diff --git a/emain/emain.ts b/emain/emain.ts
index 9b5808877..0bc8a940d 100644
--- a/emain/emain.ts
+++ b/emain/emain.ts
@@ -253,11 +253,7 @@ async function handleWSEvent(evtMsg: WSEventType) {
     }
 }
 
-async function mainResizeHandler(_: any, windowId: string, win: WaveBrowserWindow) {
-    if (win == null || win.isDestroyed() || win.fullScreen) {
-        return;
-    }
-    const bounds = win.getBounds();
+async function persistWindowBounds(windowId: string, bounds: electron.Rectangle) {
     try {
         await services.WindowService.SetWindowPosAndSize(
             windowId,
@@ -269,6 +265,14 @@ async function mainResizeHandler(_: any, windowId: string, win: WaveBrowserWindo
     }
 }
 
+async function mainResizeHandler(_: any, windowId: string, win: WaveBrowserWindow) {
+    if (win == null || win.isDestroyed() || win.fullScreen) {
+        return;
+    }
+    const bounds = win.getBounds();
+    await persistWindowBounds(windowId, bounds);
+}
+
 function shNavHandler(event: Electron.Event<Electron.WebContentsWillNavigateEventParams>, url: string) {
     if (url.startsWith("http://127.0.0.1:5173/index.html") || url.startsWith("http://localhost:5173/index.html")) {
         // this is a dev-mode hot-reload, ignore it
@@ -310,9 +314,42 @@ function shFrameNavHandler(event: Electron.Event<Electron.WebContentsWillFrameNa
     console.log("frame navigation canceled");
 }
 
-// note, this does not *show* the window.
-// to show, await win.readyPromise and then win.show()
-function createBrowserWindow(clientId: string, waveWindow: WaveWindow, fullConfig: FullConfigType): WaveBrowserWindow {
+function computeNewWinBounds(waveWindow: WaveWindow): Electron.Rectangle {
+    const targetWidth = waveWindow.winsize?.width || 2000;
+    const targetHeight = waveWindow.winsize?.height || 1080;
+    const primaryDisplay = electron.screen.getPrimaryDisplay();
+    const workSize = primaryDisplay.workAreaSize;
+    const targetPadding = 100;
+    let rtn = { x: 100, y: 100, width: targetWidth, height: targetHeight };
+    if (workSize.width < targetWidth + 2 * targetPadding) {
+        const spareWidth = workSize.width - targetWidth;
+        if (spareWidth < 20) {
+            rtn.x = 10;
+            rtn.width = workSize.width - 20;
+        } else if (spareWidth > 200) {
+            rtn.x = 100;
+        } else {
+            rtn.x = Math.floor(spareWidth / 2);
+        }
+    }
+    if (workSize.height < targetHeight + 2 * targetPadding) {
+        const spareHeight = workSize.height - targetHeight;
+        if (spareHeight < 20) {
+            rtn.y = 10;
+            rtn.height = workSize.height - 20;
+        } else if (spareHeight > 200) {
+            rtn.y = 100;
+        } else {
+            rtn.y = Math.floor(spareHeight / 2);
+        }
+    }
+    return rtn;
+}
+
+function computeWinBounds(waveWindow: WaveWindow): Electron.Rectangle {
+    if (waveWindow.isnew) {
+        return computeNewWinBounds(waveWindow);
+    }
     let winWidth = waveWindow?.winsize?.width;
     let winHeight = waveWindow?.winsize?.height;
     let winPosX = waveWindow.pos.x;
@@ -339,7 +376,15 @@ function createBrowserWindow(clientId: string, waveWindow: WaveWindow, fullConfi
         width: winWidth,
         height: winHeight,
     };
+    return winBounds;
+}
+
+// note, this does not *show* the window.
+// to show, await win.readyPromise and then win.show()
+function createBrowserWindow(clientId: string, waveWindow: WaveWindow, fullConfig: FullConfigType): WaveBrowserWindow {
+    let winBounds = computeWinBounds(waveWindow);
     winBounds = ensureBoundsAreVisible(winBounds);
+    persistWindowBounds(waveWindow.oid, winBounds);
     const settings = fullConfig?.settings;
     const winOpts: Electron.BrowserWindowConstructorOptions = {
         titleBarStyle:
diff --git a/frontend/app/view/webview/webview.less b/frontend/app/view/webview/webview.less
index 74377d9e3..a9b8e86ce 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/webview/webview.less
+++ b/frontend/app/view/webview/webview.less
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 .webview {
     height: 100%;
     width: 100%;
-    border-bottom-left-radius: 4px;
-    border-bottom-right-radius: 4px;
+    border: none !important;
+    outline: none !important;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    padding: 0;
+    margin: 0;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts b/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
index e6378217c..e9613d386 100644
--- a/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/gotypes.d.ts
@@ -677,6 +677,7 @@ declare global {
     type WaveWindow = WaveObj & {
         workspaceid: string;
         activetabid: string;
+        isnew?: boolean;
         pos: Point;
         winsize: WinSize;
         lastfocusts: number;
diff --git a/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go b/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
index 6e1a9a2a8..f3702690f 100644
--- a/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
+++ b/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ func (ws *WindowService) SetWindowPosAndSize(ctx context.Context, windowId strin
 	if size != nil {
 		win.WinSize = *size
 	}
+	win.IsNew = false
 	err = wstore.DBUpdate(ctx, win)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/waveobj/wtype.go b/pkg/waveobj/wtype.go
index 0268952c7..2f3e87717 100644
--- a/pkg/waveobj/wtype.go
+++ b/pkg/waveobj/wtype.go
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ type Window struct {
 	Version     int         `json:"version"`
 	WorkspaceId string      `json:"workspaceid"`
 	ActiveTabId string      `json:"activetabid"`
+	IsNew       bool        `json:"isnew,omitempty"` // set when a window is created on the backend so the FE can size it properly.  cleared on first resize
 	Pos         Point       `json:"pos"`
 	WinSize     WinSize     `json:"winsize"`
 	LastFocusTs int64       `json:"lastfocusts"`
diff --git a/pkg/wcore/wcore.go b/pkg/wcore/wcore.go
index d53418b20..e2967b7f0 100644
--- a/pkg/wcore/wcore.go
+++ b/pkg/wcore/wcore.go
@@ -96,16 +96,17 @@ func CreateWindow(ctx context.Context, winSize *waveobj.WinSize) (*waveobj.Windo
 	workspaceId := uuid.NewString()
 	if winSize == nil {
 		winSize = &waveobj.WinSize{
-			Width:  1200,
-			Height: 850,
+			Width:  0,
+			Height: 0,
 		}
 	}
 	window := &waveobj.Window{
 		OID:         windowId,
 		WorkspaceId: workspaceId,
+		IsNew:       true,
 		Pos: waveobj.Point{
-			X: 100,
-			Y: 100,
+			X: 0,
+			Y: 0,
 		},
 		WinSize: *winSize,
 	}
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ func EnsureInitialData() (*waveobj.Window, bool, error) {
 	if len(client.WindowIds) > 0 {
 		return nil, false, nil
 	}
-	window, err := CreateWindow(ctx, &waveobj.WinSize{Height: 0, Width: 0})
+	window, err := CreateWindow(ctx, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("error creating window: %w", err)
 	}