diff --git a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/app.cpp b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/app.cpp
index c7f4d18d..8507638c 100644
--- a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/app.cpp
+++ b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/app.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static ox::Error runApp(
 	oxLogError(turbine::setWindowIcon(*ctx, WindowIcons()));
 	turbine::setWindowTitle(*ctx, keelCtx(*ctx).appName);
 	turbine::setKeyEventHandler(*ctx, keyEventHandler);
-	turbine::setRefreshWithin(*ctx, 0);
+	turbine::requireRefreshWithin(*ctx, 0);
 	StudioUI ui(*ctx, projectDataDir);
 	StudioUIDrawer drawer(ui);
 	turbine::gl::addDrawer(*ctx, &drawer);
diff --git a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/deleteconfirmation.cpp b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/deleteconfirmation.cpp
index 56135433..e05ad400 100644
--- a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/deleteconfirmation.cpp
+++ b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/deleteconfirmation.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
  * Copyright 2016 - 2025 Gary Talent (gary@drinkingtea.net). All rights reserved.
  */
 
+#include <turbine/gfx.hpp>
+
 #include <studio/imguiutil.hpp>
 
 #include "deleteconfirmation.hpp"
@@ -43,6 +45,9 @@ void DeleteConfirmation::draw(Context &ctx) noexcept {
 			ImGui::OpenPopup(title().c_str());
 			m_stage = Stage::Open;
 			m_open = true;
+			// require extended refresh in case new contents require resize
+			// this can take around a second
+			turbine::requireRefreshFor(ctx.tctx, 1000);
 		[[fallthrough]];
 		case Stage::Open:
 			drawWindow(ctx.tctx, m_open, [this] {
diff --git a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/studioui.cpp b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/studioui.cpp
index d0aea543..c807c773 100644
--- a/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/studioui.cpp
+++ b/src/olympic/studio/applib/src/studioui.cpp
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ void StudioUI::drawTabs() noexcept {
 						pc->activeTabItemName = m_activeEditor->itemPath();
 					}
 				});
-				turbine::setRefreshWithin(m_tctx, 0);
+				turbine::requireRefreshWithin(m_tctx, 0);
 			} else [[likely]] {
 				if (m_activeEditorUpdatePending == e.get()) [[unlikely]] {
 					m_activeEditorUpdatePending = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/olympic/studio/modlib/src/imguiutil.cpp b/src/olympic/studio/modlib/src/imguiutil.cpp
index 9c61820a..e4886d9a 100644
--- a/src/olympic/studio/modlib/src/imguiutil.cpp
+++ b/src/olympic/studio/modlib/src/imguiutil.cpp
@@ -275,6 +275,9 @@ void QuestionPopup::draw(Context &ctx) noexcept {
 			ImGui::OpenPopup(m_title.c_str());
 			m_stage = Stage::Open;
 			m_open = true;
+			// require extended refresh in case new contents require resize
+			// this can take around a second
+			turbine::requireRefreshFor(ctx.tctx, 1000);
 		[[fallthrough]];
 		case Stage::Open:
 			centerNextWindow(ctx.tctx);
diff --git a/src/olympic/turbine/include/turbine/gfx.hpp b/src/olympic/turbine/include/turbine/gfx.hpp
index c5124233..1b2a55c3 100644
--- a/src/olympic/turbine/include/turbine/gfx.hpp
+++ b/src/olympic/turbine/include/turbine/gfx.hpp
@@ -49,6 +49,19 @@ ox::Error setWindowBounds(Context &ctx, ox::Bounds const&bnds) noexcept;
  * @param ctx - Context
  * @param ms - milliseconds
  */
-void setRefreshWithin(Context &ctx, int ms) noexcept;
+void requireRefreshWithin(Context &ctx, int ms) noexcept;
+
+/**
+ * Stimulates screen to draw for a period of a short period of
+ * time (168 ms on GLFW implementation).
+ * @param ctx - Context
+ */
+void requireRefresh(Context &ctx) noexcept;
+
+/**
+ * Stimulates screen to draw for a specified period of time.
+ * @param ctx - Context
+ */
+void requireRefreshFor(Context &ctx, int ms) noexcept;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/olympic/turbine/src/glfw/turbine.cpp b/src/olympic/turbine/src/glfw/turbine.cpp
index 53666d81..ff02f4d0 100644
--- a/src/olympic/turbine/src/glfw/turbine.cpp
+++ b/src/olympic/turbine/src/glfw/turbine.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ static ox::Result<IconData> toGlfwImgPixels(ox::SpanView<uint8_t> const &iconPng
 	return out;
 }
 
