diff --git a/rtgui/editorpanel.cc b/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
index a9c5e523e..a9cd7a994 100644
--- a/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
+++ b/rtgui/editorpanel.cc
@@ -2333,15 +2333,15 @@ void EditorPanel::updateHistogramPosition (int oldPosition, int newPosition)
             if (oldPosition == 0) {
                 // There was no Histogram before, so we create it
                 histogramPanel = Gtk::manage (new HistogramPanel ());
-                leftbox->pack1(*histogramPanel, true, false);
+                leftbox->pack1(*histogramPanel, false, false);
             } else if (oldPosition == 2) {
                 // The histogram was on the right side, so we move it to the left
                 histogramPanel->reference();
                 removeIfThere (vboxright, histogramPanel, false);
-                leftbox->pack1(*histogramPanel, true, false);
+                leftbox->pack1(*histogramPanel, false, false);
                 histogramPanel->unreference();
             }
-
+            
             leftbox->set_position(options.histogramHeight);
             histogramPanel->reorder (Gtk::POS_LEFT);
             break;
@@ -2353,15 +2353,15 @@ void EditorPanel::updateHistogramPosition (int oldPosition, int newPosition)
             if (oldPosition == 0) {
                 // There was no Histogram before, so we create it
                 histogramPanel = Gtk::manage (new HistogramPanel ());
-                vboxright->pack1 (*histogramPanel, true, false);
+                vboxright->pack1 (*histogramPanel, false, false);
             } else if (oldPosition == 1) {
                 // The histogram was on the left side, so we move it to the right
                 histogramPanel->reference();
                 removeIfThere (leftbox, histogramPanel, false);
-                vboxright->pack1 (*histogramPanel, true, false);
+                vboxright->pack1 (*histogramPanel, false, false);
                 histogramPanel->unreference();
             }
-
+            
             vboxright->set_position(options.histogramHeight); 
             histogramPanel->reorder (Gtk::POS_RIGHT);
             break;
diff --git a/rtgui/histogrampanel.cc b/rtgui/histogrampanel.cc
index 3d1095f8d..20c3b91d9 100644
--- a/rtgui/histogrampanel.cc
+++ b/rtgui/histogrampanel.cc
@@ -38,24 +38,14 @@ extern Options options;
 // HistogramPanel
 HistogramPanel::HistogramPanel ()
 {
-
-    set_vexpand(true);
-    set_hexpand(true);
-    set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
-    set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(this, true, true, Gtk::ALIGN_FILL, Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
     set_name("HistogramPanel");
 
     histogramArea = Gtk::manage (new HistogramArea (this));
-    histogramArea->set_hexpand(true);
-    histogramArea->set_vexpand(true);
-    histogramArea->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
-    histogramArea->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(histogramArea, true, true, Gtk::ALIGN_FILL, Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
     
     histogramRGBArea = Gtk::manage (new HistogramRGBArea ());
-    histogramRGBArea->set_hexpand(true);
-    histogramRGBArea->set_vexpand(false);
-    histogramRGBArea->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
-    histogramRGBArea->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_END);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(histogramArea, false, true, Gtk::ALIGN_END, Gtk::ALIGN_FILL);
     histogramRGBArea->show();
 
     gfxGrid = Gtk::manage (new Gtk::Grid ());
@@ -157,38 +147,14 @@ HistogramPanel::HistogramPanel ()
         showMode->set_image(*modeImage_g2);
     showBAR->set_image   (showBAR->get_active()   ? *barImage   : *barImage_g);
 
-    showRed->set_hexpand(false);
-    showRed->set_vexpand(false);
-    showRed->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showRed->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showGreen->set_hexpand(false);
-    showGreen->set_vexpand(false);
-    showGreen->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showGreen->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showBlue->set_hexpand(false);
-    showRed->set_vexpand(false);
-    showBlue->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showBlue->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showValue->set_hexpand(false);
-    showValue->set_vexpand(false);
-    showValue->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showValue->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showChro->set_hexpand(false);
-    showChro->set_vexpand(false);
-    showChro->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showChro->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showRAW->set_hexpand(false);
-    showRAW->set_vexpand(false);
-    showRAW->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showRAW->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showMode->set_hexpand(false);
-    showMode->set_vexpand(false);
-    showMode->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showMode->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
-    showBAR->set_hexpand(false);
-    showBAR->set_vexpand(false);
-    showBAR->set_halign(Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
-    showBAR->set_valign(Gtk::ALIGN_START);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showRed  , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showGreen, false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showBlue , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showValue, false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showChro , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showRAW  , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showMode , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
+    setExpandAlignProperties(showBAR  , false, false, Gtk::ALIGN_START, Gtk::ALIGN_CENTER);
 
     showRed->signal_toggled().connect( sigc::mem_fun(*this, &HistogramPanel::red_toggled), showRed );
     showGreen->signal_toggled().connect( sigc::mem_fun(*this, &HistogramPanel::green_toggled), showGreen );