diff --git a/library/ui/layouts.factor b/library/ui/layouts.factor
index 8b9067af3c..8ffbe1f877 100644
--- a/library/ui/layouts.factor
+++ b/library/ui/layouts.factor
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2005 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factor.sf.net/license.txt for BSD license.
 IN: gadgets
-USING: errors generic hashtables kernel lists math namespaces
-sdl sequences ;
+USING: errors generic hashtables kernel lists math matrices
+namespaces sdl sequences ;
 
 : layout ( gadget -- )
     #! Set the gadget's width and height to its preferred width
@@ -28,3 +28,11 @@ sdl sequences ;
     [ 0 x set 0 y set call ] with-scope ; inline
 
 : default-gap 3 ;
+
+: packed-pref-dim ( children gap axis -- dim )
+    #! The preferred size of the gadget, if all children are
+    #! packed in the direction of the given axis.
+    >r
+    over length 0 max v*n >r [ pref-dim ] map r>
+    2dup [ v+ ] reduce >r [ vmax ] reduce r>
+    r> set-axis ;
diff --git a/library/ui/piles.factor b/library/ui/piles.factor
index 6b2243b27a..ac8c33d329 100644
--- a/library/ui/piles.factor
+++ b/library/ui/piles.factor
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ! See http://factor.sf.net/license.txt for BSD license.
 IN: gadgets
 USING: errors generic hashtables kernel lists math namespaces
-sdl sequences ;
+sdl sequences vectors ;
 
 ! A pile is a box that lays out its contents vertically.
 TUPLE: pile align gap fill ;
@@ -20,15 +20,8 @@ C: pile ( align gap fill -- pile )
 : <line-pile> 0 0 1 <pile> ;
 
 M: pile pref-size ( pile -- w h )
-    [
-        dup pile-gap swap gadget-children
-        [ length 1 - 0 max * height set ] keep
-        [
-            pref-size
-            height [ + ] change
-            width [ max ] change
-        ] each
-    ] with-pref-size ;
+    dup gadget-children swap pile-gap dup dup 3vector { 0 1 0 }
+    packed-pref-dim 3unseq drop ;
 
 : w- swap shape-w swap pref-size drop - ;
 : pile-x/y ( pile gadget offset -- )
diff --git a/library/ui/splitters.factor b/library/ui/splitters.factor
index 044b6a833a..d8e8bd84a6 100644
--- a/library/ui/splitters.factor
+++ b/library/ui/splitters.factor
@@ -44,11 +44,8 @@ C: splitter ( first second vector -- splitter )
 : <y-splitter> { 1 0 0 } <splitter> ;
 
 M: splitter pref-size
-    [
-        gadget-children [ pref-dim ] map
-        dup { 0 0 0 } [ vmax ] reduce
-        swap { 0 0 0 } [ v+ ] reduce
-    ] keep splitter-vector set-axis 3unseq drop ;
+    dup gadget-children swap splitter-vector { 0 0 0 } swap
+    packed-pref-dim 3unseq drop ;
 
 : splitter-part ( splitter -- vec )
     dup splitter-split swap shape-dim n*v divider-size 1/2 v*n v- ;
diff --git a/library/ui/stacks.factor b/library/ui/stacks.factor
index 6a6766ce85..08dbed1fd9 100644
--- a/library/ui/stacks.factor
+++ b/library/ui/stacks.factor
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2005 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factor.sf.net/license.txt for BSD license.
 IN: gadgets
-USING: errors generic hashtables kernel lists math namespaces
-sdl sequences ;
+USING: errors generic hashtables kernel lists math matrices
+namespaces sdl sequences ;
 
 ! A stack just lays out all its children on top of each other.
 TUPLE: stack ;
@@ -10,18 +10,11 @@ C: stack ( list -- stack )
     <empty-gadget> over set-delegate
     swap [ over add-gadget ] each ;
 
-: max-size ( stack -- w h )
-    [
-        [
-            dup
-            shape-w width [ max ] change
-            shape-h height [ max ] change
-        ] each
-    ] with-pref-size ;
+: max-dim ( shapelist -- dim )
+    { 0 0 0 } [ shape-dim vmax ] reduce ;
 
-M: stack pref-size gadget-children max-size ;
+M: stack pref-size gadget-children max-dim 3unseq drop ;
 
 M: stack layout* ( stack -- )
-    dup gadget-children [
-        >r dup shape-w over shape-h r> resize-gadget
-    ] each drop ;
+    dup shape-dim swap gadget-children
+    [ set-gadget-dim ] each-with ;