diff --git a/examples/basic/messagebox.c b/examples/basic/messagebox.c
index 0a8f1cc..50481fd 100644
--- a/examples/basic/messagebox.c
+++ b/examples/basic/messagebox.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ void ok(MwWidget handle, void* user, void* call) {
 }
 
 void spawn(MwWidget handle, void* user, void* call) {
-	MwWidget mb = MwMessageBox(user, "news has arrived!", "title", MwMB_ICONNEWS | MwMB_BUTTONOK);
+	MwWidget mb = MwMessageBox(handle, "news has arrived!", "title", MwMB_ICONNEWS | MwMB_BUTTONOK);
 
 	(void)handle;
 	(void)call;
diff --git a/src/backend/x11.c b/src/backend/x11.c
index c902c57..c448598 100644
--- a/src/backend/x11.c
+++ b/src/backend/x11.c
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ static void MwLLMakePopupImpl(MwLL handle, MwLL parent) {
 	Atom wndstate = XInternAtom(handle->x11.display, "_NET_WM_STATE", False);
 	Atom wndmodal = XInternAtom(handle->x11.display, "_NET_WM_STATE_MODAL", False);
 
-	XSetTransientForHint(handle->x11.display, handle->x11.window, parent->x11.window);
+	if(parent != NULL) XSetTransientForHint(handle->x11.display, handle->x11.window, parent->x11.window);
 	XChangeProperty(handle->x11.display, handle->x11.window, wndtype, XA_ATOM, 32, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char*)&wnddlg, 1);
 	XChangeProperty(handle->x11.display, handle->x11.window, wndstate, XA_ATOM, 32, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char*)&wndmodal, 1);
 }
diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index 81a8d33..e4ff0a4 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -280,7 +280,10 @@ int MwStep(MwWidget handle) {
 	handle->prop_event = 1;
 
 	clean_destroy_queue(handle);
-	if(handle->parent == NULL && handle->destroyed) return 1;
+	if(handle->parent == NULL && handle->destroyed){
+		MwFreeWidget(handle);
+		return 1;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -371,7 +374,10 @@ void MwSetVoid(MwWidget handle, const char* key, void* value) {
 		MwLLSetIcon(handle->lowlevel, value);
 	} else if(strcmp(key, MwNsizeHints) == 0) {
 		MwSizeHints* sz = value;
+
+		MwLLBeginStateChange(handle->lowlevel);
 		MwLLSetSizeHints(handle->lowlevel, sz->min_width, sz->min_height, sz->max_width, sz->max_height);
+		MwLLEndStateChange(handle->lowlevel);
 	} else {
 		shput(handle->data, key, value);
 	}
diff --git a/src/dialog/colorpicker.c b/src/dialog/colorpicker.c
index a61e121..6f49e9d 100644
--- a/src/dialog/colorpicker.c
+++ b/src/dialog/colorpicker.c
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ MwWidget MwColorPicker(MwWidget handle, const char* title) {
 
 	MwLLBeginStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 	if(handle != NULL) MwLLDetach(window->lowlevel, &p);
-	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle->lowlevel);
+	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle == NULL ? NULL : handle->lowlevel);
 	MwLLEndStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 
 	return window;
diff --git a/src/dialog/filechooser.c b/src/dialog/filechooser.c
index 5da06e3..c334afc 100644
--- a/src/dialog/filechooser.c
+++ b/src/dialog/filechooser.c
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ MwWidget MwFileChooser(MwWidget handle, const char* title) {
 
 	MwLLBeginStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 	if(handle != NULL) MwLLDetach(window->lowlevel, &p);
-	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle->lowlevel);
+	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle == NULL ? NULL : handle->lowlevel);
 	MwLLEndStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 
 	return window;
diff --git a/src/dialog/messagebox.c b/src/dialog/messagebox.c
index 8ef35e2..0da76e0 100644
--- a/src/dialog/messagebox.c
+++ b/src/dialog/messagebox.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ MwWidget MwMessageBox(MwWidget handle, const char* text, const char* title, unsi
 	int	 wy;
 	int	 ww = handle == NULL ? 0 : MwGetInteger(handle, MwNwidth);
 	int	 wh = handle == NULL ? 0 : MwGetInteger(handle, MwNheight);
+	MwSizeHints sh;
 
 	w = 512;
 	h = 32 * 4;
@@ -43,10 +44,14 @@ MwWidget MwMessageBox(MwWidget handle, const char* text, const char* title, unsi
 	wx = wy = 0;
 	if(handle == NULL) wx = wy = MwDEFAULT;
 
+	sh.min_width = sh.max_width = w;
+	sh.min_height = sh.max_height = h;
+
 	p.x    = (ww - w) / 2;
 	p.y    = (wh - h) / 2;
 	window = MwVaCreateWidget(MwWindowClass, "messagebox", handle, wx, wy, w, h,
 				  MwNtitle, title,
+				  MwNsizeHints, &sh,
 				  NULL);
 
 	window->opaque = NULL;
@@ -106,8 +111,7 @@ MwWidget MwMessageBox(MwWidget handle, const char* text, const char* title, unsi
 
 	MwLLBeginStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 	if(handle != NULL) MwLLDetach(window->lowlevel, &p);
-	MwLLSetSizeHints(window->lowlevel, w, h, w, h);
-	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle->lowlevel);
+	MwLLMakePopup(window->lowlevel, handle == NULL ? NULL : handle->lowlevel);
 	MwLLEndStateChange(window->lowlevel);
 
 	MwAddUserHandler(window, MwNcloseHandler, messagebox_close, NULL);