diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/menu.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/menu.rs
index 24dd3e61..dab0c34f 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/menu.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/menu.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ pub struct Menu<T: Item> {
 
     scroll: usize,
     size: (u16, u16),
+    viewport: (u16, u16),
+    recalculate: bool,
 }
 
 impl<T: Item> Menu<T> {
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ impl<T: Item> Menu<T> {
             callback_fn: Box::new(callback_fn),
             scroll: 0,
             size: (0, 0),
+            viewport: (0, 0),
+            recalculate: true,
         };
 
         // TODO: scoring on empty input should just use a fastpath
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ impl<T: Item> Menu<T> {
         // reset cursor position
         self.cursor = None;
         self.scroll = 0;
+        self.recalculate = true;
     }
 
     pub fn move_up(&mut self) {
@@ -99,6 +104,41 @@ impl<T: Item> Menu<T> {
         self.adjust_scroll();
     }
 
+    fn recalculate_size(&mut self, viewport: (u16, u16)) {
+        let n = self
+            .options
+            .first()
+            .map(|option| option.row().cells.len())
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+        let max_lens = self.options.iter().fold(vec![0; n], |mut acc, option| {
+            let row = option.row();
+            // maintain max for each column
+            for (acc, cell) in acc.iter_mut().zip(row.cells.iter()) {
+                let width = cell.content.width();
+                if width > *acc {
+                    *acc = width;
+                }
+            }
+
+            acc
+        });
+        let len = max_lens.iter().sum::<usize>() + n + 1; // +1: reserve some space for scrollbar
+        let width = len.min(viewport.0 as usize);
+
+        self.widths = max_lens
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|len| Constraint::Length(len as u16))
+            .collect();
+
+        let height = self.matches.len().min(10).min(viewport.1 as usize);
+
+        self.size = (width as u16, height as u16);
+
+        // adjust scroll offsets if size changed
+        self.adjust_scroll();
+        self.recalculate = false;
+    }
+
     fn adjust_scroll(&mut self) {
         let win_height = self.size.1 as usize;
         if let Some(cursor) = self.cursor {
@@ -221,43 +261,13 @@ impl<T: Item + 'static> Component for Menu<T> {
     }
 
     fn required_size(&mut self, viewport: (u16, u16)) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
-        let n = self
-            .options
-            .first()
-            .map(|option| option.row().cells.len())
-            .unwrap_or_default();
-        let max_lens = self.options.iter().fold(vec![0; n], |mut acc, option| {
-            let row = option.row();
-            // maintain max for each column
-            for (acc, cell) in acc.iter_mut().zip(row.cells.iter()) {
-                let width = cell.content.width();
-                if width > *acc {
-                    *acc = width;
-                }
-            }
-
-            acc
-        });
-        let len = max_lens.iter().sum::<usize>() + n + 1; // +1: reserve some space for scrollbar
-        let width = len.min(viewport.0 as usize);
-
-        self.widths = max_lens
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|len| Constraint::Length(len as u16))
-            .collect();
-
-        let height = self.options.len().min(10).min(viewport.1 as usize);
-
-        self.size = (width as u16, height as u16);
-
-        // adjust scroll offsets if size changed
-        self.adjust_scroll();
+        if viewport != self.viewport || self.recalculate {
+            self.recalculate_size(viewport);
+        }
 
         Some(self.size)
     }
 
-    // TODO: required size should re-trigger when we filter items so we can draw a smaller menu
-
     fn render(&mut self, area: Rect, surface: &mut Surface, cx: &mut Context) {
         let theme = &cx.editor.theme;
         let style = theme
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/popup.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/popup.rs
index 846cefb8..1bab1eae 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/popup.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/popup.rs
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ pub struct Popup<T: Component> {
 }
 
 impl<T: Component> Popup<T> {
-    // TODO: it's like a slimmed down picker, share code? (picker = menu + prompt with different
-    // rendering)
     pub fn new(contents: T) -> Self {
         Self {
             contents,
@@ -38,20 +36,26 @@ impl<T: Component> Popup<T> {
 
         let (width, height) = self.size;
 
+        // if there's a orientation preference, use that
+        // if we're on the top part of the screen, do below
+        // if we're on the bottom part, do above
+
         // -- make sure frame doesn't stick out of bounds
         let mut rel_x = position.col as u16;
-        let rel_y = position.row as u16;
+        let mut rel_y = position.row as u16;
         if viewport.width <= rel_x + width {
             rel_x = rel_x.saturating_sub((rel_x + width).saturating_sub(viewport.width));
-        };
+        }
 
         // TODO: be able to specify orientation preference. We want above for most popups, below
         // for menus/autocomplete.
-        if height <= rel_y {
-            (rel_x, rel_y.saturating_sub(height)) // position above point
+        if viewport.height > rel_y + height {
+            rel_y += 1 // position below point
         } else {
-            (rel_x, rel_y + 1) // position below point
+            rel_y = rel_y.saturating_sub(height) // position above point
         }
+
+        (rel_x, rel_y)
     }
 
     pub fn get_size(&self) -> (u16, u16) {
@@ -133,6 +137,9 @@ impl<T: Component> Component for Popup<T> {
     }
 
     fn render(&mut self, viewport: Rect, surface: &mut Surface, cx: &mut Context) {
+        // trigger required_size so we recalculate if the child changed
+        self.required_size((viewport.width, viewport.height));
+
         cx.scroll = Some(self.scroll);
 
         let (rel_x, rel_y) = self.get_rel_position(viewport, cx);
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/text.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/text.rs
index 65a75a4a..4641fae1 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/text.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/text.rs
@@ -5,11 +5,17 @@ use helix_view::graphics::Rect;
 
 pub struct Text {
     contents: String,
+    size: (u16, u16),
+    viewport: (u16, u16),
 }
 
 impl Text {
     pub fn new(contents: String) -> Self {
-        Self { contents }
+        Self {
+            contents,
+            size: (0, 0),
+            viewport: (0, 0),
+        }
     }
 }
 impl Component for Text {
@@ -24,9 +30,13 @@ impl Component for Text {
     }
 
     fn required_size(&mut self, viewport: (u16, u16)) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
-        let contents = tui::text::Text::from(self.contents.clone());
-        let width = std::cmp::min(contents.width() as u16, viewport.0);
-        let height = std::cmp::min(contents.height() as u16, viewport.1);
-        Some((width, height))
+        if viewport != self.viewport {
+            let contents = tui::text::Text::from(self.contents.clone());
+            let width = std::cmp::min(contents.width() as u16, viewport.0);
+            let height = std::cmp::min(contents.height() as u16, viewport.1);
+            self.size = (width, height);
+            self.viewport = viewport;
+        }
+        Some(self.size)
     }
 }