diff --git a/src/ShellClients/PanelWindow.vala b/src/ShellClients/PanelWindow.vala
index de6aaae24..3153d5013 100644
--- a/src/ShellClients/PanelWindow.vala
+++ b/src/ShellClients/PanelWindow.vala
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public class Gala.PanelWindow : ShellWindow, RootTarget {
 
     private int width = -1;
     private int height = -1;
+    private bool starting = true;
 
     public PanelWindow (WindowManager wm, Meta.Window window, Pantheon.Desktop.Anchor anchor) {
         Object (wm: wm, window: window, anchor: anchor);
@@ -68,7 +69,9 @@ public class Gala.PanelWindow : ShellWindow, RootTarget {
         hide_tracker.hide.connect (hide);
         hide_tracker.show.connect (show);
 
-        workspace_gesture_controller = new GestureController (CUSTOM, wm);
+        workspace_gesture_controller = new GestureController (CUSTOM, wm) {
+            progress = 1.0
+        };
 
         workspace_hide_tracker = new WorkspaceHideTracker (window.display, update_overlap);
         workspace_hide_tracker.switching_workspace_progress_updated.connect ((value) => workspace_gesture_controller.progress = value);
@@ -119,6 +122,11 @@ public class Gala.PanelWindow : ShellWindow, RootTarget {
         actor.add_action (new DragDropAction (DESTINATION, "multitaskingview-window"));
     }
 
+    public void animate_start () {
+        starting = false;
+        workspace_hide_tracker.recalculate_all_workspaces ();
+    }
+
     protected override double get_hidden_progress () {
         var user_workspace_hidden_progress = double.min (
             user_gesture_controller.progress,
@@ -146,6 +154,10 @@ public class Gala.PanelWindow : ShellWindow, RootTarget {
     }
 
     private bool update_overlap (Meta.Workspace workspace) {
+        if (starting) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
         var overlap = false;
         var focus_overlap = false;
         var focus_maximized_overlap = false;
diff --git a/src/ShellClients/ShellClientsManager.vala b/src/ShellClients/ShellClientsManager.vala
index 7dad2ce53..988ba69dd 100644
--- a/src/ShellClients/ShellClientsManager.vala
+++ b/src/ShellClients/ShellClientsManager.vala
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ public class Gala.ShellClientsManager : Object, GestureTarget {
     private NotificationsClient notifications_client;
     private ManagedClient[] protocol_clients = {};
 
+    private int starting_panels = 0;
+
     private GLib.HashTable<Meta.Window, PanelWindow> panel_windows = new GLib.HashTable<Meta.Window, PanelWindow> (null, null);
     private GLib.HashTable<Meta.Window, ShellWindow> positioned_windows = new GLib.HashTable<Meta.Window, ShellWindow> (null, null);
 
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ public class Gala.ShellClientsManager : Object, GestureTarget {
                 parse_mutter_hints (window);
             });
         }
+
+        Timeout.add_seconds_once (5, on_failsafe_timeout);
     }
 
     private async void start_clients () {
@@ -103,6 +107,19 @@ public class Gala.ShellClientsManager : Object, GestureTarget {
                 warning ("Failed to load launch args for client %s: %s", group, e.message);
             }
         }
+
+        starting_panels = protocol_clients.length;
+    }
+
+    private void on_failsafe_timeout () {
+        if (starting_panels > 0) {
+            warning ("%d panels failed to start in time, showing the others", starting_panels);
+
+            starting_panels = 0;
+            foreach (var window in panel_windows.get_values ()) {
+                window.animate_start ();
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public void make_dock (Meta.Window window) {
@@ -160,10 +177,28 @@ public class Gala.ShellClientsManager : Object, GestureTarget {
 
         panel_windows[window] = new PanelWindow (wm, window, anchor);
 
+        InternalUtils.wait_for_window_actor_visible (window, on_panel_ready);
+
         // connect_after so we make sure the PanelWindow can destroy its barriers and struts
         window.unmanaging.connect_after ((_window) => panel_windows.remove (_window));
     }
 
+    private void on_panel_ready (Meta.WindowActor actor) {
+        if (starting_panels == 0) {
+            panel_windows[actor.meta_window].animate_start ();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        starting_panels--;
+        assert (starting_panels >= 0);
+
+        if (starting_panels == 0) {
+            foreach (var window in panel_windows.get_values ()) {
+                window.animate_start ();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * The size given here is only used for the hide mode. I.e. struts
      * and collision detection with other windows use this size. By default
diff --git a/src/ShellClients/ShellWindow.vala b/src/ShellClients/ShellWindow.vala
index 369a211fb..5667cfd04 100644
--- a/src/ShellClients/ShellWindow.vala
+++ b/src/ShellClients/ShellWindow.vala
@@ -12,7 +12,14 @@ public abstract class Gala.ShellWindow : PositionedWindow, GestureTarget {
      * A gesture target that will receive a CUSTOM update every time a gesture
      * is propagated, with the progress gotten via {@link get_hidden_progress()}
      */
-    public GestureTarget hide_target { get; construct set; }
+    private GestureTarget? _hide_target = null;
+    public GestureTarget? hide_target {
+        private get { return _hide_target; }
+        construct set {
+            _hide_target = value;
+            _hide_target?.propagate (UPDATE, CUSTOM, get_hidden_progress ());
+        }
+    }
 
     private double multitasking_view_progress = 0;
     private int animations_ongoing = 0;
@@ -29,7 +36,7 @@ public abstract class Gala.ShellWindow : PositionedWindow, GestureTarget {
                     multitasking_view_progress = progress;
                 }
 
-                hide_target.propagate (UPDATE, CUSTOM, get_hidden_progress ());
+                hide_target?.propagate (UPDATE, CUSTOM, get_hidden_progress ());
                 break;
 
             case END: