diff --git a/common/control.c b/common/control.c
index 3e00db78..a42e44fd 100644
--- a/common/control.c
+++ b/common/control.c
@@ -33,26 +33,12 @@ uiControl *uiControlParent(uiControl *c)
 	return cb->parent;
 }
 
+// TODO ask the control instead
 int isToplevel(uiControl *c)
 {
 	return c->TypeSignature == uiWindowSignature;
 }
 
-// returns self if self is a window
-uiControl *toplevelOwning(uiControl *c)
-{
-	struct controlBase *cb;
-
-	for (;;) {
-		if (isToplevel(c))
-			return c;
-		cb = controlBase(c);
-		if (cb->parent == NULL)
-			return NULL;
-		c = cb->parent;
-	}
-}
-
 void uiControlSetParent(uiControl *c, uiControl *parent)
 {
 	struct controlBase *cb = controlBase(c);
diff --git a/common/uipriv.h b/common/uipriv.h
index 83ce6e74..d6a5b8fd 100644
--- a/common/uipriv.h
+++ b/common/uipriv.h
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ extern void uiFree(void *);
 extern void complain(const char *, ...);
 
 extern int isToplevel(uiControl *);
-extern uiControl *toplevelOwning(uiControl *);
 extern int controlSelfVisible(uiControl *);
 extern void controlUpdateState(uiControl *);
 
diff --git a/darwin/control.m b/darwin/control.m
index 3abeebd9..abff03e6 100644
--- a/darwin/control.m
+++ b/darwin/control.m
@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
 // 16 august 2015
 #import "uipriv_darwin.h"
 
+// TODO refine this
 void uiDarwinControlTriggerRelayout(uiDarwinControl *c)
 {
-	uiControl *p;
+	NSView *view;
+	uiWindow *p;
 
-	p = toplevelOwning(uiControl(c));
-	if (p == NULL)		// not in a window
-		return;
+	view = (NSView *) uiControlHandle(uiControl(c));
+	// this can be a NSWindow
+	if (![view isKindOfClass:[NSWindow class]]) {
+		p = windowFromNSWindow([view window]);
+		if (p == NULL)		// not in a window
+			return;
+	} else
+		p = uiWindow(c);
 	c = uiDarwinControl(p);
 	(*(c->Relayout))(uiDarwinControl(c));
 }
diff --git a/windows/fontbutton.cpp b/windows/fontbutton.cpp
index 5c71770f..aada19c3 100644
--- a/windows/fontbutton.cpp
+++ b/windows/fontbutton.cpp
@@ -111,12 +111,14 @@ uiFontButton *uiNewFontButton(void)
 		TRUE);
 
 	loadInitialFontDialogParams(&(b->params));
-	updateFontButtonLabel(b);
 
 	uiWindowsRegisterWM_COMMANDHandler(b->hwnd, onWM_COMMAND, uiControl(b));
 	uiFontButtonOnChanged(b, defaultOnChanged, NULL);
 
 	uiWindowsFinishNewControl(b, uiFontButton);
 
+	// TODO move this back above the previous when merging with uiNewControl(); it's here because this calls Handle()
+	updateFontButtonLabel(b);
+
 	return b;
 }
diff --git a/windows/resize.cpp b/windows/resize.cpp
index 7e6572b3..da8bd06d 100644
--- a/windows/resize.cpp
+++ b/windows/resize.cpp
@@ -3,17 +3,20 @@
 
 static std::map<uiWindowsControl *, bool> resizes;
 
+// TODO clicking buttons doesn't get rid of anything?
 void uiWindowsControlQueueRelayout(uiWindowsControl *c)
 {
-	uiControl *cc;
+	HWND hwnd;
+	HWND parent;
 	uintmax_t i;
 
 	// resizing a control requires us to reocmpute the sizes of everything in the top-level window
-	// TODO get rid of this call, make one for finding the root through the HWND
-	cc = toplevelOwning(uiControl(c));
-	if (cc == NULL)
+	hwnd = (HWND) uiControlHandle(uiControl(c));
+	// TODO what if this is toplevel
+	parent = parentToplevel(hwnd);
+	if (parent == utilWindow)		// not in a parent
 		return;
-	c = uiWindowsControl(cc);
+	c = uiWindowsControl(SendMessageW(parent, msgGetuiWindow, 0, 0));
 	resizes[c] = true;
 }
 
diff --git a/windows/window.cpp b/windows/window.cpp
index eafa4615..a7000f92 100644
--- a/windows/window.cpp
+++ b/windows/window.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK windowWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARA
 	if (handleParentMessages(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, &lResult) != FALSE)
 		return lResult;
 	switch (uMsg) {
+	case msgGetuiWindow:
+		return (LRESULT) w;
 	case WM_COMMAND:
 		// not a menu
 		if (lParam != 0)
diff --git a/windows/winutil.cpp b/windows/winutil.cpp
index 53440cbc..c8789124 100644
--- a/windows/winutil.cpp
+++ b/windows/winutil.cpp
@@ -135,8 +135,6 @@ HWND parentToplevel(HWND child)
 	return GetAncestor(child, GA_ROOT);
 }
 
-/////////////
-
 void uiWindowsEnsureMoveWindowDuringResize(HWND hwnd, intmax_t x, intmax_t y, intmax_t width, intmax_t height)
 {
 	RECT r;