diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+0.9.0.3
+---
+* initial settings selector box is big enough to see some fields
+* combo box and text entry now share "staged" column
+
 0.9.0.2
 ---
 * Add autocommit toggle
diff --git a/Plot-ho-matic.cabal b/Plot-ho-matic.cabal
--- a/Plot-ho-matic.cabal
+++ b/Plot-ho-matic.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                Plot-ho-matic
-version:             0.9.0.2
+version:             0.9.0.3
 synopsis:            Real-time line plotter for generic data
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
diff --git a/src/SetHo/LookupTree.hs b/src/SetHo/LookupTree.hs
--- a/src/SetHo/LookupTree.hs
+++ b/src/SetHo/LookupTree.hs
@@ -161,37 +161,33 @@
   colType <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew
   colUpstreamValue <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew
   colStagedValue <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew
-  colCombo <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew
---  colSpin <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew
 
   Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colName "name"
   Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colType "type"
   Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colUpstreamValue "upstream"
   Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colStagedValue "staged"
-  Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colCombo "combo"
---  Gtk.treeViewColumnSetTitle colSpin "enum"
 
   rendererName <- Gtk.cellRendererTextNew
   rendererType <- Gtk.cellRendererTextNew
   rendererStagedValue <- Gtk.cellRendererTextNew
   rendererUpstreamValue <- Gtk.cellRendererTextNew
   rendererCombo <- Gtk.cellRendererComboNew
---  rendererSpin <- Gtk.cellRendererSpinNew
 
-  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colName rendererName True
-  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colType rendererType True
-  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colUpstreamValue rendererUpstreamValue True
-  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colStagedValue rendererStagedValue True
-  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colCombo rendererCombo True
---  Gtk.cellLayoutPackStart colSpin rendererSpin True
+  Gtk.treeViewColumnPackStart colName rendererName True
+  Gtk.treeViewColumnPackStart colType rendererType True
+  Gtk.treeViewColumnPackStart colUpstreamValue rendererUpstreamValue True
+  Gtk.treeViewColumnPackStart colStagedValue rendererStagedValue True
+  Gtk.treeViewColumnPackStart colStagedValue rendererCombo True
 
   _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colName
   _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colType
   _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colUpstreamValue
   _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colStagedValue
-  _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colCombo
---  _ <- Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview colSpin
 
+  -- add an extra dummy column at the end so that the staged value doesn't
+  -- expand to the right
+  _ <- Gtk.treeViewColumnNew >>= Gtk.treeViewAppendColumn treeview
+
   ----------------------------- showing values ------------------------
   -- data name
   let showName :: ListViewElement -> String
@@ -226,6 +222,7 @@
         Left msg -> msg
         Right r -> r
 
+  -- upstream
   Gtk.cellLayoutSetAttributes colUpstreamValue rendererUpstreamValue treeStore $
     \lve -> case lve of
       LveField fe -> [ Gtk.cellText := showField (feUpstreamField fe)
@@ -242,29 +239,30 @@
   Gtk.cellLayoutSetAttributes colStagedValue rendererStagedValue treeStore $
     \lve -> case lve of
       LveField fe ->
-        [ Gtk.cellText := showField (feStagedField fe)
+        [ Gtk.cellVisible := True
+        , Gtk.cellText := showField (feStagedField fe)
         , Gtk.cellTextEditable := True
         ]
-      LveSum se ->
-        [ Gtk.cellText := showSum (seStagedSum se)
-        , Gtk.cellTextEditable := False
+      LveSum _ ->
+        [ Gtk.cellVisible := False
         ]
       LveConstructor _ ->
-        [ Gtk.cellText := ""
+        [ Gtk.cellVisible := False
         , Gtk.cellTextEditable := False
         ]
 
   -- combo box
-  Gtk.cellLayoutSetAttributes colCombo rendererCombo treeStore $ \lve ->
+  Gtk.cellLayoutSetAttributes colStagedValue rendererCombo treeStore $ \lve ->
     case lve of
       LveSum (SumElem {seStagedSum = denum, seListStore = listStore}) ->
-        [ Gtk.cellComboHasEntry := False
+        [ Gtk.cellVisible := True
+        , Gtk.cellComboHasEntry := False
         , Gtk.cellTextEditable := True
         , Gtk.cellComboTextModel := (listStore, Gtk.makeColumnIdString 0 :: Gtk.ColumnId String String)
         , Gtk.cellText := denumToStringOrMsg denum
         ]
       _ -> [ Gtk.cellMode := Gtk.CellRendererModeInert
-           , Gtk.cellText := ""
+           , Gtk.cellVisible := False
            ]
   -- workaround to make sure combo box is displaying correctly, see
   -- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/35147473/cant-get-gtk2-cellrenderercombo-to-display-anything
@@ -471,6 +469,9 @@
   Gtk.set scroll [ Gtk.scrolledWindowHscrollbarPolicy := Gtk.PolicyNever
                  , Gtk.scrolledWindowVscrollbarPolicy := Gtk.PolicyAutomatic
                  ]
+  -- 20 pixels width: other stuff is certainly larger than that so it'll never get that small
+  -- 110 pixels height: enough for the user to see the selector window and a child or two.
+  _ <- Gtk.widgetSetSizeRequest scroll 20 110
 
   return (scroll, getLatestStaged, receiveNewUpstream, takeLatestUpstream, loadDTree)