diff --git a/js/widgets/panel.js b/js/widgets/panel.js
index f8eba1992ea..88a830cdae4 100644
--- a/js/widgets/panel.js
+++ b/js/widgets/panel.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 
 	_create: function() {
 		var el = this.element,
-			parentPage = el.closest( ":jqmData(role='page')" );
+			parentPage = el.closest( ":data(mobilePage)" );
 
 		// expose some private props to other methods
 		$.extend( this, {
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 			_parentPage: ( parentPage.length > 0 ) ? parentPage : false,
 			_page: this._getPage,
 			_panelInner: this._getPanelInner(),
-			_wrapper: this._getWrapper,
 			_fixedToolbars: this._getFixedToolbars
 		});
-
+		if ( this.options.display !== "overlay" ){
+			this._getWrapper();
+		}
 		this._addPanelClasses();
 
 		// if animating, add the class to do so
@@ -106,14 +107,13 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 
 	_getWrapper: function() {
 		var wrapper = this._page().find( "." + this.options.classes.pageWrapper );
-
 		if ( wrapper.length === 0 ) {
 			wrapper = this._page().children( ".ui-header:not(.ui-header-fixed), .ui-content:not(.ui-popup), .ui-footer:not(.ui-footer-fixed)" )
 				.wrapAll( "<div class='" + this.options.classes.pageWrapper + "'></div>" )
 				.parent();
 		}
 
-		return wrapper;
+		this._wrapper = wrapper;
 	},
 
 	_getFixedToolbars: function() {
@@ -260,7 +260,11 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 					self.close();
 				}
 			});
-
+		if ( !this._parentPage && this.options.display !== "overlay" ) {
+			this._on( this.document, {
+				"pageshow": "_getWrapper"
+			});
+		}
 		// Clean up open panels after page hide
 		if ( self._parentPage ) {
 			this.document.on( "pagehide", ":jqmData(role='page')", function() {
@@ -292,7 +296,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 					self._page().jqmData( "panel", "open" );
 
 					if ( $.support.cssTransform3d && !!o.animate && o.display !== "overlay" ) {
-						self._wrapper().addClass( o.classes.animate );
+						self._wrapper.addClass( o.classes.animate );
 						self._fixedToolbars().addClass( o.classes.animate );
 					}
 
@@ -317,7 +321,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 
 					if ( o.display !== "overlay" ) {
 						self._page().parent().addClass( o.classes.pageContainer );
-						self._wrapper().addClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
+						self._wrapper.addClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
 						self._fixedToolbars().addClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
 					}
 
@@ -332,7 +336,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 					self.document.off( self._transitionEndEvents, complete );
 
 					if ( o.display !== "overlay" ) {
-						self._wrapper().addClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
+						self._wrapper.addClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
 						self._fixedToolbars().addClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
 					}
 
@@ -370,7 +374,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 					self.element.removeClass( o.classes.panelOpen );
 
 					if ( o.display !== "overlay" ) {
-						self._wrapper().removeClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
+						self._wrapper.removeClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
 						self._fixedToolbars().removeClass( self._pageContentOpenClasses );
 					}
 
@@ -389,12 +393,12 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 
 					if ( o.display !== "overlay" ) {
 						self._page().parent().removeClass( o.classes.pageContainer );
-						self._wrapper().removeClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
+						self._wrapper.removeClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
 						self._fixedToolbars().removeClass( o.classes.pageContentPrefix + "-open" );
 					}
 
 					if ( $.support.cssTransform3d && !!o.animate && o.display !== "overlay" ) {
-						self._wrapper().removeClass( o.classes.animate );
+						self._wrapper.removeClass( o.classes.animate );
 						self._fixedToolbars().removeClass( o.classes.animate );
 					}
 
@@ -431,7 +435,7 @@ $.widget( "mobile.panel", {
 			//  remove the wrapper if not in use by another panel
 			otherPanels = $( "body > :mobile-panel" ).add( $.mobile.activePage.find( ":mobile-panel" ) );
 			if ( otherPanels.not( ".ui-panel-display-overlay" ).not( this.element ).length === 0 ) {
-				this._wrapper().children().unwrap();
+				this._wrapper.children().unwrap();
 			}
 
 			if ( this._open ) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/panel/index.html b/tests/unit/panel/index.html
index 1bd7a0be617..7a4aac5a79b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/panel/index.html
+++ b/tests/unit/panel/index.html
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ <h2 id="qunit-userAgent"></h2>
 		<ol id="qunit-tests">
 		</ol>
 
