvm_collection.lock_db_for_reading()
         self.qvm_collection.load()
@@ -733,8 +733,11 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
 
             if self.reload_table or ((not self.show_inactive_vms) and some_vms_have_changed_power_state): 
                 self.fill_table()
+                self.set_table_geom_height()
+                self.set_table_geom_width()
                 update_devs=True
 
+
             if self.sort_by_state != None and self.table.sort_state_by_upd  and some_vms_have_changed_power_state:
                 self.table.sort_state_by_upd = not self.table.sort_state_by_upd # sorter indicator changed will switch it...and we want it to remain unswtched.
                 self.table.sortItems(self.columns_indices["State"], self.sort_by_state)
@@ -789,7 +792,7 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
             self.counter += 1
             QTimer.singleShot (self.update_interval, self.update_table)
 
-    def update_table_columns(self):
+    def set_table_geom_width(self):
 
         table_width =   self.table.horizontalHeader().length() +\
                         self.table.verticalScrollBar().width() + \
@@ -797,7 +800,9 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
 
         self.table.setFixedWidth( table_width )
         self.centralwidget.setFixedWidth(table_width)
-        self.setFixedWidth(table_width)
+        # don't change the following two lines to setFixedWidth!
+        self.setMaximumWidth(table_width)
+        self.setMinimumWidth(table_width)
 
     def update_block_devices(self):
         res, msg = self.blk_manager.update()
@@ -1216,30 +1221,30 @@ class VmManagerWindow(Ui_VmManagerWindow, QMainWindow):
             self.context_menu.removeAction(self.action_toolbar)
 
 
-    def showhide_collumn(self, col_num, show):
+    def showhide_column(self, col_num, show):
         self.table.setColumnHidden( col_num, not show)
-        self.update_table_columns()
+        self.set_table_geom_width()
 
     def on_actionState_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['State'], checked)
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['State'], checked)
  
     def on_actionTemplate_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['Template'], checked)
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['Template'], checked)
 
     def on_actionNetVM_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['NetVM'], checked)
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['NetVM'], checked)
     
     def on_actionCPU_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['CPU'], checked)
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['CPU'], checked)
     
     def on_actionCPU_Graph_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['CPU Graph'], checked)    
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['CPU Graph'], checked)    
 
     def on_actionMEM_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['MEM'], checked)   
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['MEM'], checked)   
     
     def on_actionMEM_Graph_toggled(self, checked):
-        self.showhide_collumn( self.columns_indices['MEM Graph'], checked)
+        self.showhide_column( self.columns_indices['MEM Graph'], checked)
 
 
     def createPopupMenu(self):