diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper.go
index 5379e9c09..7428d17e3 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ type WindowArrangementArgs struct {
 	ContentHeightForWindow func(window string) int
 	// Whether the main panel is split (as is the case e.g. when a file has both
 	// staged and unstaged changes)
-	SplitMainPanel bool
+	MainPanes types.MainPanes
 	// The current screen mode (normal, half, full)
 	ScreenMode types.ScreenMode
 	// The content shown on the bottom left of the screen when showing a loader
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (self *WindowArrangementHelper) GetWindowDimensions(informationStr string,
 		ContentHeightForWindow: func(window string) int {
 			return self.windowHelper.GetContextForWindow(window).TotalContentHeight()
 		},
-		SplitMainPanel:   repoState.GetSplitMainPanel(),
+		MainPanes:        repoState.GetMainPanes(),
 		ScreenMode:       repoState.GetScreenMode(),
 		AppStatus:        appStatus,
 		InformationStr:   informationStr,
@@ -215,36 +215,27 @@ func MergeMaps[K comparable, V any](maps ...map[K]V) map[K]V {
 }
 
 func mainSectionChildren(args WindowArrangementArgs) []*boxlayout.Box {
-	// if we're not in split mode we can just show the one main panel. Likewise if
-	// the main panel is focused and we're in full-screen mode
-	if !args.SplitMainPanel || (args.ScreenMode == types.SCREEN_FULL && args.CurrentWindow == "main") {
-		return []*boxlayout.Box{
-			{
-				Window: "main",
-				Weight: 1,
-			},
+	mainPane := &boxlayout.Box{Window: "main", Weight: 1}
+	secondaryPane := &boxlayout.Box{Window: "secondary", Weight: 1}
+
+	switch args.MainPanes {
+	case types.MainPaneOnly:
+		return []*boxlayout.Box{mainPane}
+	case types.SecondaryPaneOnly:
+		return []*boxlayout.Box{secondaryPane}
+	case types.BothMainPanes:
+		// In full-screen mode the focused one takes the whole section anyway.
+		if args.ScreenMode == types.SCREEN_FULL {
+			if args.CurrentWindow == "main" {
+				return []*boxlayout.Box{mainPane}
+			}
+			if args.CurrentWindow == "secondary" {
+				return []*boxlayout.Box{secondaryPane}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if args.CurrentWindow == "secondary" && args.ScreenMode == types.SCREEN_FULL {
-		return []*boxlayout.Box{
-			{
-				Window: "secondary",
-				Weight: 1,
-			},
-		}
-	}
-
-	return []*boxlayout.Box{
-		{
-			Window: "main",
-			Weight: 1,
-		},
-		{
-			Window: "secondary",
-			Weight: 1,
-		},
-	}
+	return []*boxlayout.Box{mainPane, secondaryPane}
 }
 
 func getMidSectionWeights(args WindowArrangementArgs) (int, int) {
@@ -382,7 +373,7 @@ func infoSectionChildren(args WindowArrangementArgs) []*boxlayout.Box {
 }
 
 func splitMainPanelSideBySide(args WindowArrangementArgs) bool {
-	if !args.SplitMainPanel {
+	if args.MainPanes != types.BothMainPanes {
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper_test.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper_test.go
index 365d7f104..2235d7fb4 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/window_arrangement_helper_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestGetWindowDimensions(t *testing.T) {
 			// Each panel shows its first tab by default; for the special-cased
 			// panels (status, stash) the view name matches the window name.
 			ActiveViewForWindow: func(window string) string { return window },
-			SplitMainPanel:      false,
+			MainPanes:           types.MainPaneOnly,
 			ScreenMode:          types.SCREEN_NORMAL,
 			AppStatus:           "",
 			InformationStr:      "information",
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index 3f6233fa7..6739a2175 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ type GuiRepoState struct {
 	Model *types.Model
 	Modes *types.Modes
 
