diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ui/dualView/DualView.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ui/dualView/DualView.java
index 285e0bac6ed2..6fbb14f8fc7c 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ui/dualView/DualView.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ui/dualView/DualView.java
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public class DualView extends JPanel {
   private final PropertyChangeListener myPropertyChangeListener;
 
   private boolean myZipByHeight;
+  private boolean mySuppressStore;
 
   public DualView(Object root, DualViewColumnInfo[] columns, @NonNls String columnServiceKey, Project project) {
     super(new CardLayout());
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ public class DualView extends JPanel {
 
     add(createFlatComponent(columns), FLAT);
 
-    (myTreeView.getTreeViewModel()).addTreeModelListener(new TreeModelListener() {
+    myTreeView.getTreeViewModel().addTreeModelListener(new TreeModelListener() {
       public void treeNodesInserted(TreeModelEvent e) {
         refreshFlatModel();
       }
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ public class DualView extends JPanel {
 
     myPropertyChangeListener = new PropertyChangeListener() {
       public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent evt) {
+        if (mySuppressStore) return;
         saveState();
       }
     };
@@ -202,6 +204,17 @@ public class DualView extends JPanel {
       public TableCellRenderer getCellRenderer(int row, int column) {
         return createWrappedRenderer(super.getCellRenderer(row, column));
       }
+
+      @Override
+      public void doLayout() {
+        try {
+          mySuppressStore = true;
+          super.doLayout();
+        }
+        finally {
+          mySuppressStore = false;
+        }
+      }
     };
     myTreeView.getTree().getSelectionModel().setSelectionMode(TreeSelectionModel.DISCONTIGUOUS_TREE_SELECTION);
     JPanel result = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
@@ -235,6 +248,22 @@ public class DualView extends JPanel {
         }
         return c;
       }
+
+      @Override
+      public void doLayout() {
+        try {
+          mySuppressStore = true;
+          super.doLayout();
+        }
+        finally {
+          mySuppressStore = false;
+        }
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public void updateColumnSizes() {
+        // suppress automatic layout, use stored values instead
+      }
     };
     myFlatView.setCellSelectionEnabled(false);
     myFlatView.setColumnSelectionAllowed(false);
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/history/FileHistoryPanelImpl.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/history/FileHistoryPanelImpl.java
index 44d971832485..a1b375ebd0c9 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/history/FileHistoryPanelImpl.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/history/FileHistoryPanelImpl.java
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
 
     @Override
     public String getPreferredStringValue() {
-      return "123.4567";
+      return StringUtil.repeatSymbol('m', 10);
     }
   }
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
 
     @Override
     public String getPreferredStringValue() {
-      return DateFormatUtil.formatPrettyDateTime(Clock.getTime());
+      return DateFormatUtil.formatPrettyDateTime(Clock.getTime() + 1000);
     }
   }
 
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
     @Override
     @NonNls
     public String getPreferredStringValue() {
-      return "author_author";
+      return StringUtil.repeatSymbol('m', 14);
     }
   }
 
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
 
     @Override
     public String getPreferredStringValue() {
-      return StringUtil.repeatSymbol('a', 125);
+      return StringUtil.repeatSymbol('m', 80);
     }
 
     public TableCellRenderer getRenderer(VcsFileRevision p0) {
@@ -558,18 +558,10 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
         wrapWithTreeElements(myHistorySession.getRevisionList())), myTargetSelection);
     }
 
-    columnSizesOnce();
     myDualView.expandAll();
     myDualView.repaint();
   }
 
-  private void columnSizesOnce() {
-    if (! myColumnSizesSet) {
-      myDualView.getFlatView().updateColumnSizes();
-      myColumnSizesSet = true;
-    }
-  }
-
   private void adjustEmptyText() {
     VirtualFile virtualFile = myFilePath.getVirtualFile();
     if ((virtualFile == null || !virtualFile.isValid()) && !myFilePath.getIOFile().exists()) {
@@ -800,7 +792,6 @@ public class FileHistoryPanelImpl extends PanelWithActionsAndCloseButton {
         mySplitter.repaint();
 
         myRefresherI.run(true, useLastRevision);
-        columnSizesOnce();
       }
     }.callMe();
   }