diff --git a/repos/gems/run/menu_view.run b/repos/gems/run/menu_view.run
index 2eedcc16d4..ddb504e037 100644
--- a/repos/gems/run/menu_view.run
+++ b/repos/gems/run/menu_view.run
@@ -158,23 +158,44 @@ install_config {
 				<inline description="example menu">
 					<dialog>
 						<frame>
-							<vbox>
-								<button name="virtualbox">
-									<label text="VirtualBox"/>
-								</button>
-								<button name="toolchain" hovered="yes">
-									<label text="Tool chain"
-									       font="monospace/regular"/>
-								</button>
-								<button name="log" hovered="yes" selected="yes">
-									<label text="Log window"
-									       font="title/regular"/>
-								</button>
-								<button name="config" selected="yes">
-									<label text="Configuration"
-									       font="annotation/regular"/>
-								</button>
-							</vbox>
+							<hbox>
+								<vbox name="x">
+									<button name="virtualbox">
+										<label text="VirtualBox"/>
+									</button>
+									<button name="toolchain" hovered="yes">
+										<label text="Tool chain"
+										       font="monospace/regular"/>
+									</button>
+									<button name="log" hovered="yes" selected="yes">
+										<label text="Log window"
+										       font="title/regular"/>
+									</button>
+									<button name="config" selected="yes">
+										<label text="Configuration Configuration Configuration"
+										       font="annotation/regular"/>
+									</button>
+									<hbox>
+										<button name="x1"> <label text="x1"/> </button>
+										<button name="x2"> <label text="x2"/> </button>
+										<button name="x3"> <label text="x3"/> </button>
+									</hbox>
+									<frame>
+										<label text="A single line" font="annotation/regular"/>
+									</frame>
+								</vbox>
+								<float north="yes">
+									<vbox>
+										<button name="virtualbox">
+											<label text="VirtualBox"/>
+										</button>
+										<button name="toolchain" hovered="yes">
+											<label text="Tool chain"
+											       font="monospace/regular"/>
+										</button>
+									</vbox>
+								</float>
+							</hbox>
 						</frame>
 					</dialog>
 				</inline>
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/box_layout_widget.h b/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/box_layout_widget.h
index dd04d37ab1..4df7f346c1 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/box_layout_widget.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/box_layout_widget.h
@@ -28,20 +28,18 @@ struct Menu_view::Box_layout_widget : Widget
 
 	Direction const _direction;
 
-	Box_layout_widget(Widget_factory &factory, Xml_node node, Unique_id unique_id)
-	:
-		Widget(factory, node, unique_id),
-		       _direction(node.has_type("vbox") ? VERTICAL : HORIZONTAL)
-	{ }
+	bool _vertical() const { return _direction == VERTICAL; }
 
-	void update(Xml_node node) override
+	unsigned _count = 0;
+
+	/**
+	 * Stack and count children, and update min_size for the whole compound
+	 *
+	 * This method performs the part of the layout calculation that can be
+	 * done without knowing the final size of the box layout.
+	 */
+	void _stack_and_count_child_widgets()
 	{
-		_update_children(node);
-
-		/*
-		 * Apply layout to the children
-		 */
-
 		/* determine largest size among our children */
 		unsigned largest_size = 0;
 		_children.for_each([&] (Widget const &w) {
@@ -51,6 +49,7 @@ struct Menu_view::Box_layout_widget : Widget
 
 		/* position children on one row/column */
 		Point position(0, 0);
+		_count = 0;
 		_children.for_each([&] (Widget &w) {
 
 			Area const child_min_size = w.min_size();
@@ -66,6 +65,7 @@ struct Menu_view::Box_layout_widget : Widget
 				unsigned const dx = child_min_size.w() - min(w.margin.right, next_left_margin);
 				position = position + Point(dx, 0);
 			}
+			_count++;
 		});
 
 		_min_size = (_direction == VERTICAL)
@@ -73,6 +73,54 @@ struct Menu_view::Box_layout_widget : Widget
 		          : Area(position.x(), largest_size);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Adjust layout to actual size of the entire box layout widget
+	 */
+	void _stretch_child_widgets_to_available_size()
+	{
+		using Genode::max;
+		unsigned const unused_pixels =
+			_vertical() ? max(_geometry.h(), _min_size.h()) - _min_size.h()
+			            : max(_geometry.w(), _min_size.w()) - _min_size.w();
+
+		/* number of excess pixels at the end of the stack (fixpoint) */
+		unsigned const step_fp = (_count > 0) ? (unused_pixels << 8) / _count : 0;
+
+		unsigned consumed_fp = 0;
+		_children.for_each([&] (Widget &w) {
+
+			unsigned const next_consumed_fp = consumed_fp + step_fp;
+			unsigned const padding_pixels   = (next_consumed_fp >> 8)
+			                                - (consumed_fp      >> 8);
+			if (_direction == VERTICAL) {
+				w.position(w.geometry().p1() + Point(0, consumed_fp >> 8));
+				w.size(Area(geometry().w(), w.min_size().h() + padding_pixels));
+			} else {
+				w.position(w.geometry().p1() + Point(consumed_fp >> 8, 0));
+				w.size(Area(w.min_size().w() + padding_pixels, geometry().h()));
+			}
+			consumed_fp = next_consumed_fp;
+		});
+	}
+
+	Box_layout_widget(Widget_factory &factory, Xml_node node, Unique_id unique_id)
+	:
+		Widget(factory, node, unique_id),
+		       _direction(node.has_type("vbox") ? VERTICAL : HORIZONTAL)
+	{ }
+
+	void update(Xml_node node) override
+	{
+		_update_children(node);
+
+		/*
+		 * Apply layout to the children
+		 */
+
+		_stack_and_count_child_widgets();
+
+	}
+
 	Area min_size() const override
 	{
 		return _min_size;
@@ -87,12 +135,8 @@ struct Menu_view::Box_layout_widget : Widget
 
 	void _layout() override
 	{
-		_children.for_each([&] (Widget &w) {
-			if (_direction == VERTICAL)
-				w.size(Area(geometry().w(), w.min_size().h()));
-			else
-				w.size(Area(w.min_size().w(), geometry().h()));
-		});
+		_stack_and_count_child_widgets();
+		_stretch_child_widgets_to_available_size();
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/float_widget.h b/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/float_widget.h
index 80cf1bec52..793ebc65cd 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/float_widget.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/menu_view/float_widget.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct Menu_view::Float_widget : Widget
 		int const h = (_north && _south) ? geometry().h() : child_min.h();
 
 		/* align / center child position */
-		int const x = _east  ? 0 : _west  ? w_space : w_space / 2;
+		int const x = _west  ? 0 : _east  ? w_space : w_space / 2;
 		int const y = _north ? 0 : _south ? h_space : h_space / 2;
 
 		child.geometry(Rect(Point(x, y), Area(w, h)));