diff --git a/newctrl/stack.go b/newctrl/stack.go
index 7de2fbb..164d663 100644
--- a/newctrl/stack.go
+++ b/newctrl/stack.go
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ type Stack interface {
 	// SetStretchy marks a control in a Stack as stretchy.
 	// It panics if index is out of range.
 	SetStretchy(index int)
+
+	// Padded and SetPadded get and set whether the controls of the Stack have padding between them.
+	// The size of the padding is platform-dependent.
+	Padded() bool
+	SetPadded(padded bool)
 }
 
 type stack struct {
@@ -32,6 +37,7 @@ type stack struct {
 	stretchy      []bool
 	width, height []int // caches to avoid reallocating these each time
 	container		*container
+	padded	bool
 }
 
 func newStack(o orientation, controls ...Control) Stack {
@@ -67,6 +73,14 @@ func (s *stack) SetStretchy(index int) {
 	s.stretchy[index] = true
 }
 
+func (s *stack) Padded() bool {
+	return s.padded
+}
+
+func (s *stack) SetPadded(padded bool) {
+	s.padded = padded
+}
+
 func (s *stack) setParent(parent *controlParent) {
 	s.container.setParent(parent)
 }
@@ -78,11 +92,18 @@ func (s *stack) resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
 	if len(s.controls) == 0 { // do nothing if there's nothing to do
 		return
 	}
+	// -1) get this Stack's padding
+	xpadding := d.xpadding
+	ypadding := d.ypadding
+	if !s.padded {
+		xpadding = 0
+		ypadding = 0
+	}
 	// 0) inset the available rect by the needed padding and reset the x/y coordinates for the children
 	if s.orientation == horizontal {
-		width -= (len(s.controls) - 1) * d.xpadding
+		width -= (len(s.controls) - 1) * xpadding
 	} else {
-		height -= (len(s.controls) - 1) * d.ypadding
+		height -= (len(s.controls) - 1) * ypadding
 	}
 	x = 0
 	y = 0
@@ -125,9 +146,9 @@ func (s *stack) resize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
 	for i, c := range s.controls {
 		c.resize(x, y, s.width[i], s.height[i], d)
 		if s.orientation == horizontal {
-			x += s.width[i] + d.xpadding
+			x += s.width[i] + xpadding
 		} else {
-			y += s.height[i] + d.ypadding
+			y += s.height[i] + ypadding
 		}
 	}
 	return
@@ -148,10 +169,16 @@ func (s *stack) preferredSize(d *sizing) (width int, height int) {
 	if len(s.controls) == 0 { // no controls, so return emptiness
 		return 0, 0
 	}
+	xpadding := d.xpadding
+	ypadding := d.ypadding
+	if !s.padded {
+		xpadding = 0
+		ypadding = 0
+	}
 	if s.orientation == horizontal {
-		width = (len(s.controls) - 1) * d.xpadding
+		width = (len(s.controls) - 1) * xpadding
 	} else {
-		height = (len(s.controls) - 1) * d.ypadding
+		height = (len(s.controls) - 1) * ypadding
 	}
 	for i, c := range s.controls {
 		w, h := c.preferredSize(d)
diff --git a/newctrl/zz_test.go b/newctrl/zz_test.go
index cb8bf60..0097745 100644
--- a/newctrl/zz_test.go
+++ b/newctrl/zz_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ var closeOnClick = flag.Bool("close", false, "close on click")
 var smallWindow = flag.Bool("small", false, "open a small window (test Mac OS X initial control sizing)")
 var spaced = flag.Bool("spaced", false, "enable spacing")
 
