diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index 042c52f7a..582a8049d 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -736,6 +736,8 @@ void MainWindow::setup_menus() {
 	full_screen->setProperty("id", "fullscreen");
 	full_screen->setCheckable(true);
 
+    view_menu->addAction(tr("Full Screen Viewer"), this, SLOT(full_screen_viewer()))->setProperty("id", "fullscreenviewer");
+
 	// INITIALIZE PLAYBACK MENU
 
 	QMenu* playback_menu = menuBar->addMenu(tr("&Playback"));
@@ -799,7 +801,11 @@ void MainWindow::setup_menus() {
 	window_sequenceviewer_action->setCheckable(true);
 	window_sequenceviewer_action->setData(reinterpret_cast<quintptr>(panel_sequence_viewer));
 
-	window_menu->addSeparator();
+    window_menu->addSeparator();
+
+    window_menu->addAction(tr("Maximize Panel"), this, SLOT(maximize_panel()), QKeySequence("`"))->setProperty("id", "maximizepanel");
+
+    window_menu->addSeparator();
 
 	window_menu->addAction(tr("Reset to Default Layout"), this, SLOT(reset_layout()))->setProperty("id", "resetdefaultlayout");
 
@@ -1185,7 +1191,34 @@ void MainWindow::next_cut() {
 	QDockWidget* focused_panel = get_focused_panel();
 	if (sequence != nullptr && (panel_timeline == focused_panel || panel_sequence_viewer == focused_panel)) {
 		panel_timeline->next_cut();
-	}
+    }
+}
+
+void MainWindow::maximize_panel() {
+    // toggles between normal state and a state of one panel being maximized
+    if (temp_panel_state.isEmpty()) {
+        // get currently hovered panel
+        QDockWidget* focused_panel = get_focused_panel(true);
+
+        // if the mouse is in fact hovering over a panel
+        if (focused_panel != nullptr) {
+            // store the current state of panels
+            temp_panel_state = saveState();
+
+            // remove all dock widgets (kind of painful having to do each individually)
+            if (focused_panel != panel_project) removeDockWidget(panel_project);
+            if (focused_panel != panel_effect_controls) removeDockWidget(panel_effect_controls);
+            if (focused_panel != panel_timeline) removeDockWidget(panel_timeline);
+            if (focused_panel != panel_sequence_viewer) removeDockWidget(panel_sequence_viewer);
+            if (focused_panel != panel_footage_viewer) removeDockWidget(panel_footage_viewer);
+        }
+    } else {
+        // we must be maximized, restore previous state
+        restoreState(temp_panel_state);
+
+        // clear temp panel state for next maximize call
+        temp_panel_state.clear();
+    }
 }
 
 void MainWindow::preferences()
@@ -1200,7 +1233,15 @@ void MainWindow::zoom_in_tracks() {
 }
 
 void MainWindow::zoom_out_tracks() {
-	panel_timeline->decrease_track_height();
+    panel_timeline->decrease_track_height();
+}
+
+void MainWindow::full_screen_viewer() {
+    if (get_focused_panel() == panel_footage_viewer) {
+        panel_footage_viewer->viewer_widget->set_fullscreen();
+    } else {
+        panel_sequence_viewer->viewer_widget->set_fullscreen();
+    }
 }
 
 void MainWindow::windowMenu_About_To_Be_Shown() {
@@ -1585,6 +1626,10 @@ void MainWindow::toggle_panel_visibility() {
 	QAction* action = static_cast<QAction*>(sender());
 	QDockWidget* w = reinterpret_cast<QDockWidget*>(action->data().value<quintptr>());
 	w->setVisible(!w->isVisible());
+
+    // layout has changed, we're no longer in maximized panel mode,
+    // so we clear this byte array
+    temp_panel_state.clear();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::set_timecode_view() {
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index 4652b2c24..b00bf28c9 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -78,14 +78,16 @@ private slots:
 	void prev_cut();
 	void next_cut();
 
+    void maximize_panel();
 	void reset_layout();
 
 	void preferences();
 
 	void zoom_in_tracks();
-
 	void zoom_out_tracks();
 
+    void full_screen_viewer();
+
 	void fileMenu_About_To_Be_Shown();
 	void fileMenu_About_To_Hide();
 	void editMenu_About_To_Be_Shown();
@@ -204,6 +206,9 @@ private:
 	bool enable_launch_with_project;
 
 	QString appName;
+
+    // used to store the panel state when one panel is maximized
+    QByteArray temp_panel_state;
 };
 
 extern MainWindow* mainWindow;
diff --git a/panels/panels.cpp b/panels/panels.cpp
index 98a61dcd2..b460647c9 100644
--- a/panels/panels.cpp
+++ b/panels/panels.cpp
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ void update_ui(bool modified) {
 	panel_graph_editor->update_panel();
 }
 
-QDockWidget *get_focused_panel() {
+QDockWidget *get_focused_panel(bool force_hover) {
 	QDockWidget* w = nullptr;
-	if (config.hover_focus) {
+    if (config.hover_focus || force_hover) {
 		if (panel_project->underMouse()) {
 			w = panel_project;
 		} else if (panel_effect_controls->underMouse()) {
diff --git a/panels/panels.h b/panels/panels.h
index 2434d1daa..0e934513e 100644
--- a/panels/panels.h
+++ b/panels/panels.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ extern Timeline* panel_timeline;
 extern GraphEditor* panel_graph_editor;
 
 void update_ui(bool modified);
-QDockWidget* get_focused_panel();
+QDockWidget* get_focused_panel(bool force_hover = false);
 void alloc_panels(QWidget *parent);
 void free_panels();
 void scroll_to_frame_internal(QScrollBar* bar, long frame, double zoom, int area_width);
diff --git a/ui/viewerwidget.cpp b/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
index ea2322836..f6031f4ea 100644
--- a/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
+++ b/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,20 @@ void ViewerWidget::set_waveform_scroll(int s) {
 	if (waveform) {
 		waveform_scroll = s;
 		update();
-	}
+    }
+}
+
+void ViewerWidget::set_fullscreen(int screen) {
+    if (screen >= 0 && screen < QGuiApplication::screens().size()) {
+        QScreen* selected_screen = QGuiApplication::screens().at(screen);
+        window->showFullScreen();
+        window->setGeometry(selected_screen->geometry());
+
+        // HACK: window seems to show with distorted texture on first showing, so we queue an update after it's shown
+        QTimer::singleShot(100, window, SLOT(update()));
+    } else {
+        qCritical() << "Failed to find requested screen" << screen << "to set fullscreen to";
+    }
 }
 
 void ViewerWidget::show_context_menu() {
@@ -170,12 +183,7 @@ void ViewerWidget::fullscreen_menu_action(QAction *action) {
 		if (action->data().isNull()) {
 			window->hide();
 		} else {
-			QScreen* selected_screen = QGuiApplication::screens().at(action->data().toInt());
-			window->showFullScreen();
-			window->setGeometry(selected_screen->geometry());
-
-			// HACK: window seems to show with distorted texture on first showing, so we queue an update after it's shown
-			QTimer::singleShot(100, window, SLOT(update()));
+            set_fullscreen(action->data().toInt());
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ui/viewerwidget.h b/ui/viewerwidget.h
index e6f0526c8..ce09c790a 100644
--- a/ui/viewerwidget.h
+++ b/ui/viewerwidget.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ public:
 	void set_scroll(double x, double y);
 public slots:
 	void set_waveform_scroll(int s);
+    void set_fullscreen(int screen = 0);
 protected:
 	void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent *event);
 	void mouseMoveEvent(QMouseEvent *event);