-	SplitMainPanel bool
+	MainPanes types.MainPanes
 
 	SearchState *types.SearchState
 	// Lets us not load everything at once. Written and read from refresh
@@ -321,12 +321,12 @@ func (self *GuiRepoState) GetSearchState() *types.SearchState {
 	return self.SearchState
 }
 
-func (self *GuiRepoState) SetSplitMainPanel(value bool) {
-	self.SplitMainPanel = value
+func (self *GuiRepoState) SetMainPanes(value types.MainPanes) {
+	self.MainPanes = value
 }
 
-func (self *GuiRepoState) GetSplitMainPanel() bool {
-	return self.SplitMainPanel
+func (self *GuiRepoState) GetMainPanes() types.MainPanes {
+	return self.MainPanes
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) onSwitchToNewRepo(startArgs appTypes.StartArgs, contextKey types.ContextKey) error {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/main_panels.go b/pkg/gui/main_panels.go
index 566993a0f..988e5df0b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/main_panels.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/main_panels.go
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ func (gui *Gui) refreshMainViews(opts types.RefreshMainOpts) {
 
 	if opts.Main != nil {
 		gui.RefreshMainView(opts.Main, opts.Pair.Main)
+	} else {
+		opts.Pair.Main.GetView().Clear()
 	}
 
 	if opts.Secondary != nil {
@@ -134,7 +136,20 @@ func (gui *Gui) refreshMainViews(opts types.RefreshMainOpts) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	gui.splitMainPanel(opts.Secondary != nil)
+	gui.setMainPanes(mainPanesFor(opts))
+}
+
+// mainPanesFor says which panes the given render occupies: the one it has content for,
+// or both when it has content for both.
+func mainPanesFor(opts types.RefreshMainOpts) types.MainPanes {
+	switch {
+	case opts.Secondary == nil:
+		return types.MainPaneOnly
+	case opts.Main == nil:
+		return types.SecondaryPaneOnly
+	default:
+		return types.BothMainPanes
+	}
 }
 
 // clampDiffSelectionToContent brings the focused main view's selection back onto the
@@ -298,8 +313,8 @@ func (gui *Gui) mainContextForView(view *gocui.View) *context.MainContext {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (gui *Gui) splitMainPanel(splitMainPanel bool) {
-	gui.State.SplitMainPanel = splitMainPanel
+func (gui *Gui) setMainPanes(panes types.MainPanes) {
+	gui.State.MainPanes = panes
 }
 
 // reApplySearch runs a search the view holds again over the content a render has just
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/common.go b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
index 1603df9bb..1baf6b3f9 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/common.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
@@ -461,8 +461,8 @@ type IRepoStateAccessor interface {
 	SetScreenMode(ScreenMode)
 	InSearchPrompt() bool
 	GetSearchState() *SearchState
-	SetSplitMainPanel(bool)
-	GetSplitMainPanel() bool
+	SetMainPanes(MainPanes)
+	GetMainPanes() MainPanes
 	GetMergeOrRebaseStartedInLazygit() bool
 	SetMergeOrRebaseStartedInLazygit(bool)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/rendering.go b/pkg/gui/types/rendering.go
index 0d9baf395..f59a535ba 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/rendering.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/rendering.go
@@ -13,6 +13,19 @@ func NewMainContextPair(main Context, secondary Context) MainContextPair {
 	return MainContextPair{Main: main, Secondary: secondary}
 }
 
+// MainPanes says which of the two panes of the main section are shown. Most content
+// takes the main pane alone; content with two sides to it — the working tree's
+// unstaged and staged changes, a commit's diff and the patch built from it — takes
+// both; and content whose only side is the second one takes the secondary pane alone,
+// so that it has the whole section rather than sitting under an empty pane.
+type MainPanes int
+
+const (
+	MainPaneOnly MainPanes = iota
+	BothMainPanes
+	SecondaryPaneOnly
+)
+
 type MainViewPairs struct {
 	Normal         MainContextPair
 	MergeConflicts MainContextPair