diff --git a/container_unix.c b/container_unix.c
index 8de3cb50..963984ba 100644
--- a/container_unix.c
+++ b/container_unix.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ static void goContainer_remove(GtkContainer *container, GtkWidget *widget)
 static void goContainer_size_allocate(GtkWidget *widget, GtkAllocation *allocation)
 {
 	gtk_widget_set_allocation(widget, allocation);
+	containerResize(GOCONTAINER(widget)->gocontainer, allocation);
 }
 
 struct forall {
diff --git a/container_unix.go b/container_unix.go
index 90bc84b2..c9ed89c5 100644
--- a/container_unix.go
+++ b/container_unix.go
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ import (
 // #include "gtk_unix.h"
 import "C"
 
+// TODO avoid direct access to contents?
 type container struct {
-	*controlSingleWidget
-	container *C.GtkContainer
+	widget		*C.GtkWidget
+	container		*C.GtkContainer
+	resize		func(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing)
+	margined		bool
 }
 
 type sizing struct {
@@ -28,7 +31,7 @@ type sizing struct {
 
 func newContainer() *container {
 	c := new(container)
-	c.controlSingleWidget = newControlSingleWidget(C.newContainer(unsafe.Pointer(c)))
+	c.widget = C.newContainer(unsafe.Pointer(c))
 	c.container = (*C.GtkContainer)(unsafe.Pointer(c.widget))
 	return c
 }
@@ -37,26 +40,19 @@ func (c *container) parent() *controlParent {
 	return &controlParent{c.container}
 }
 
-func (c *container) allocation(margined bool) C.GtkAllocation {
-	var a C.GtkAllocation
-
-	C.gtk_widget_get_allocation(c.widget, &a)
-	if margined {
+//export containerResize
+func containerResize(data unsafe.Pointer, aorig *C.GtkAllocation) {
+	c := (*container)(data)
+	d := beginResize()
+	// copy aorig
+	a := *aorig
+	if c.margined {
 		a.x += C.int(gtkXMargin)
 		a.y += C.int(gtkYMargin)
 		a.width -= C.int(gtkXMargin) * 2
 		a.height -= C.int(gtkYMargin) * 2
 	}
-	return a
-}
-
-// we can just return these values as is
-// note that allocations of a widget on GTK+ have their origin in the /window/ origin
-func (c *container) bounds(d *sizing) (int, int, int, int) {
-	var a C.GtkAllocation
-
-	C.gtk_widget_get_allocation(c.widget, &a)
-	return int(a.x), int(a.y), int(a.width), int(a.height)
+	c.resize(int(a.x), int(a.y), int(a.width), int(a.height), d)
 }
 
 const (
@@ -66,7 +62,7 @@ const (
 	gtkYPadding = 6
 )
 
-func (w *window) beginResize() (d *sizing) {
+func beginResize() (d *sizing) {
 	d = new(sizing)
 	d.xpadding = gtkXPadding
 	d.ypadding = gtkYPadding
diff --git a/group_unix.go b/group_unix.go
index 681ec75a..054c170e 100644
--- a/group_unix.go
+++ b/group_unix.go
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ type group struct {
 
 	child			Control
 	container		*container
-
-	margined		bool
-
-	chainresize	func(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing)
 }
 
 func newGroup(text string, control Control) Group {
@@ -54,10 +50,8 @@ func newGroup(text string, control Control) Group {
 
 	g.container = newContainer()
 	g.child.setParent(g.container.parent())
-	g.container.setParent(&controlParent{g.gcontainer})
-
-	g.chainresize = g.fresize
-	g.fresize = g.xresize
+	g.container.resize = g.child.resize
+	C.gtk_container_add(g.gcontainer, g.container.widget)
 
 	return g
 }
@@ -73,18 +67,11 @@ func (g *group) SetText(text string) {
 }
 
 func (g *group) Margined() bool {
-	return g.margined
+	return g.container.margined
 }
 
 func (g *group) SetMargined(margined bool) {
-	g.margined = margined
+	g.container.margined = margined
 }
 
