diff --git a/PBGitWindowController.m b/PBGitWindowController.m
index aba1987..8a338ce 100644
--- a/PBGitWindowController.m
+++ b/PBGitWindowController.m
@@ -69,28 +69,32 @@
 	selectedViewIndex = whichViewTag;
 	[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setInteger:whichViewTag forKey:@"selectedViewIndex"];
 
+	BOOL justLoaded = NO;
 	switch (whichViewTag)
 	{
-		case 0:	// swap in the "CustomImageViewController - NSImageView"
-			if (!historyViewController)
+		case 0:
+			if (!historyViewController) {
 				historyViewController = [[PBGitHistoryController alloc] initWithRepository:repository superController:self];
-			else
-				[historyViewController updateView];
+				justLoaded = YES;
+			}
 			viewController = historyViewController;
 			break;
 		case 1:
-			if (!commitViewController)
+			if (!commitViewController) {
 				commitViewController = [[PBGitCommitController alloc] initWithRepository:repository superController:self];
-			else
-				[commitViewController updateView];
-
+				justLoaded = YES;
+			}
 			viewController = commitViewController;
 			break;
 	}
 
 	// make sure we automatically resize the controller's view to the current window size
 	[[viewController view] setFrame: [contentView bounds]];
-	
+	if (justLoaded)
+		[viewController viewLoaded];
+	else
+		[viewController updateView];
+
 	//// embed the current view to our host view
 	[contentView addSubview: [viewController view]];
 
diff --git a/PBViewController.h b/PBViewController.h
index 4715c61..5d70dd2 100644
--- a/PBViewController.h
+++ b/PBViewController.h
@@ -21,8 +21,20 @@
 @property (readonly) NSToolbar *viewToolbar;
 
 - (id)initWithRepository:(PBGitRepository *)theRepository superController:(PBGitWindowController *)controller;
+
+/* removeView is called whenever the view is removed, either to be swapped
+ * with a different view, or when the repository window will be destroyed
+ */
 - (void) removeView;
+
+/* Updateview is called every time it is loaded into the main view */
 - (void) updateView;
+
+/* Called after awakeFromNib:, and the view has been loaded into the main view.
+ * Useful for resizing stuff after everything has been set in the right position
+ */
+- (void)viewLoaded;
+
 - (NSResponder *)firstResponder;
 
 @end
diff --git a/PBViewController.m b/PBViewController.m
index 510b7a7..4956237 100644
--- a/PBViewController.m
+++ b/PBViewController.m
@@ -35,14 +35,18 @@
 {
 }
 
-// This is called when the view is displayed again; it 
-// should be updated to show the most recent information
-- (void) updateView
-{
-}
-
 - (NSResponder *)firstResponder;
 {
 	return nil;
 }
+
+// The next methods should be implemented in the subclass if necessary
+- (void)updateView
+{
+}
+
+- (void)viewLoaded
+{
+}
+
 @end