diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayLayoutView.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayLayoutView.cc
index 862744309..10b39367d 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayLayoutView.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayLayoutView.cc
@@ -1136,6 +1136,11 @@ Class<lay::LayoutView> decl_LayoutView (QT_EXTERNAL_BASE (QWidget) "lay", "Layou
     "Show the layout in full depth down to the deepest level of hierarchy. "
     "This method may cause a redraw."
   ) +
+  gsi::method ("resize", static_cast<void (lay::LayoutView::*) (unsigned int, unsigned int)> (&lay::LayoutView::resize),
+    "@brief Resizes the layout view to the given dimension\n"
+    "\n"
+    "This method has been made available in all builds in 0.28.\n"
+  ) +
 #if defined(HAVE_QT) && defined(HAVE_QTBINDINGS)
   gsi::method ("get_screenshot", static_cast<QImage (lay::LayoutView::*) ()> (&lay::LayoutView::get_screenshot),
     "@brief Gets a screenshot as a \\QImage\n"
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.cc
index 8d830b78a..7f533ff30 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.cc
@@ -1007,38 +1007,47 @@ LayoutCanvas::screenshot ()
 }
 
 #if defined(HAVE_QT)
-
 void 
 LayoutCanvas::resizeEvent (QResizeEvent *)
 {
-  //  clear the image cache
-  m_image_cache.clear ();
-
-  //  set the viewport to the new size
-  m_viewport.set_size (width () * m_dpr, height () * m_dpr);
-  m_viewport_l.set_size (width () * m_oversampling * m_dpr, height () * m_oversampling * m_dpr);
-  mouse_event_trans (db::DCplxTrans (1.0 / double (m_dpr)) * m_viewport.trans ());
-  do_redraw_all (true);
-  viewport_changed_event ();
+  do_resize (width (), height ());
 }
-
-#else
+#endif
 
 void
 LayoutCanvas::resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height)
 {
-  //  clear the image cache
-  m_image_cache.clear ();
+  //  don't wait until the layout system informs us - which may never take place when
+  //  the widget isn't shown.
+  do_resize (width, height);
 
-  //  set the viewport to the new size
-  m_viewport.set_size (width * m_dpr, height * m_dpr);
-  m_viewport_l.set_size (width * m_oversampling * m_dpr, height * m_oversampling * m_dpr);
-  mouse_event_trans (db::DCplxTrans (1.0 / double (m_dpr)) * m_viewport.trans ());
-  do_redraw_all (true);
-  viewport_changed_event ();
+#if defined(HAVE_QT)
+  QWidget::resize (width, height);
+#endif
 }
 
-#endif
+void
+LayoutCanvas::do_resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height)
+{
+  unsigned int w = width * m_dpr, h = height * m_dpr;
+  unsigned int wl = width * m_oversampling * m_dpr, hl = height * m_oversampling * m_dpr;
+
+  if (m_viewport.width () != w || m_viewport.height () != h ||
+      m_viewport_l.width () != wl || m_viewport_l.height () != hl) {
+
+    //  clear the image cache
+    m_image_cache.clear ();
+
+    //  set the viewport to the new size
+    m_viewport.set_size (width * m_dpr, height * m_dpr);
+    m_viewport_l.set_size (width * m_oversampling * m_dpr, height * m_oversampling * m_dpr);
+
+    mouse_event_trans (db::DCplxTrans (1.0 / double (m_dpr)) * m_viewport.trans ());
+    do_redraw_all (true);
+    viewport_changed_event ();
+
+  }
+}
 