-		<div data-nstest-role="page">
+		<div data-nstest-role="page" id="page1">
 			<div data-nstest-role="panel" id="panel-test-create">
 				<p>Contents of a panel.</p>
 			</div>
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@ <h2 id="qunit-userAgent"></h2>
 				<p>Contents of a panel.</p>
 				<a href="#demo-links" data-nstest-rel="close" data-nstest-role="button">Close panel</a>
 			</div>
-
+			<div id="panel-test-get-wrapper">
+				<p>Contents of a panel.</p>
+			</div>
+			<div id="panel-test-get-wrapper-overlay">
+				<p>Contents of a panel.</p>
+			</div>
+			<div id="panel-test-get-wrapper-push">
+				<p>Contents of a panel.</p>
+			</div>
 			<div data-nstest-role="header">
 				<h1>Panel Test</h1>
 			</div>
@@ -88,6 +96,7 @@ <h1 id="demo-links">Panels</h1>
 				<a href="#panel-test-with-close">Open Panel</a>
 			</div>
 		</div>
-
+		<div data-nstest-role="page" id="page2"></div>
+		<div id="external-panel-test"></div>
 	</body>
 </html>
diff --git a/tests/unit/panel/panel_core.js b/tests/unit/panel/panel_core.js
index b74581553fc..f8c2791ec05 100644
--- a/tests/unit/panel/panel_core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/panel/panel_core.js
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 
 (function( $ ){
 
-	var defaults = $.mobile.panel.prototype.options,
-		classes = defaults.classes;
+	var count,
+		defaults = $.mobile.panel.prototype.options,
+		classes = defaults.classes,
+		originalWidget = $.mobile.panel.prototype;
 
 	function getPageFromPanel( $panel ) {
 		return $panel.closest( ":jqmData(role='page')" );
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@
 		ok( $panel.hasClass( defaults.classes.panelClosed ), "panel is closed by default" );
 	});
 
+
+
 	asyncTest( "expected open, close events", function() {
 
 		expect( 4 );
@@ -284,4 +288,128 @@
 		$panel.panel( "open" );
 	});
 
+	module( "wrapper generation", {
+		setup: function() {
+			count = 0;
+			$.widget( "mobile.panel", $.mobile.panel, {
+				_getWrapper: function() {
+					this._super();
+					count++;
+				}
+			});
+		},
+		teardown: function() {
+			$.mobile.panel.prototype = originalWidget;
+		}
+	});
+	asyncTest( "overlay panel should not call getWrapper", function(){
+		expect( 5 );
+		var testPanel = $( "#panel-test-get-wrapper-overlay" );
+
+		testPanel.panel({
+			"display": "overlay"
+		});
+		ok( count === 0, "getWrapper only called once durring create" );
+		testPanel.panel( "open" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelopen", function(){
+			ok( count === 0, "getWrapper not called on open" );
+		});
+		testPanel.panel( "close" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelclose", function(){
+			ok( count === 0, "getWrapper not called on close" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page2" );
+		});
+		$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+			ok( count === 0, "getWrapper not called on pagechange" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page1" );
+			$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+				ok( count === 0, "getWrapper not called on pagechange back to inital page" );
+				start();
+			});
+		});
+
+	});
+	asyncTest( "push should call getWrapper only once on create", function(){
+		expect( 5 );
+		var testPanel = $( "#panel-test-get-wrapper-push" );
+
+		testPanel.panel({
+			"display": "push"
+		});
+		ok( count === 1, "getWrapper only called once durring create" );
+		testPanel.panel( "open" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelopen", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on open" );
+		});
+		testPanel.panel( "close" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelclose", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on close" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page2" );
+		});
+		$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on pagechange" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page1" );
+			$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+				ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on pagechange back to inital page" );
+				start();
+			});
+		});
+
+	});
+	asyncTest( "reveal panel should call getWrapper only once on create", function(){
+		expect( 5 );
+		var testPanel = $( "#panel-test-get-wrapper" );
+
+		testPanel.panel();
+		ok( count === 1, "getWrapper only called once durring create" );
+		testPanel.panel( "open" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelopen", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on open" );
+		});
+		testPanel.panel( "close" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelclose", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on close" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page2" );
+		});
+		$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on pagechange" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page1" );
+			$( "body" ).one( "pagechange", function(){
+				ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on pagechange back to inital page" );
+				start();
+			});
+		});
+
+	});
+	asyncTest( "external panel should call panel once on create and on page changes", function(){
+		expect( 5 );
+		var testPanel = $( "#external-panel-test" );
+
+		testPanel.panel();
+		ok( count === 1, "getWrapper only called once durring create" );
+		testPanel.panel( "open" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelopen", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on open" );
+		});
+		testPanel.panel( "close" );
+		testPanel.one( "panelclose", function(){
+			ok( count === 1, "getWrapper not called on close" );
+			$.mobile.changePage( "#page2" );
+			$( "body" ).one( "pageshow", function(){
+				window.setTimeout( function(){
+					ok( count === 2, "getWrapper called on pagechange" );
+				}, 0 );
+
+				$( "body" ).one( "pageshow", function(){
+					window.setTimeout( function(){
+						ok( count === 3, "getWrapper called on pagechange back to inital page" );
+						start();
+					}, 0 );
+				});
+				$.mobile.changePage( "#page1" );
+			});
+		});
+
+	});
+
 }( jQuery ));