diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index fc2190e498..84ad8f595c 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -991,10 +991,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // but it's better than the video going missing entirely
         if (auxPanelMaxHeight < 50) auxPanelMaxHeight = 50;
 
-        // we may need to resize the gemini panel after changing the aux panel
-        // size, so add a callback to onChildResize.
-        this.setState({auxPanelMaxHeight: auxPanelMaxHeight},
-                      this.onChildResize);
+        this.setState({auxPanelMaxHeight: auxPanelMaxHeight});
+
+        // changing the maxHeight on the auxpanel will trigger a callback go
+        // onChildResize, so no need to worry about that here.
     },
 
     onFullscreenClick: function() {
@@ -1042,8 +1042,15 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // XXX: this is a bit naughty; we should be doing this via props
         if (show) {
             this.setState({editingRoomSettings: true});
-            var self = this;
-            setTimeout(function() { self.onResize() }, 0);
+        }
+    },
+
+    // this has to be a proper method rather than an unnamed function,
+    // otherwise react calls it with null on each update.
+    _gatherTimelinePanelRef: function(r) {
+        this.refs.messagePanel = r;
+        if(r) {
+            this.updateTint();
         }
     },
 
@@ -1206,7 +1213,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
               draggingFile={this.state.draggingFile}
               displayConfCallNotification={this.state.displayConfCallNotification}
               maxHeight={this.state.auxPanelMaxHeight}
-              onCallViewVideoRezize={this.onChildResize} >
+              onResize={this.onChildResize} >
                 { aux }
             </AuxPanel>
         );
@@ -1285,12 +1292,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
 
         var messagePanel = (
-            <TimelinePanel ref={(r) => {
-                    this.refs.messagePanel = r;
-                    if(r) {
-                        this.updateTint();
-                    }
-                }}
+            <TimelinePanel ref={this._gatherTimelinePanelRef}
                 room={this.state.room}
                 hidden={hideMessagePanel}
                 highlightedEventId={this.props.highlightedEventId}
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js b/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
index 49c7dfc6e5..ec885989bc 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var React = require('react');
 var MatrixClientPeg = require("../../../MatrixClientPeg");
 var sdk = require('../../../index');
 var dis = require("../../../dispatcher");
+var ObjectUtils = require('../../../ObjectUtils');
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'AuxPanel',
@@ -39,9 +40,21 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // therein
         maxHeight: React.PropTypes.number,
 
-        // a callback which is called when the video element in a voip call is
-        // resized due to a change in video metadata
-        onCallViewVideoResize: React.PropTypes.func,
+        // a callback which is called when the content of the aux panel changes
+        // content in a way that is likely to make it change size.
+        onResize: React.PropTypes.func,
+    },
+
+    shouldComponentUpdate: function(nextProps, nextState) {
+        return (!ObjectUtils.shallowEqual(this.props, nextProps) ||
+                !ObjectUtils.shallowEqual(this.state, nextState));
+    },
+
+    componentDidUpdate: function(prevProps, prevState) {
+        // most changes are likely to cause a resize
+        if (this.props.onResize) {
+            this.props.onResize();
+        }
     },
 
     onConferenceNotificationClick: function() {
@@ -87,7 +100,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         var callView = (
             <CallView ref="callView" room={this.props.room}
                 ConferenceHandler={this.props.conferenceHandler}
-                onResize={this.props.onCallViewVideoResize}
+                onResize={this.props.onResize}
                 maxVideoHeight={this.props.maxHeight}
             />
         );
diff --git a/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js b/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
index f4b85f83bf..cc5289e7f1 100644
--- a/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
+++ b/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // a callback which is called when the user clicks on the video div
         onClick: React.PropTypes.func,
 
-        // a callback which is called when the video within the callview is
-        // resized due to a change in video metadata
+        // a callback which is called when the content in the callview changes
+        // in a way that is likely to cause a resize.
         onResize: React.PropTypes.func,
     },
 
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             this.getVideoView().getRemoteVideoElement().style.display = "none";
             dis.dispatch({action: 'video_fullscreen', fullscreen: false});
         }
+
+        if (this.props.onResize) {
+            this.props.onResize();
+        }
     },
 
     getVideoView: function() {