 void 
 LayoutCanvas::update_viewport ()
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.h b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.h
index 8af843e87..574abf17d 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.h
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutCanvas.h
@@ -341,6 +341,11 @@ public:
     return m_viewport;
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Resizes the canvas object in the Qt-less case
+   */
+  void resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height);
+
   /**
    *  @brief An event indicating that the viewport was changed.
    *  If the viewport (the rectangle that is shown) changes, this event is fired.
@@ -361,7 +366,7 @@ private:
   lay::LayoutViewBase *mp_view;
   lay::PixelBuffer *mp_image;
   lay::PixelBuffer *mp_image_bg;
-#if defined(HAVE_QT) // @@@
+#if defined(HAVE_QT)
   QPixmap *mp_pixmap;
 #endif
   db::DBox m_precious_box;
@@ -396,8 +401,6 @@ private:
   virtual void paintEvent (QPaintEvent *);
   virtual void resizeEvent (QResizeEvent *);
   virtual bool event (QEvent *e);
-#else
-  void resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height);
 #endif
 
   virtual void key_event (unsigned int key, unsigned int buttons);
@@ -411,6 +414,7 @@ private:
   void do_update_image ();
   void do_end_of_drawing ();
   void do_redraw_all (bool force_redraw = true);
+  void do_resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height);
 
   void prepare_drawing ();
 };
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutView.h b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutView.h
index 20a399634..3766b4e1c 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutView.h
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutView.h
@@ -413,6 +413,14 @@ public:
     return mp_editor_options_frame;
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Resizes the view to the given width and height in pixels
+   */
+  void resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height)
+  {
+    LayoutViewBase::resize (width, height);
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Copies to clipboard
    *
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.cc
index 8901d20bd..c5b448825 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.cc
@@ -485,6 +485,11 @@ LayoutViewBase::~LayoutViewBase ()
   mp_canvas = 0;
 }
 
+void LayoutViewBase::resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height)
+{
+  mp_canvas->resize (width, height);
+}
+
 void LayoutViewBase::update_event_handlers ()
 {
   tl::Object::detach_from_all_events ();
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.h b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.h
index d2a91e26f..91022595e 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.h
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layLayoutViewBase.h
@@ -1637,6 +1637,11 @@ public:
     return mp_canvas->viewport ();
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Resizes the view to the given width and height in pixels
+   */
+  void resize (unsigned int width, unsigned int height);
+
   /**
    *  @brief Background color property
    */
diff --git a/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layLayoutViewTests.cc b/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layLayoutViewTests.cc
index 3e0936add..5d9018461 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layLayoutViewTests.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layLayoutViewTests.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "tlUnitTest.h"
 #include "tlTimer.h"
+#include "tlSleep.h"
 
 #if defined(HAVE_QT)
 
@@ -150,6 +151,28 @@ TEST(3)
 }
 #endif
 
+TEST(4)
+{
+  lay::LayoutView lv (0, false, 0);
+  lv.set_drawing_workers (2);
+  lv.cell_box_color (lay::Color (0, 0, 0));
+
+  lv.load_layout (tl::testsrc () + "/testdata/gds/t10.gds", true);
+
+  lv.resize (42, 117);
+  tl::msleep (250);
+
+  lay::PixelBuffer img = lv.get_screenshot_pb ();
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.width (), 42);
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.height (), 117);
+
+  lv.resize (142, 217);
+
+  img = lv.get_screenshot_pb ();
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.width (), 142);
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.height (), 217);
+}
+
 #if defined(HAVE_PNG)
 TEST(11)
 {
diff --git a/testdata/ruby/layLayoutView.rb b/testdata/ruby/layLayoutView.rb
index e3d44b36f..28c59f72a 100644
--- a/testdata/ruby/layLayoutView.rb
+++ b/testdata/ruby/layLayoutView.rb
@@ -454,6 +454,23 @@ class LAYLayoutView_TestClass < TestBase
 
   end
 
+  def test_5
+
+    lv = RBA::LayoutView::new
+    lv.load_layout(File.join($ut_testsrc, "testdata/gds/t10.gds"), true)
+
+    lv.resize(42, 117)
+    img = lv.get_screenshot_pixels
+    assert_equal(img.width, 42)
+    assert_equal(img.height, 117)
+
+    lv.resize(142, 217)
+    img = lv.get_screenshot_pixels
+    assert_equal(img.width, 142)
+    assert_equal(img.height, 217)
+
+  end
+
 end
 
 load("test_epilogue.rb")