diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fea2161c7ac..ab9c738d4c2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ We refer to [GitHub issues](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues) by using `#
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Changed
+- we changed the open office panel to show buttons in rows of three instead of going straight down to save space as the button expanded out to take up unnecessary horizontal space [#5479] (https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/5479)
 
 - We cleaned up the group add/edit dialog. [#5826](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/5826)
 - We reintroduced the index column. [#5844](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/5844)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/openoffice/OpenOfficePanel.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/openoffice/OpenOfficePanel.java
index e235e401967..5305d9a45de 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/openoffice/OpenOfficePanel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/openoffice/OpenOfficePanel.java
@@ -269,8 +269,18 @@ private void initPanel() {
         hbox.getChildren().addAll(connect, manualConnect, selectDocument, update, help);
         hbox.getChildren().forEach(btn -> HBox.setHgrow(btn, Priority.ALWAYS));
 
+        VBox row1 = new VBox();
+        VBox row2 = new VBox();
+        VBox row3 = new VBox();
+        row1.getChildren().addAll(setStyleFile,pushEntries, pushEntriesInt);
+        row2.getChildren().addAll(pushEntriesAdvanced, pushEntriesEmpty, merge);
+        row3.getChildren().addAll(manageCitations, exportCitations, settingsB);
+        HBox hbox1 =  new HBox();
+        hbox1.getChildren().addAll(row1,row2,row3);
+        hbox1.getChildren().forEach(btn -> HBox.setHgrow(btn, Priority.ALWAYS));
+
         vbox.setFillWidth(true);
-        vbox.getChildren().addAll(hbox, setStyleFile, pushEntries, pushEntriesInt, pushEntriesAdvanced, pushEntriesEmpty, merge, manageCitations, exportCitations, settingsB);
+        vbox.getChildren().addAll(hbox, hbox1);
     }
 
     private void exportEntries() {