diff --git a/escher/include/escher/alternate_empty_view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/alternate_empty_view_controller.h
index e0834ad75..1e16d58fc 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/alternate_empty_view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/alternate_empty_view_controller.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public:
   const char * title() override;
   bool handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) override;
   void didBecomeFirstResponder() override;
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
 private:
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/bank_view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/bank_view_controller.h
index 5da61235b..90f7270da 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/bank_view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/bank_view_controller.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ public:
 
   View * view() override { return &m_view; }
   void didEnterResponderChain(Responder * previousResponder) override;
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
 private:
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/button_row_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/button_row_controller.h
index 4f4faa66f..879c1b5d7 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/button_row_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/button_row_controller.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public:
   int selectedButton();
   bool setSelectedButton(int selectedButton);
   void setMessageOfButtonAtIndex(I18n::Message message, int index);
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
   ViewController::DisplayParameter displayParameter() override { return DisplayParameter::DoNotShowOwnTitle; }
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/modal_view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/modal_view_controller.h
index 198e473b3..1bce427ad 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/modal_view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/modal_view_controller.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public:
   void reloadModalViewController();
   void dismissModalViewController();
   bool isDisplayingModal();
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
 protected:
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/stack_view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/stack_view_controller.h
index f711f2748..7675072c4 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/stack_view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/stack_view_controller.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ public:
   const char * title() override;
   bool handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) override;
   void didBecomeFirstResponder() override;
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
 private:
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/tab_view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/tab_view_controller.h
index 9e6328b03..f7bed6244 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/tab_view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/tab_view_controller.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ public:
   void didBecomeFirstResponder() override;
   void didEnterResponderChain(Responder * previousResponder) override;
   void willResignFirstResponder() override;
+  void initView() override;
   void viewWillAppear() override;
   void viewDidDisappear() override;
 private:
diff --git a/escher/include/escher/view_controller.h b/escher/include/escher/view_controller.h
index 316d7cae2..6084edc39 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/view_controller.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/view_controller.h
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ extern "C" {
  * - viewWillDisappear
  * - willExitResponderChain
  * - willResignFirstResponder
- * Both methods are always called after setting a view and layouting it
- * subviews. */
+ *
+ * Both methods are always called after setting a view and laying its subwiews
+ * out.
+ *
+ * The method initView is called before setting a View (or often sets itself)
+ * and laying it out. */
 
 #include <escher/view.h>
 #include <escher/responder.h>
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ public:
   ViewController(Responder * parentResponder);
   virtual const char * title();
   virtual View * view() = 0;
+  virtual void initView() {}
   virtual void viewWillAppear();
   virtual void viewDidDisappear();
   virtual DisplayParameter displayParameter() { return DisplayParameter::Default; }
diff --git a/escher/src/alternate_empty_view_controller.cpp b/escher/src/alternate_empty_view_controller.cpp
index 5c23c1af9..43159799e 100644
--- a/escher/src/alternate_empty_view_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/alternate_empty_view_controller.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ void AlternateEmptyViewController::didBecomeFirstResponder() {
   }
 }
 
+void AlternateEmptyViewController::initView() {
+  m_contentView.mainViewController()->initView();
+}
+
 void AlternateEmptyViewController::viewWillAppear() {
   m_contentView.layoutSubviews();
   if (!m_contentView.alternateEmptyViewDelegate()->isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/escher/src/app.cpp b/escher/src/app.cpp
index 4a0b73b36..db8d49626 100644
--- a/escher/src/app.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/app.cpp
@@ -108,8 +108,9 @@ const Container * App::container() const {
 void App::didBecomeActive(Window * window) {
   View * view = m_modalViewController.view();
   assert(m_modalViewController.app() == this);
-  m_modalViewController.viewWillAppear();
+  m_modalViewController.initView();
   window->setContentView(view);
+  m_modalViewController.viewWillAppear();
   setFirstResponder(&m_modalViewController);
 }
 
diff --git a/escher/src/bank_view_controller.cpp b/escher/src/bank_view_controller.cpp
index 6e6146ad0..315088247 100644
--- a/escher/src/bank_view_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/bank_view_controller.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,14 @@ void BankViewController::didEnterResponderChain(Responder * previousResponder) {
   app()->setFirstResponder(activeViewController());
 }
 