+func newHorizontalStack(c ...Control) Stack {
+	s := NewHorizontalStack(c...)
+	s.SetPadded(*spaced)
+	return s
+}
+
+func newVerticalStack(c ...Control) Stack {
+	s := NewVerticalStack(c...)
+	s.SetPadded(*spaced)
+	return s
+}
+
 type dtype struct {
 	Name    string
 	Address string
@@ -119,7 +131,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) addfe() {
 		OpenFile(tw.w, tw.openFile)
 	})
 	tw.fnlabel = NewLabel("<no file selected>")
-	tw.festack = NewVerticalStack(tw.festart,
+	tw.festack = newVerticalStack(tw.festart,
 		tw.felabel,
 		tw.festop,
 		NewCheckbox("This is a checkbox test"),
@@ -130,7 +142,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) addfe() {
 		tw.openbtn, tw.fnlabel)
 	tw.festack.SetStretchy(4)
 	tw.festack.SetStretchy(6)
-	tw.festack = NewHorizontalStack(tw.festack, Space())
+	tw.festack = newHorizontalStack(tw.festack, Space())
 	tw.festack.SetStretchy(0)
 	tw.festack.SetStretchy(1)
 	tw.t.Append("Foreign Events", tw.festack)
@@ -174,7 +186,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) make(done chan struct{}) {
 	tw.t.Append("Empty Group", NewGroup("Group", Space()))
 	tw.t.Append("Filled Group", tw.group2)
 	tw.group2.SetMargined(*spaced)
-	tw.group = NewGroup("Group", NewVerticalStack(NewCheckbox("Checkbox in Group")))
+	tw.group = NewGroup("Group", newVerticalStack(NewCheckbox("Checkbox in Group")))
 	tw.group.SetMargined(*spaced)
 	tw.t.Append("Group", tw.group)
 	tw.simpleGrid = NewSimpleGrid(3,
@@ -193,7 +205,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) make(done chan struct{}) {
 	tw.t.Append("Space", Space())
 	tw.a = NewArea(200, 200, &areaHandler{false})
 	tw.t.Append("Area", tw.a)
-	tw.spw = NewHorizontalStack(
+	tw.spw = newHorizontalStack(
 		NewButton("hello"),
 		NewCheckbox("hello"),
 		NewTextField(),
@@ -201,7 +213,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) make(done chan struct{}) {
 		NewTable(reflect.TypeOf(struct{ A, B, C int }{})),
 		NewLabel("hello"))
 	tw.t.Append("Pref Width", tw.spw)
-	tw.sph = NewVerticalStack(
+	tw.sph = newVerticalStack(
 		NewButton("hello"),
 		NewCheckbox("hello"),
 		NewTextField(),
@@ -209,14 +221,14 @@ func (tw *testwin) make(done chan struct{}) {
 		NewTable(reflect.TypeOf(struct{ A, B, C int }{})),
 		NewLabel("hello ÉÀÔ"))
 	tw.t.Append("Pref Height", tw.sph)
-	stack1 := NewHorizontalStack(NewLabel("Test"), NewTextField())
+	stack1 := newHorizontalStack(NewLabel("Test"), NewTextField())
 	stack1.SetStretchy(1)
-	stack2 := NewHorizontalStack(NewLabel("ÉÀÔ"), NewTextField())
+	stack2 := newHorizontalStack(NewLabel("ÉÀÔ"), NewTextField())
 	stack2.SetStretchy(1)
-	stack3 := NewHorizontalStack(NewLabel("Test 2"),
+	stack3 := newHorizontalStack(NewLabel("Test 2"),
 		NewTable(reflect.TypeOf(struct{ A, B, C int }{})))
 	stack3.SetStretchy(1)
-	tw.s = NewVerticalStack(stack1, stack2, stack3)
+	tw.s = newVerticalStack(stack1, stack2, stack3)
 	tw.s.SetStretchy(2)
 	tw.t.Append("Stack", tw.s)
 	tw.l = NewLabel("hello")
@@ -252,7 +264,7 @@ func (tw *testwin) make(done chan struct{}) {
 	tw.w.Show()
 	if *smallWindow {
 		tw.wsmall = NewWindow("Small", 80, 80,
-			NewVerticalStack(
+			newVerticalStack(
 				NewButton("Small"),
 				NewButton("Small 2"),
 				NewArea(200, 200, &areaHandler{true})))