-func (g *group) xresize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
-	// first, chain up to change the GtkFrame and its child container
-	g.chainresize(x, y, width, height, d)
-
-	// now that the container has the correct size, we can resize the child
-	a := g.container.allocation(g.margined)
-	g.child.resize(int(a.x), int(a.y), int(a.width), int(a.height), d)
-}
+// no need to override resize; the child container handles that for us
diff --git a/tab_unix.go b/tab_unix.go
index 064f17f5..5e77b177 100644
--- a/tab_unix.go
+++ b/tab_unix.go
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ type tab struct {
 
 	tabs []*container
 	children	[]Control
-
-	chainresize	func(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing)
 }
 
 func newTab() Tab {
@@ -29,8 +27,6 @@ func newTab() Tab {
 		container: (*C.GtkContainer)(unsafe.Pointer(widget)),
 		notebook:  (*C.GtkNotebook)(unsafe.Pointer(widget)),
 	}
-	t.chainresize = t.fresize
-	t.fresize = t.xresize
 	// there are no scrolling arrows by default; add them in case there are too many tabs
 	C.gtk_notebook_set_scrollable(t.notebook, C.TRUE)
 	return t
@@ -40,8 +36,9 @@ func (t *tab) Append(name string, control Control) {
 	c := newContainer()
 	t.tabs = append(t.tabs, c)
 	// this calls gtk_container_add(), which, according to gregier in irc.gimp.net/#gtk+, acts just like gtk_notebook_append_page()
-	c.setParent(&controlParent{t.container})
+	C.gtk_container_add(t.container, c.widget)
 	control.setParent(c.parent())
+	c.resize = control.resize
 	t.children = append(t.children, control)
 	cname := togstr(name)
 	defer freegstr(cname)
@@ -51,13 +48,4 @@ func (t *tab) Append(name string, control Control) {
 		cname)
 }
 
-func (t *tab) xresize(x int, y int, width int, height int, d *sizing) {
-	// first, chain up to change the GtkFrame and its child container
-	t.chainresize(x, y, width, height, d)
-
-	// now that the containers have the correct size, we can resize the children
-	for i, _ := range t.tabs {
-		a := t.tabs[i].allocation(false/*TODO*/)
-		t.children[i].resize(int(a.x), int(a.y), int(a.width), int(a.height), d)
-	}
-}
+// no need to handle resize; the children containers handle that for us
diff --git a/window_unix.go b/window_unix.go
index 6b15bc17..236cac72 100644
--- a/window_unix.go
+++ b/window_unix.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 
 // #include "gtk_unix.h"
 // extern gboolean windowClosing(GtkWidget *, GdkEvent *, gpointer);
-// extern void windowResized(GtkWidget *, GdkRectangle *, gpointer);
 import "C"
 
 type window struct {
@@ -25,8 +24,6 @@ type window struct {
 
 	child			Control
 	container		*container
-
-	margined		bool
 }
 
 func newWindow(title string, width int, height int, control Control) *window {
@@ -50,13 +47,8 @@ func newWindow(title string, width int, height int, control Control) *window {
 	C.gtk_window_resize(w.window, C.gint(width), C.gint(height))
 	w.container = newContainer()
 	w.child.setParent(w.container.parent())
-	w.container.setParent(&controlParent{w.wc})
-	// notice that we connect this to the container
-	g_signal_connect_after(		// so we get it after the child container has been allocated
-		C.gpointer(unsafe.Pointer(w.container.widget)),
-		"size-allocate",
-		C.GCallback(C.windowResized),
-		C.gpointer(unsafe.Pointer(w)))
+	w.container.resize = w.child.resize
+	C.gtk_container_add(w.wc, w.container.widget)
 	// for dialogs; otherwise, they will be modal to all windows, not just this one
 	w.group = C.gtk_window_group_new()
 	C.gtk_window_group_add_window(w.group, w.window)
@@ -90,11 +82,11 @@ func (w *window) OnClosing(e func() bool) {
 }
 
 func (w *window) Margined() bool {
-	return w.margined
+	return w.container.margined
 }
 
 func (w *window) SetMargined(margined bool) {
-	w.margined = margined
+	w.container.margined = margined
 }
 
 //export windowClosing
@@ -107,10 +99,4 @@ func windowClosing(wid *C.GtkWidget, e *C.GdkEvent, data C.gpointer) C.gboolean
 	return C.GDK_EVENT_STOP // keeps window alive
 }
 
-//export windowResized
-func windowResized(wid *C.GtkWidget, r *C.GdkRectangle, data C.gpointer) {
-	w := (*window)(unsafe.Pointer(data))
-	a := w.container.allocation(w.margined)
-	d := w.beginResize()
-	w.child.resize(int(a.x), int(a.y), int(a.width), int(a.height), d)
-}
+// no need for windowResized; the child container takes care of that