-void BankViewController::viewWillAppear() {
+void BankViewController::initView() {
+  for (int i = 0; i < numberOfChildren(); i++) {
+    childAtIndex(i)->initView();
+  }
   m_view.setSubview(activeViewController()->view());
+}
+
+void BankViewController::viewWillAppear() {
   activeViewController()->viewWillAppear();
 }
 
diff --git a/escher/src/button_row_controller.cpp b/escher/src/button_row_controller.cpp
index e225a5fae..941415889 100644
--- a/escher/src/button_row_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/button_row_controller.cpp
@@ -211,6 +211,10 @@ bool ButtonRowController::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
   return false;
 }
 
+void ButtonRowController::initView() {
+  m_contentView.mainViewController()->initView();
+}
+
 void ButtonRowController::viewWillAppear() {
   /* We need to layout subviews at first appearance because the number of
    * buttons might have changed between 2 appearences. */
diff --git a/escher/src/modal_view_controller.cpp b/escher/src/modal_view_controller.cpp
index cd3ab4bd3..316a85c26 100644
--- a/escher/src/modal_view_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/modal_view_controller.cpp
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ void ModalViewController::displayModalViewController(ViewController * vc, float
   m_currentModalViewController = vc;
   vc->setParentResponder(this);
   m_previousResponder = app()->firstResponder();
+  m_currentModalViewController->initView();
   m_contentView.presentModalView(vc->view(), verticalAlignment, horizontalAlignment, topMargin, leftMargin, bottomMargin, rightMargin);
   m_currentModalViewController->viewWillAppear();
   app()->setFirstResponder(vc);
@@ -152,8 +153,12 @@ bool ModalViewController::handleEvent(Ion::Events::Event event) {
   return false;
 }
 
-void ModalViewController::viewWillAppear() {
+void ModalViewController::initView() {
   m_contentView.setMainView(m_regularViewController->view());
+  m_regularViewController->initView();
+}
+
+void ModalViewController::viewWillAppear() {
   m_contentView.layoutSubviews();
   if (m_contentView.isDisplayingModal()) {
     m_currentModalViewController->viewWillAppear();
diff --git a/escher/src/stack_view_controller.cpp b/escher/src/stack_view_controller.cpp
index fd5e2e74e..795a5ee3a 100644
--- a/escher/src/stack_view_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/stack_view_controller.cpp
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ void StackViewController::push(ViewController * vc, KDColor textColor, KDColor b
   Frame frame = Frame(vc, textColor, backgroundColor, separatorColor);
   /* Add the frame to the model */
   pushModel(frame);
+  frame.viewController()->initView();
   if (!m_isVisible) {
     return;
   }
@@ -156,6 +157,10 @@ View * StackViewController::view() {
   return &m_view;
 }
 
+void StackViewController::initView() {
+  m_childrenFrame[0].viewController()->initView();
+}
+
 void StackViewController::viewWillAppear() {
   /* Load the stack view */
   for (int i = 0; i < m_numberOfChildren; i++) {
diff --git a/escher/src/tab_view_controller.cpp b/escher/src/tab_view_controller.cpp
index 91672bfe3..098663bc7 100644
--- a/escher/src/tab_view_controller.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/tab_view_controller.cpp
@@ -156,12 +156,14 @@ const char * TabViewController::tabName(uint8_t index) {
   return m_children[index]->title();
 }
 
-void TabViewController::viewWillAppear() {
-  if (m_view.m_tabView.numberOfTabs() != m_numberOfChildren) {
-    for (int i=0; i<m_numberOfChildren; i++) {
-      m_view.m_tabView.addTab(m_children[i]);
-    }
+void TabViewController::initView() {
+  for (int i=0; i<m_numberOfChildren; i++) {
+    m_view.m_tabView.addTab(m_children[i]);
+    m_children[i]->initView();
   }
+}
+
+void TabViewController::viewWillAppear() {
   if (m_dataSource->activeTab() < 0) {
     m_dataSource->setActiveTab(0);
   }