diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py b/src/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
index febd5d484..5eee19b24 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/grampletpane.py
@@ -735,7 +735,12 @@ class GrampletPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
     def __init__(self, configfile, pageview, dbstate, uistate, **kwargs):
         gtk.ScrolledWindow.__init__(self)
         self.configfile = os.path.join(const.VERSION_DIR, "%s.ini" % configfile)
-        self.column_count = kwargs.get("column_count", 2) # default for new user
+        # default for new user; may be overridden in config:
+        self.column_count = kwargs.get("column_count", 2) 
+        # width of window, if sidebar; may be overridden in config:
+        self.pane_width = kwargs.get("pane_width", 250 * self.column_count) 
+        self.pane_other_width = kwargs.get("pane_other_width", -1) 
+        self.pane_position = kwargs.get("pane_position", -1) 
         self.default_gramplets = kwargs.get("default_gramplets", 
                 ["Top Surnames Gramplet", "Welcome Gramplet"])
         self.dbstate = dbstate
@@ -865,6 +870,12 @@ class GrampletPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
                 if sec == "Gramplet View Options":
                     if "column_count" in cp.options(sec):
                         self.column_count = int(cp.get(sec, "column_count"))
+                    if "pane_width" in cp.options(sec):
+                        self.pane_width = int(cp.get(sec, "pane_width"))
+                    if "pane_other_width" in cp.options(sec):
+                        self.pane_other_width = int(cp.get(sec, "pane_other_width"))
+                    if "pane_position" in cp.options(sec):
+                        self.pane_position = int(cp.get(sec, "pane_position"))
                 else:
                     data = {"title": sec}
                     for opt in cp.options(sec):
@@ -897,7 +908,10 @@ class GrampletPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
         fp.write(";; Gramps gramplets file" + NL)
         fp.write((";; Automatically created at %s" % time.strftime("%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S")) + NL + NL)
         fp.write("[Gramplet View Options]" + NL)
-        fp.write(("column_count=%d" + NL + NL) % self.column_count)
+        fp.write(("column_count=%d" + NL) % self.column_count)
+        fp.write(("pane_position=%d" + NL) % self.pane_position)
+        fp.write(("pane_other_width=%d" + NL) % self.pane_other_width)
+        fp.write(("pane_width=%d" + NL + NL) % self.pane_width)
         # showing gramplets:
         for col in range(self.column_count):
             row = 0