diff --git a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
index 728d73e1aa..f2052f98d5 100644
--- a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2009, Haiku, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ * Copyright 2002-2013 Haiku, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  *
  * Authors:
- *		Jerome Duval (jerome.duval@free.fr)
  *		Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de
+ *		Jerome Duval, jerome.duval@free.fr
+ *		John Scipione, jscipione@gmail.com
  *		Jonas Sundström, jonas@kirilla.se
  */
 
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <FindDirectory.h>
 #include <LayoutBuilder.h>
 #include <Locale.h>
-#include <MenuField.h>
 #include <Messenger.h>
 #include <MimeType.h>
 #include <Point.h>
@@ -162,9 +162,8 @@ BackgroundsView::BackgroundsView()
 	fImageMenu->AddItem(new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Other" B_UTF8_ELLIPSIS),
 		new BMessage(kMsgOtherImage)));
 
-	BMenuField* imageMenuField = new BMenuField(NULL, fImageMenu);
-	imageMenuField->SetAlignment(B_ALIGN_RIGHT);
-	imageMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
+	fImageMenuField = new BMenuField(NULL, fImageMenu);
+	fImageMenuField->SetAlignment(B_ALIGN_RIGHT);
 
 	fPlacementMenu = new BPopUpMenu(B_TRANSLATE("pick one"));
 	fPlacementMenu->AddItem(new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Manual"),
@@ -176,8 +175,8 @@ BackgroundsView::BackgroundsView()
 	fPlacementMenu->AddItem(new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Tile"),
 		new BMessage(kMsgTilePlacement)));
 
-	BMenuField* placementMenuField = new BMenuField(NULL, fPlacementMenu);
-	placementMenuField->SetAlignment(B_ALIGN_RIGHT);
+	fPlacementMenuField = new BMenuField(NULL, fPlacementMenu);
+	fPlacementMenuField->SetAlignment(B_ALIGN_RIGHT);
 
 	fIconLabelOutline = new BCheckBox(B_TRANSLATE("Icon label outline"),
 		new BMessage(kMsgIconLabelOutline));
@@ -197,18 +196,18 @@ BackgroundsView::BackgroundsView()
 		B_ALIGN_NO_VERTICAL));
 
 	view = BLayoutBuilder::Group<>()
-		.AddGroup(B_VERTICAL, 10)
-			.AddGroup(B_VERTICAL, 10)
-				.AddGrid(10, 10)
+		.AddGroup(B_VERTICAL, B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING)
+			.AddGroup(B_VERTICAL, B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING)
+				.AddGrid(B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING, B_USE_SMALL_SPACING)
 					.Add(imageStringView, 0, 0)
+					.Add(fImageMenuField, 1, 0)
 					.Add(placementStringView, 0, 1)
-					.Add(imageMenuField, 1, 0)
-					.Add(placementMenuField, 1, 1)
+					.Add(fPlacementMenuField, 1, 1)
+					.Add(fIconLabelOutline, 1, 2)
 					.End()
-				.Add(fIconLabelOutline)
 				.End()
 			.Add(fPicker)
-			.SetInsets(10, 10, 10, 10)
+			.SetInsets(B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING)
 			.End()
 		.View();
 
@@ -316,13 +315,10 @@ BackgroundsView::MessageReceived(BMessage* msg)
 		}
 
 		case kMsgManualPlacement:
-			_UpdatePreview();
-			_UpdateButtons();
-			break;
-
 		case kMsgTilePlacement:
 		case kMsgScalePlacement:
 		case kMsgCenterPlacement:
+			fPlacementMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
 			_UpdatePreview();
 			_UpdateButtons();
 			break;
@@ -388,6 +384,8 @@ BackgroundsView::MessageReceived(BMessage* msg)
 		case kMsgNoImage:
 			fLastImageIndex = ((BGImageMenuItem*)fImageMenu->FindMarked())
 				->ImageIndex();
+			fImageMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
+			fPlacementMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
 			_UpdatePreview();
 			_UpdateButtons();
 			break;
@@ -829,6 +827,19 @@ BackgroundsView::_LoadSettings()
 }
 
 
+void
+BackgroundsView::WindowActivated(bool active)
+{
+	static bool firstRun = true;
+
+	if (firstRun) {
+		firstRun = false;
+		fImageMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
+		fPlacementMenuField->ResizeToPreferred();
+	}
+}
+
+
 void
 BackgroundsView::WorkspaceActivated(uint32 oldWorkspaces, bool active)
 {
diff --git a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.h b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.h
index 0c80d65daf..0392053b4e 100644
--- a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.h
+++ b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.h
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2009, Haiku, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ * Copyright 2002-2013 Haiku, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  *
  * Authors:
- *		Jerome Duval (jerome.duval@free.fr)
+ *		Jerome Duval, jerome.duval@free.fr
+ *		John Scipione, jscipione@gmail.com
  */
 #ifndef BACKGROUNDS_VIEW_H
 #define BACKGROUNDS_VIEW_H
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <Entry.h>
 #include <FilePanel.h>
 #include <Menu.h>
+#include <MenuField.h>
 #include <MenuItem.h>
 #include <Message.h>
 #include <Picture.h>
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ public:
 			void				RefsReceived(BMessage* msg);
 
 			void				SaveSettings();
+			void				WindowActivated(bool active);
 			void				WorkspaceActivated(uint32 oldWorkspaces,
 									bool active);
 			int32				AddImage(BPath path);
@@ -142,10 +145,12 @@ protected:
 			BColorControl*		fPicker;
 			BButton*			fApply;
 			BButton*			fRevert;
-			BCheckBox*			fIconLabelOutline;
-			BMenu*				fPlacementMenu;
-			BMenu*				fImageMenu;
 			BMenu*				fWorkspaceMenu;
+			BMenu*				fPlacementMenu;
+			BMenuField*			fPlacementMenuField;
+			BMenu*				fImageMenu;
+			BMenuField*			fImageMenuField;
+			BCheckBox*			fIconLabelOutline;
 			BTextControl*		fXPlacementText;
 			BTextControl*		fYPlacementText;
 			Preview*			fPreview;