diff --git a/src/Button.cpp b/src/Button.cpp
index 6bfbfd8..e559250 100644
--- a/src/Button.cpp
+++ b/src/Button.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,26 @@
 
 namespace Raven {
 
+void Button::recompute_text_size() {
+    window()->painter().set_pango_font_description(styles()->controls_font_description());
+    auto size = window()->painter().compute_text_size(current_geometry(), m_text);
+    if (!resize(size)) {
+        wants_full_relayout();
+    }
+}
+
+void Button::set_text(std::string text) {
+    m_text = text;
+
+    if (window()) {
+        recompute_text_size();
+    }
+}
+
 void Button::on_init() {
     set_background_fill_color(styles()->button_normal_color());
     set_do_background_fill(true);
+    recompute_text_size();
 
     set_did_init(true);
 }
@@ -30,13 +47,10 @@ void Button::on_paint() {
 
     auto painter = window()->painter();
     auto text_color = styles()->button_text_color();
-    auto max_geometry = current_geometry().max_geometry();
-    bool set_size = current_geometry().max_width() != -1 && current_geometry().max_height() != -1;
 
     painter.source_rgb(text_color);
     painter.set_pango_font_description(styles()->controls_font_description());
-    auto point = painter.text(max_geometry, m_text, PaintTextAlign::Center, PANGO_ELLIPSIZE_END, set_size);
-    resize(point);
+    painter.text(current_geometry(), m_text, PaintTextAlign::Center, PANGO_ELLIPSIZE_END, true);
     painter.fill();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Button.hpp b/src/Button.hpp
index 38292c0..1063524 100644
--- a/src/Button.hpp
+++ b/src/Button.hpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public:
         : Widget(WidgetType::Button)
         , m_text(text) {}
 
-    void set_text(std::string text) { m_text = text; wants_repaint(); }
+    void set_text(std::string text);
     std::string &text() { return m_text; }
 
     std::function<void()> on_click { [](){} };
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ protected:
     void on_activation_update(ActivationUpdateEvent &event);
 private:
     void update_color();
+    void recompute_text_size();
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/Painter.cpp b/src/Painter.cpp
index a448a56..3eca6c9 100644
--- a/src/Painter.cpp
+++ b/src/Painter.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "RGB.hpp"
 #include "pango/pango-layout.h"
 #include "pango/pango-types.h"
+#include "pango/pangocairo.h"
 
 namespace Raven {
 
@@ -39,6 +40,29 @@ bool Painter::text(Point &where, std::string &text) {
     return true;
 }
 
+Point Painter::compute_text_size(Box &widget_geometry, std::string &text) {
+    if (m_pango_font_description == nullptr)
+        return {-1, -1};
+
+    PangoLayout *layout = pango_cairo_create_layout(m_cairo->cobj());
+
+    int font_width;
+    int font_height;
+
+    pango_layout_set_font_description(layout, m_pango_font_description);
+    if (widget_geometry.max_width() > 0)
+        pango_layout_set_width(layout, pango_units_from_double(widget_geometry.max_width()));
+    if (widget_geometry.max_height() > 0)
+        pango_layout_set_height(layout, pango_units_from_double(widget_geometry.max_height()));
+
+    pango_layout_set_text(layout, text.c_str(), -1);
+    pango_layout_get_size(layout, &font_width, &font_height);
+
+    g_object_unref(layout);
+
+    return { pango_units_to_double(font_width), pango_units_to_double(font_height) };
+}
+
 Point Painter::text(Box &geometry, std::string &text, PaintTextAlign align, PangoEllipsizeMode ellipsize, bool set_size) {
     if (m_pango_font_description == nullptr)
         return {-1,-1};
@@ -95,4 +119,10 @@ void Painter::end_paint_group() {
     m_cairo->paint();
 }
 
+void Painter::flush_paint_group() {
+    m_cairo->pop_group_to_source();
+    m_cairo->paint();
+    m_cairo->get_target()->flush();
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/Painter.hpp b/src/Painter.hpp
index ae2224b..a6d1afc 100644
--- a/src/Painter.hpp
+++ b/src/Painter.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public:
     void rounded_rectangle(Box &geometry, double border_radius);
     bool text(Point &where, std::string &text);
     Point text(Box &geometry, std::string &text, PaintTextAlign align, PangoEllipsizeMode ellipsize, bool set_size);
+    Point compute_text_size(Box &widget_geometry, std::string &text);
 
     bool can_paint() { if (m_cairo) return true; else return false; }
 
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ public:
 
     void begin_paint_group();
     void end_paint_group();
+    void flush_paint_group();
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/Widget.cpp b/src/Widget.cpp
index 69de66c..efb57fc 100644
--- a/src/Widget.cpp
+++ b/src/Widget.cpp
@@ -9,16 +9,17 @@
 
 namespace Raven {
 
-void Widget::resize(double width, double height) {
+bool Widget::resize(double width, double height) {
     if (m_current_geometry.width() == width && m_current_geometry.height() == height)
-        return;
+        return false;
 
     if (width < 0 || height < 0)
-        return;
+        return false;
 
     m_current_geometry.set_width(width);
     m_current_geometry.set_height(height);
     wants_full_relayout();
+    return true;
 }
 
 void Widget::move_to(double x, double y) {
@@ -59,12 +60,13 @@ bool Widget::add_child(std::shared_ptr<Widget> child) {
     // children inherit the window from the parent
     // TODO?: what happens when the parent changes its window?
     child->set_window(m_window);
-    do_layout();
+    wants_full_relayout();
     return true;
 }
 
 void Widget::remove_child(std::shared_ptr<Widget> child) {
     m_children.erase(std::remove(m_children.begin(), m_children.end(), child), m_children.end());
+    wants_full_relayout();
 }
 
 void Widget::do_generic_paint() {
diff --git a/src/Widget.hpp b/src/Widget.hpp
index 3792677..f0fe571 100644
--- a/src/Widget.hpp
+++ b/src/Widget.hpp
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ public:
     void set_current_geometry(Box current_geometry, bool is_pure) { m_current_geometry = current_geometry; if (!is_pure) { wants_full_relayout(); } }
 
     void move_to(double x, double y);
-    void resize(double width, double height);
-    void resize(Point &point) { resize(point.x(), point.y()); }
+    bool resize(double width, double height);
+    bool resize(Point &point) { return resize(point.x(), point.y()); }
 
