diff --git a/src/ui/widget/font-list.cpp b/src/ui/widget/font-list.cpp
index ad45df8d120b73d78af34c00952230f7e0382bc1..956a606c8eac653a5fccc97c28fda53ac01be5a6 100644
--- a/src/ui/widget/font-list.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/widget/font-list.cpp
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ FontList::FontList(Glib::ustring preferences_path) :
     _font_list_store = Gtk::ListStore::create(g_column_model);
 
     get_widget<Gtk::Box>(_builder, "variants").append(_font_variations);
+    // takes up available space in the dialog instead of collapsing.
+    _font_variations.set_vexpand(true);
+    _font_variations.set_valign(Gtk::Align::FILL);
     _font_variations.get_size_group(0)->add_widget(get_widget<Gtk::Label>(_builder, "font-size-label"));
     _font_variations.get_size_group(1)->add_widget(_font_size);
     _font_variations.connectChanged([this]{
diff --git a/src/ui/widget/font-selector.cpp b/src/ui/widget/font-selector.cpp
index b18680eba599472659b6fa9e31a92b65503a9bd7..573191919dd207637246d7b1cad591ade9955b63 100644
--- a/src/ui/widget/font-selector.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/widget/font-selector.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ FontSelector::FontSelector(bool with_size, bool with_variations)
     font_variations.connectChanged(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &FontSelector::on_variations_changed));
     family_treeview.signal_realize().connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this, &FontSelector::on_realize_list));
 
-    font_variations_scroll.set_vexpand(false);
+    font_variations_scroll.set_vexpand(true);
 
     // Initialize font family lists. (May already be done.) Should be done on document change.
     font_lister->update_font_list(SP_ACTIVE_DESKTOP->getDocument());
@@ -449,6 +449,10 @@ FontSelector::on_family_changed() {
         style_treeview.get_selection()->select (it_best);
     }
 
+    // variation sliders are refreshed immediately,
+    // rather than waiting for an Apply.
+    update_variations(get_fontspec(false));
+
     signal_block = false;
 
     // Let world know
diff --git a/src/ui/widget/font-variations.cpp b/src/ui/widget/font-variations.cpp
index 097c0625403f94f2748f2fa5a0961ac2cfde22fb..8ff29f01409fd71320210f853fa69afb326600ee 100644
--- a/src/ui/widget/font-variations.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/widget/font-variations.cpp
@@ -212,6 +212,12 @@ FontVariations::FontVariations()
 {
     // std::cout << "FontVariations::FontVariations" << std::endl;
     set_name("FontVariations");
+
+    set_margin_start(10);
+    set_margin_end(10);
+    set_margin_top(10);
+    set_margin_bottom(10);
+    
     _size_group = Gtk::SizeGroup::create(Gtk::SizeGroup::Mode::HORIZONTAL);
     _size_group_edit = Gtk::SizeGroup::create(Gtk::SizeGroup::Mode::HORIZONTAL);
 }