diff --git a/docs/dev/Lua API.rst b/docs/dev/Lua API.rst
index 1a804bc64..022d24de6 100644
--- a/docs/dev/Lua API.rst	
+++ b/docs/dev/Lua API.rst	
@@ -3844,8 +3844,10 @@ rendering and event handling framework.
 
 The class defines the following attributes:
 
-:visible: Specifies that the view should be painted.
-:active: Specifies that the view should receive events, if also visible.
+:visible: Specifies that the view should be painted. This can be a boolean or
+          a function that returns a boolean.
+:active: Specifies that the view should receive events, if also visible. This
+         can be a boolean or a function that returns a boolean.
 :view_id: Specifies an identifier to easily identify the view among subviews.
           This is reserved for use by script writers and should not be set by
           library widgets for their internal subviews.
diff --git a/library/lua/gui.lua b/library/lua/gui.lua
index d817a7a0e..fb274ebec 100644
--- a/library/lua/gui.lua
+++ b/library/lua/gui.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 
 local _ENV = mkmodule('gui')
 
+local utils = require('utils')
+
 local dscreen = dfhack.screen
+local getval = utils.getval
 
 USE_GRAPHICS = dscreen.inGraphicsMode()
 
@@ -514,7 +517,7 @@ end
 
 function View:renderSubviews(dc)
     for _,child in ipairs(self.subviews) do
-        if child.visible then
+        if getval(child.visible) then
             child:render(dc)
         end
     end
@@ -556,7 +559,7 @@ local function should_send_input_to_focus_owner(view, focus_owner)
     end
     iter = focus_owner
     while iter do
-        if not iter.visible or not iter.active then
+        if not getval(iter.visible) or not getval(iter.active) then
             return false
         end
         iter = iter.parent_view
@@ -576,8 +579,8 @@ function View:inputToSubviews(keys)
 
     for i=#children,1,-1 do
         local child = children[i]
-        if child.visible and child.active and child ~= focus_owner and
-                child:onInput(keys) then
+        if getval(child.visible) and getval(child.active)
+                and child ~= focus_owner and child:onInput(keys) then
             return true
         end
     end
diff --git a/library/lua/gui/widgets.lua b/library/lua/gui/widgets.lua
index 9d42edd45..3779f8954 100644
--- a/library/lua/gui/widgets.lua
+++ b/library/lua/gui/widgets.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ local gui = require('gui')
 local utils = require('utils')
 
 local dscreen = dfhack.screen
+local getval = utils.getval
 
 local function show_view(view,vis)
     if view then
@@ -13,14 +14,6 @@ local function show_view(view,vis)
     end
 end
 
-local function getval(obj)
-    if type(obj) == 'function' then
-        return obj()
-    else
-        return obj
-    end
-end
-
 local function map_opttab(tab,idx)
     if tab then
         return tab[idx]
@@ -109,7 +102,7 @@ function Panel:postUpdateLayout()
     for _,subview in ipairs(self.subviews) do
         if not subview.frame then goto continue end
         subview.frame.t = y
-        if subview.visible then
+        if getval(subview.visible) then
             y = y + (subview.frame.h or 0) + gap
         end
         ::continue::
@@ -137,7 +130,7 @@ ResizingPanel = defclass(ResizingPanel, Panel)
 function ResizingPanel:postUpdateLayout(frame_body)
     local w, h = 0, 0
     for _,s in ipairs(self.subviews) do
-        if s.visible then
+        if getval(s.visible) then
             w = math.max(w, (s.frame and s.frame.l or 0) +
                             (s.frame and s.frame.w or frame_body.width))
             h = math.max(h, (s.frame and s.frame.t or 0) +
@@ -265,7 +258,7 @@ function EditField:onRenderBody(dc)
     dc:pen(self.text_pen or COLOR_LIGHTCYAN):fill(0,0,dc.width-1,0)
 
     local cursor_char = '_'
-    if not self.active or not self.focus or gui.blink_visible(300) then
+    if not getval(self.active) or not self.focus or gui.blink_visible(300) then
         cursor_char = (self.cursor > #self.text) and ' ' or
                                         self.text:sub(self.cursor, self.cursor)
     end
@@ -907,8 +900,8 @@ TooltipLabel.ATTRS{
     text_pen=COLOR_GREY,
 }
 
-function TooltipLabel:preUpdateLayout()
-    self.visible = getval(self.show_tooltip)
+function TooltipLabel:init()
+    self.visible = self.show_tooltip
 end
 
 -----------------
@@ -1217,7 +1210,7 @@ function List:onRenderBody(dc)
         local cur_dpen = self.text_pen
         local active_pen = current and cur_pen or cur_dpen
 
-        if not self.active then
+        if not getval(self.active) then
             cur_pen = self.inactive_pen or self.cursor_pen
         end
 
diff --git a/library/lua/utils.lua b/library/lua/utils.lua
index 00e31929f..2e03a8616 100644
--- a/library/lua/utils.lua
+++ b/library/lua/utils.lua
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@ local _ENV = mkmodule('utils')
 
 local df = df
 
+function getval(obj)
+    if type(obj) == 'function' then
+        return obj()
+    else
+        return obj
+    end
+end
+
 -- Comparator function
 function compare(a,b)
     if a < b then