diff --git a/src/Events.hpp b/src/Events.hpp
index 8140130..e399ac1 100644
--- a/src/Events.hpp
+++ b/src/Events.hpp
@@ -11,10 +11,20 @@ enum class EventType {
 
     MouseButton,
     MouseMove,
-    WidgetRepaintRequested,
+    Reflow,
     FocusUpdate,
     ActivationUpdate,
-    WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent
+};
+
+enum class ReflowType {
+    RepaintSubtree,
+    RelayoutSubtree,
+    RepaintSelf
+};
+
+enum class ReflowGrouping {
+    Yes,
+    No
 };
 
 class Event {
@@ -65,26 +75,23 @@ public:
     Point &point() { return m_point; }
 };
 
-class WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent : public Event {
+class ReflowEvent: public Event {
 private:
-    bool m_should_do_group { false };
+    ReflowType m_reflow_type;
+    ReflowGrouping m_reflow_grouping;
 public:
-    WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent(bool should_do_group)
-        : m_should_do_group(should_do_group) {}
+    ReflowEvent(ReflowType type, ReflowGrouping grouping)
+        : m_reflow_type(type)
+        , m_reflow_grouping(grouping) {}
 
-    EventType type() { return EventType::WidgetRepaintRequested; }
-    const char *name() { return "WidgetRepaintRequested"; }
+    EventType type() { return EventType::Reflow; }
+    const char *name() { return "Reflow"; }
 
-    bool should_do_group() { return m_should_do_group; }
-    void set_should_do_group(bool should_do_group) { m_should_do_group = should_do_group; }
-};
+    ReflowType reflow_type() { return m_reflow_type; }
+    ReflowGrouping reflow_grouping() { return m_reflow_grouping; }
 
-class WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent : public Event {
-public:
-    WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent() {}
-
-    EventType type() { return EventType::WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent; }
-    const char *name() { return "WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent"; }
+    void set_reflow_grouping(ReflowGrouping reflow_grouping) { m_reflow_grouping = reflow_grouping; }
+    void set_reflow_type(ReflowType reflow_type) { m_reflow_type = reflow_type; }
 };
 
 class FocusUpdateEvent : public Event {
diff --git a/src/Widget.cpp b/src/Widget.cpp
index d3277c7..69de66c 100644
--- a/src/Widget.cpp
+++ b/src/Widget.cpp
@@ -31,10 +31,8 @@ void Widget::move_to(double x, double y) {
 }
 
 void Widget::do_layout() {
-    if (m_layout) {
+    if (m_layout)
         m_layout->run();
-        wants_repaint(); // TODO: should relayout really repaint as well?
-    }
 }
 
 void Widget::set_layout(std::shared_ptr<Layout> layout) {
@@ -114,7 +112,7 @@ void Widget::wants_full_relayout() {
     m_window->dispatch_full_relayout();
 }
 
-void Widget::handle_repaint(WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent &event) {
+void Widget::handle_reflow(ReflowEvent &event) {
     // immediately accept the event - we will do our own propagation logic
     event.accept();
 
@@ -122,29 +120,35 @@ void Widget::handle_repaint(WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent &event) {
         return;
 
     auto painter = m_window->painter();
-
     if (!painter.can_paint())
         return;
 
     auto cr = painter.cairo();
-    auto event_should_do_group = event.should_do_group();
+    auto grouping = event.reflow_grouping();
+    auto type = event.reflow_type();
 
-    if (event_should_do_group) {
+    if (grouping == ReflowGrouping::Yes) {
         painter.begin_paint_group();
     }
 
+    if (type == ReflowType::RelayoutSubtree) {
+        do_layout();
+    }
+
     cr->save();
     on_paint();
     cr->restore();
 
-    // we will propagate this event to all of our children, except it will have
-    // should_do_group set to false
-    event.set_should_do_group(false);
-    for (auto& child : m_children) {
-        child->dispatch_event(event);
+    if (type != ReflowType::RepaintSelf) {
+        // we will propagate this event to all of our children, except it will have
+        // should_do_group set to false
+        event.set_reflow_grouping(ReflowGrouping::No);
+        for (auto& child : m_children) {
+            child->dispatch_event(event);
+        }
     }
 
-    if (event_should_do_group) {
+    if (grouping == ReflowGrouping::Yes) {
         painter.end_paint_group();
     }
 }
@@ -207,12 +211,8 @@ void Widget::dispatch_event(Event &event) {
             handle_mouse_button_event(reinterpret_cast<MouseButtonEvent&>(event));
             break;
         }
-        case EventType::WidgetRepaintRequested: {
-            handle_repaint(reinterpret_cast<WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent&>(event));
-            break;
-        }
-        case EventType::WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent: {
-            do_layout();
+        case EventType::Reflow: {
+            handle_reflow(reinterpret_cast<ReflowEvent&>(event));
             break;
         }
         /* these events aren't handled here, as they won't be dispatched to us from other places */
@@ -236,4 +236,4 @@ void Widget::on_init() {
     set_did_init(true);
 }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/Widget.hpp b/src/Widget.hpp
index 7d36dd1..3792677 100644
--- a/src/Widget.hpp
+++ b/src/Widget.hpp
@@ -132,9 +132,9 @@ private:
     void wants_full_repaint();
     void wants_full_relayout();
     void do_layout();
-    void handle_repaint(WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent& event);
+    void handle_reflow(ReflowEvent& event);
     void handle_mouse_move_event(MouseMoveEvent &event);
     void handle_mouse_button_event(MouseButtonEvent &event);
 };
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/Window.cpp b/src/Window.cpp
index b4a64d9..f417bcb 100644
--- a/src/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/Window.cpp
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ bool Window::spawn_window() {
 }
 
 void Window::widget_repaint(Widget *target) {
-    auto event = WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent(true);
+    auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RepaintSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     target->dispatch_event(event);
 }
 
 void Window::widget_relayout(Widget *target) {
-    auto event = WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent();
+    auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RelayoutSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     target->dispatch_event(event);
 }
 
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ bool Window::dispatch_to_main_widget(Event &event) {
 }
 
 bool Window::dispatch_full_repaint() {
-    auto event = WidgetRepaintRequestedEvent(true);
+    auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RepaintSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     return dispatch_to_main_widget(event);
 }
 
 bool Window::dispatch_full_relayout() {
-    auto event = WidgetRelayoutRequestedEvent();
+    auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RelayoutSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     return dispatch_to_main_widget(event);
 }
 
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ void Window::run(bool block) {
             }
             case Expose: {
                 if (e.xexpose.count == 0) {
-                    // TODO: hack
                     // might run into issues with other X implementations... :(
                     dispatch_full_repaint();
                 }