+static void setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(Context &ctx, TimeMs const newVal) {
+	ctx.mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd = ox::max(ctx.mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd, newVal);
+}
+
 ox::Error setWindowIcon(Context &ctx, ox::SpanView<ox::SpanView<uint8_t>> const &iconPngs) noexcept {
 	if constexpr(ox::defines::OS != ox::OS::Darwin) {
 		ox::Vector<IconData, 8> src;
@@ -216,10 +220,19 @@ ox::Error setWindowBounds(Context &ctx, ox::Bounds const&bnds) noexcept {
 	return {};
 }
 
-void setRefreshWithin(Context &ctx, int ms) noexcept {
+void requireRefreshWithin(Context &ctx, int const ms) noexcept {
 	ctx.refreshWithinMs = ox::min(ms, ctx.refreshWithinMs);
 }
 
+void requireRefresh(Context &ctx) noexcept {
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(ctx, ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod);
+}
+
+void requireRefreshFor(Context &ctx, int ms) noexcept {
+	ms = ox::max(0, ms);
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(ctx, ticksMs(ctx) + static_cast<TimeMs>(ms));
+}
+
 static void draw(Context &ctx) noexcept {
 	// draw start
 #if TURBINE_USE_IMGUI
@@ -288,12 +301,12 @@ static void handleGlfwCursorPosEvent(GLFWwindow*, double, double) noexcept {
 
 static void handleGlfwMouseButtonEvent(GLFWwindow *window, int, int, int) noexcept {
 	auto &ctx = *static_cast<Context*>(glfwGetWindowUserPointer(window));
-	ctx.mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd = ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod;
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(ctx, ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod);
 }
 
 static void handleGlfwKeyEvent(GLFWwindow *window, int const key, int, int const action, int) noexcept {
 	auto &ctx = *static_cast<Context*>(glfwGetWindowUserPointer(window));
-	ctx.mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd = ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod;
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(ctx, ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod);
 	if (action == GLFW_PRESS) {
 		handleKeyPress(ctx, key, true);
 	} else if (action == GLFW_RELEASE) {
@@ -303,7 +316,7 @@ static void handleGlfwKeyEvent(GLFWwindow *window, int const key, int, int const
 
 static void handleGlfwWindowCloseEvent(GLFWwindow *window) noexcept {
 	auto &ctx = *static_cast<Context*>(glfwGetWindowUserPointer(window));
-	ctx.mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd = ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod;
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(ctx, ticksMs(ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod);
 	ctx.running = ctx.shutdownHandler ? !ctx.shutdownHandler(ctx) : false;
 	glfwSetWindowShouldClose(window, !ctx.running);
 	glfwPostEmptyEvent();
@@ -316,7 +329,7 @@ ox::Result<ox::UPtr<Context>> init(
 	using namespace std::chrono;
 	ctx->startTime = static_cast<TimeMs>(
 			duration_cast<milliseconds>(system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count());
-	ctx->mandatoryRefreshPeriodEnd = ticksMs(*ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod;
+	setMandatoryRefreshPeriod(*ctx, ticksMs(*ctx) + config::MandatoryRefreshPeriod);
 	// init GLFW context
 	glfwInit();
 	glfwSetErrorCallback(handleGlfwError);