diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/luadialog.cc b/gtk2_ardour/luadialog.cc
index 9058f57b1b..a4e74d5caa 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/luadialog.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/luadialog.cc
@@ -600,6 +600,9 @@ Dialog::Dialog (std::string const& title, luabridge::LuaRef lr)
 	if (!lr.isTable ()) {
 		return;
 	}
+
+	int row_count = 0;
+
 	for (luabridge::Iterator i (lr); !i.isNil (); ++i) {
 		if (!i.key ().isNumber ())  { continue; }
 		if (!i.value ().isTable ()) { continue; }
@@ -755,6 +758,7 @@ Dialog::Dialog (std::string const& title, luabridge::LuaRef lr)
 			}
 			_widgets.push_back(w);
 		}
+		row_count++;
 	}
 
 	_ad.add_button (Gtk::Stock::CANCEL, Gtk::RESPONSE_CANCEL);
@@ -763,14 +767,18 @@ Dialog::Dialog (std::string const& title, luabridge::LuaRef lr)
 	Gtk::Table* table = Gtk::manage (new Gtk::Table ());
 	table->set_col_spacings (20);
 	table->set_row_spacings (8);
+	table->set_border_width (8);
 	table->signal_size_allocate ().connect (sigc::mem_fun (this, &Dialog::table_size_alloc));
 
-	_scroller.set_shadow_type(Gtk::SHADOW_NONE);
-	_scroller.set_border_width(0);
-	_scroller.add (*table);
-	_scroller.set_policy (Gtk::POLICY_NEVER, Gtk::POLICY_NEVER);
-
-	_ad.get_vbox ()->pack_start (_scroller);
+	if (row_count>16) {
+		_scroller.set_shadow_type(Gtk::SHADOW_NONE);
+		_scroller.set_border_width(0);
+		_scroller.add (*table);
+		_scroller.set_policy (Gtk::POLICY_NEVER, Gtk::POLICY_NEVER);
+		_ad.get_vbox ()->pack_start (_scroller);
+	} else {
+		_ad.get_vbox ()->pack_start (*table);
+	}
 
 	int row = 0;
 	int last_end = -1;