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Widget>> &children() { return m_children; }
     bool add_child(std::shared_ptr<Widget> child);
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ protected:
     virtual void on_paint() { do_generic_paint(); }
 
     void do_generic_paint();
-private:
     void wants_full_repaint();
     void wants_full_relayout();
+private:
     void do_layout();
     void handle_reflow(ReflowEvent& event);
     void handle_mouse_move_event(MouseMoveEvent &event);
diff --git a/src/Window.cpp b/src/Window.cpp
index f417bcb..c044f59 100644
--- a/src/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/Window.cpp
@@ -61,11 +61,21 @@ bool Window::spawn_window() {
 }
 
 void Window::widget_repaint(Widget *target) {
+    // TODO: HACK, maybe instad have a vector of widgets that need to be repainted once the batch is ended?
+    m_did_repaint_during_batch = true;
+    if (m_is_batching)
+        return;
+
     auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RepaintSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     target->dispatch_event(event);
 }
 
 void Window::widget_relayout(Widget *target) {
+    // TODO: HACK, maybe instad have a vector of widgets that need to be relayouted once the batch is ended?
+    m_did_relayout_during_batch = true;
+    if (m_is_batching)
+        return;
+
     auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RelayoutSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     target->dispatch_event(event);
 }
@@ -73,21 +83,50 @@ void Window::widget_relayout(Widget *target) {
 bool Window::dispatch_to_main_widget(Event &event) {
     if (!m_main_widget)
         return false;
+    
+    std::cout << "Dispatched " << event.name() << " to main widget" << std::endl;
 
     m_main_widget->dispatch_event(event);
     return true;
 }
 
 bool Window::dispatch_full_repaint() {
+    m_did_repaint_during_batch = true;
+
+    if (m_is_batching)
+        return false;
+
     auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RepaintSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     return dispatch_to_main_widget(event);
 }
 
 bool Window::dispatch_full_relayout() {
+    m_did_relayout_during_batch = true;
+
+    if (m_is_batching)
+        return false;
+
     auto event = ReflowEvent(ReflowType::RelayoutSubtree, ReflowGrouping::Yes);
     return dispatch_to_main_widget(event);
 }
 
+void Window::start_batch() {
+    m_is_batching = true;
+    m_did_relayout_during_batch = false;
+    m_did_repaint_during_batch = false;
+}
+
+void Window::end_batch() {
+    if (m_is_batching) {
+        m_is_batching = false;
+        if (m_did_relayout_during_batch) {
+            dispatch_full_relayout();
+        } else if (m_did_repaint_during_batch) {
+            dispatch_full_repaint();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 void Window::run(bool block) {
     XEvent e;
 
@@ -99,7 +138,7 @@ void Window::run(bool block) {
 
         switch (e.type) {
             case MapNotify: {
-                dispatch_full_repaint();
+                end_batch();
                 break;
             }
             case ConfigureNotify: {
@@ -112,14 +151,12 @@ void Window::run(bool block) {
                         m_main_widget->current_geometry().set_width(m_current_geometry.width());
                         m_main_widget->current_geometry().set_height(m_current_geometry.height());
                     }
-                    dispatch_full_relayout();
                 }
                 break;
             }
             case Expose: {
                 if (e.xexpose.count == 0) {
-                    // might run into issues with other X implementations... :(
-                    dispatch_full_repaint();
+                    dispatch_full_relayout();
                 }
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/src/Window.hpp b/src/Window.hpp
index f319840..b2ec63d 100644
--- a/src/Window.hpp
+++ b/src/Window.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ private:
     Painter m_painter {};
     std::shared_ptr<TopLevelStyles> m_top_level_styles = std::make_shared<TopLevelStyles>(this);
     Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::XlibSurface> m_xlib_surface { nullptr };
+    bool m_is_batching { true };
+    bool m_did_relayout_during_batch { true };
+    bool m_did_repaint_during_batch { false };
 
     Display *m_x_display { nullptr };
 public:
@@ -49,6 +52,9 @@ public:
     bool spawn_window();
     void run(bool block);
 
+    void start_batch();
+    void end_batch();
+
     template<typename T, class... Args>
     std::shared_ptr<T> set_main_widget(Args&&... args) {
         std::shared_ptr<T> widget = std::make_shared<T>(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 56caa7d..3d41aa6 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -12,27 +12,29 @@
 
 int main() {
     Raven::Window window {};
+    window.spawn_window();
 
     auto main_widget = window.set_main_widget<Raven::Widget>();
     main_widget->set_layout<Raven::DocumentLayout>(6.0);
 
     int number = 0;
 
-    for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < 500; i++) {
         auto button = main_widget->add<Raven::Button>("0");
         button->on_click = [&]() {
             number++;
 
+            window.start_batch();
             for (auto& c : main_widget->children()) {
                 if (c->type() == Raven::WidgetType::Button) {
                     auto button_child = std::static_pointer_cast<Raven::Button>(c);
                     button_child->set_text(std::to_string(number));
                 }
             }
+            window.end_batch();
         };
     }
 
-    window.spawn_window();
     window.run(true);
     return 0;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}