diff --git a/redo/windows/tab.c b/redo/windows/tab.c
index 6dcc0e86..8cdd7bdb 100644
--- a/redo/windows/tab.c
+++ b/redo/windows/tab.c
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@ static void tabInsertAt(uiTab *tt, const char *name, uintmax_t n, uiControl *chi
 	// see below
 	hide = curpage(t);
 
-	page = newTabPage(child);
+	page = newTabPage();
+	tabPageSetChild(page, child);
 	uiControlSetParent(page, uiControl(t));
 	// and make it invisible at first; we show it later if needed
 	uiControlHide(page);
diff --git a/redo/windows/tabpage.c b/redo/windows/tabpage.c
index 3c96af8d..9b327ab1 100644
--- a/redo/windows/tabpage.c
+++ b/redo/windows/tabpage.c
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ static void tabPageResize(uiControl *c, intmax_t x, intmax_t y, intmax_t width,
 
 	(*(t->baseResize))(uiControl(t), x, y, width, height, d);
 
+	if (t->child == NULL)
+		return;
+
 	dchild = uiControlSizing(uiControl(t));
 
 	if (GetClientRect(t->hwnd, &r) == 0)
@@ -90,7 +93,7 @@ static INT_PTR CALLBACK dlgproc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lPar
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
-uiControl *newTabPage(uiControl *child)
+uiControl *newTabPage(void)
 {
 	struct tabPage *t;
 	HRESULT hr;
@@ -107,13 +110,7 @@ uiControl *newTabPage(uiControl *child)
 	if (hr != S_OK)
 		logHRESULT("error setting tab page background in newTabPage()", hr);
 
-	// needs to be done here, otherwise the uiControlSetParent() below will crash
-	// TODO split into separate functions
 	uiControl(t)->Handle = tabPageHandle;
-
-	t->child = child;
-	uiControlSetParent(t->child, uiControl(t));
-
 	uiControl(t)->PreferredSize = tabPagePreferredSize;
 	t->baseResize = uiControl(t)->Resize;
 	uiControl(t)->Resize = tabPageResize;
@@ -144,3 +141,12 @@ void tabPageDestroyChild(uiControl *c)
 	uiControlDestroy(t->child);
 	t->child = NULL;
 }
+
+void tabPageSetChild(uiControl *c, uiControl *child)
+{
+	struct tabPage *t = (struct tabPage *) c;
+
+	t->child = child;
+	t->child = child;
+	uiControlSetParent(t->child, uiControl(t));
+}
diff --git a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
index 2e0281c4..cb8caf2c 100644
--- a/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
+++ b/redo/windows/uipriv_windows.h
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ extern void endDialogHelper(HWND);
 extern void setSingleHWNDFuncs(uiControl *);
 
 // tabpage.c
-extern uiControl *newTabPage(uiControl *);
+extern uiControl *newTabPage(void);
 extern int tabPageMargined(uiControl *);
 extern void tabPageSetMargined(uiControl *, int);
 extern void tabPageDestroyChild(uiControl *);
+extern void tabPageSetChild(uiControl *, uiControl *);