diff --git a/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp b/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
index 03baf6db..238b78f2 100644
--- a/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
+++ b/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
@@ -547,8 +547,11 @@ void QskSquiekSkin::initTabButtonHints()
         setTab( aspect );
     }
 
-    setAnimation( Q::Panel | Color, qskDuration );
-    setAnimation( Q::Panel | Metric, qskDuration );
+    QskAnimationHint animationHint( qskDuration );
+    animationHint.updateFlags = QskAnimationHint::UpdateNode;
+
+    setAnimation( Q::Panel | Color, animationHint );
+    setAnimation( Q::Panel | Metric, animationHint );
 
     // text
     setSkinHint( Q::Text | QskAspect::Alignment, Qt::AlignCenter );
diff --git a/src/controls/QskAnimationHint.h b/src/controls/QskAnimationHint.h
index 2193f2eb..cfdb90ec 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskAnimationHint.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskAnimationHint.h
@@ -14,9 +14,23 @@
 class QSK_EXPORT QskAnimationHint
 {
   public:
+    enum UpdateFlag
+    {
+        UpdateAuto = 0, // depending on the animated aspect
+
+        UpdateNode     = 1 << 0,
+        UpdatePolish   = 1 << 1,
+        UpdateSizeHint = 1 << 2,
+
+        UpdateAll = UpdateNode | UpdatePolish | UpdateSizeHint
+    };
+
+    Q_DECLARE_FLAGS( UpdateFlags, UpdateFlag )
+
     inline constexpr QskAnimationHint() noexcept
         : duration( 0 )
         , type( QEasingCurve::Linear )
+        , updateFlags( UpdateAuto )
     {
     }
 
@@ -24,14 +38,17 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskAnimationHint
             QEasingCurve::Type type = QEasingCurve::Linear ) noexcept
         : duration( duration )
         , type( type )
+        , updateFlags( UpdateAuto ) 
     {
     }
 
-    uint duration : 24;
-    QEasingCurve::Type type : 8;
+    uint duration;
+    QEasingCurve::Type type;
+    UpdateFlags updateFlags;
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE( QskAnimationHint )
 Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO( QskAnimationHint, Q_PRIMITIVE_TYPE );
+Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS( QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags )
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
index 3c7d7be9..65777c86 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.cpp
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ void QskHintAnimator::setAspect( QskAspect::Aspect aspect )
     m_aspect = aspect;
 }
 
+void QskHintAnimator::setUpdateFlags( QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags flags )
+{
+    m_updateFlags = flags;
+}
+
 void QskHintAnimator::setControl( QskControl* control )
 {
     m_control = control;
@@ -123,13 +128,29 @@ void QskHintAnimator::advance( qreal progress )
 
     if ( m_control && ( currentValue() != oldValue ) )
     {
-        if ( m_aspect.type() == QskAspect::Metric )
+        if ( m_updateFlags == QskAnimationHint::UpdateAuto )
         {
-            m_control->resetImplicitSize();
-            m_control->polish();
-        }
+            if ( m_aspect.type() == QskAspect::Metric )
+            {
+                m_control->resetImplicitSize();
 
-        m_control->update();
+                if ( !m_control->childItems().isEmpty() )
+                    m_control->polish();
+            }
+
+            m_control->update();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            if ( m_updateFlags & QskAnimationHint::UpdateSizeHint )
+                m_control->resetImplicitSize();
+
+            if ( m_updateFlags & QskAnimationHint::UpdatePolish )
+                m_control->polish();
+
+            if ( m_updateFlags & QskAnimationHint::UpdateNode )
+                m_control->update();
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -219,6 +240,7 @@ void QskHintAnimatorTable::start( QskControl* control,
 
     animator.setDuration( animationHint.duration );
     animator.setEasingCurve( animationHint.type );
+    animator.setUpdateFlags( animationHint.updateFlags );
 
     animator.setControl( control );
     animator.setWindow( control->window() );
diff --git a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
index 69f4b73b..c4d44dea 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
+++ b/src/controls/QskHintAnimator.h
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 
 #include "QskAspect.h"
 #include "QskVariantAnimator.h"
+#include "QskAnimationHint.h"
 
 #include <qpointer.h>
 
 class QskControl;
-class QskAnimationHint;
 
 class QSK_EXPORT QskHintAnimator : public QskVariantAnimator
 {
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskHintAnimator : public QskVariantAnimator
     void setControl( QskControl* );
     QskControl* control() const;
 
+    void setUpdateFlags( QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags );
+    QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags updateFlags() const;
+
     void advance( qreal value ) override;
 
   private:
     QskAspect::Aspect m_aspect;
+    QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags m_updateFlags;
     QPointer< QskControl > m_control;
 };
 
@@ -61,6 +65,11 @@ inline QskAspect::Aspect QskHintAnimator::aspect() const
     return m_aspect;
 }
 
+inline QskAnimationHint::UpdateFlags QskHintAnimator::updateFlags() const
+{
+    return m_updateFlags;
+}
+
 inline QskControl* QskHintAnimator::control() const
 {
     return m_control;
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
index 5b217909..f945832e 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ namespace
 
             animator.setDuration( animationHint.duration );
             animator.setEasingCurve( animationHint.type );
+            animator.setUpdateFlags( animationHint.updateFlags );
 
             animator.setControl( nullptr );
             animator.setWindow( window );