diff --git a/src/gui/activitywidget.cpp b/src/gui/activitywidget.cpp
index 0fe8f396d44..cbe32d0fb7d 100644
--- a/src/gui/activitywidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/activitywidget.cpp
@@ -75,9 +75,11 @@ ActivityWidget::ActivityWidget(QWidget *parent) :
 
     // Create a widget container for the notifications. The ui file defines
     // a scroll area that get a widget with a layout as children
-    QWidget *w = new QWidget(this);
-    _notificationsLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
+    QWidget *w = new QWidget;
+    _notificationsLayout = new QVBoxLayout;
     w->setLayout(_notificationsLayout);
+    _notificationsLayout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop);
+    _ui->_notifyScroll->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop);
     _ui->_notifyScroll->setWidget(w);
 
     showLabels();
@@ -157,7 +159,14 @@ void ActivityWidget::slotAccountActivityStatus(AccountState *ast, int statusCode
     }
 
     int accountCount = AccountManager::instance()->accounts().count();
-    emit hideAcitivityTab(_accountsWithoutActivities.count() == accountCount);
+
+    // hide the activity pane in case there are no accounts enabled.
+    if( _accountsWithoutActivities.count() == accountCount ) {
+        _ui->_headerLabel->hide();
+        _ui->_activityList->hide();
+    }
+    emit hideAcitivityTab(_accountsWithoutActivities.count() == accountCount
+                          && _widgetForNotifId.count() == 0 ); // do not hide if there are notifications
 
     showLabels();
 }
@@ -323,6 +332,8 @@ void ActivityWidget::slotBuildNotificationDisplay(const ActivityList& list)
         scheduleWidgetToRemove(widgetToGo, 0);
     }
 
+    emit hideAcitivityTab(false);
+
     _ui->_notifyLabel->setHidden(  _widgetForNotifId.isEmpty() );
     _ui->_notifyScroll->setHidden( _widgetForNotifId.isEmpty() );
 
diff --git a/src/gui/activitywidget.ui b/src/gui/activitywidget.ui
index fefd7b3ae6b..79d9a963bc2 100644
--- a/src/gui/activitywidget.ui
+++ b/src/gui/activitywidget.ui
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@
   <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
    <item row="0" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="_notifyLabel">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Maximum">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
      <property name="text">
       <string>TextLabel</string>
      </property>
@@ -32,6 +38,9 @@
      <property name="widgetResizable">
       <bool>true</bool>
      </property>
+     <property name="alignment">
+      <set>Qt::AlignLeading|Qt::AlignLeft|Qt::AlignTop</set>
+     </property>
      <widget class="QWidget" name="_scrollAreaWidgetContents">
       <property name="geometry">
        <rect>
@@ -46,6 +55,12 @@
    </item>
    <item row="2" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="_headerLabel">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Maximum">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
      <property name="text">
       <string>TextLabel</string>
      </property>
@@ -63,6 +78,12 @@
    </item>
    <item row="4" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="_bottomLabel">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Maximum">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
      <property name="text">
       <string>TextLabel</string>
      </property>
diff --git a/src/gui/notificationwidget.ui b/src/gui/notificationwidget.ui
index 099d11cac09..7f34baab5ec 100644
--- a/src/gui/notificationwidget.ui
+++ b/src/gui/notificationwidget.ui
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="sizePolicy">
-   <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="MinimumExpanding">
+   <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Maximum">
     <horstretch>0</horstretch>
     <verstretch>0</verstretch>
    </sizepolicy>
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
      <item>
       <widget class="QLabel" name="_subjectLabel">
        <property name="sizePolicy">
-        <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Maximum">
+        <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Minimum">
          <horstretch>0</horstretch>
          <verstretch>0</verstretch>
         </sizepolicy>
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@
      </item>
      <item>
       <widget class="QLabel" name="_messageLabel">
+       <property name="sizePolicy">
+        <sizepolicy hsizetype="Preferred" vsizetype="Minimum">
+         <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+         <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+        </sizepolicy>
+       </property>
        <property name="text">
         <string>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod temporm </string>
        </property>