diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index bd2b25bc2..5421f99a9 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -76,17 +76,71 @@ void MainWindow::setup_layout(bool reset) {
     QFile panel_config(get_config_dir().filePath("layout"));
     if (panel_config.exists() && panel_config.open(QFile::ReadOnly)) {
 
-      // default to resetting unless we find the tag in the XML file
+      // default to resetting unless we find layout data in the XML file
       reset = true;
 
       // read XML layout file
       QXmlStreamReader stream(&panel_config);
+
+      // loop through XML for all data
       while (!stream.atEnd()) {
-        stream.readNextStartElement();
-        if (stream.name() == "panels") {
-          restoreState(QByteArray::fromBase64(stream.readElementText().toUtf8()), 0);
+        stream.readNext();
+
+        if (stream.name() == "panels" && stream.isStartElement()) {
+
+          // element contains MainWindow layout data to restore
+          stream.readNext();
+          restoreState(QByteArray::fromBase64(stream.text().toUtf8()), 0);
           reset = false;
+
+        } else if (stream.name() == "panel" && stream.isStartElement()) {
+
+          // element contains layout data specific to a panel, we'll find the panel and load it
+
+          // get panel name from XML attribute
+          QString panel_name;
+          const QXmlStreamAttributes& attributes = stream.attributes();
+          for (int i=0;i<attributes.size();i++) {
+            const QXmlStreamAttribute& attr = attributes.at(i);
+            if (attr.name() == "name") {
+              panel_name = attr.value().toString();
+              break;
+            }
+          }
+
+          if (panel_name.isEmpty()) {
+            qWarning() << "Layout file specified data for a panel but didn't specify a name. Layout wasn't loaded.";
+          } else {
+            // loop through panels for a panel with the same name
+
+            bool found_panel = false;
+
+            for (int i=0;i<olive::panels.size();i++) {
+
+              Panel* panel = olive::panels.at(i);
+              if (panel->objectName() == panel_name) {
+
+                // found the panel, so we can load its state
+                stream.readNext();
+                panel->LoadLayoutState(QByteArray::fromBase64(stream.text().toUtf8()));
+
+                // we found it, no more need to loop through panels
+                found_panel = true;
+
+                break;
+
+              }
+
+            }
+
+            if (!found_panel) {
+              qWarning() << "Panel specified in layout data doesn't exist. Layout wasn't loaded.";
+            }
+
+          }
+
         }
+
       }
 
       panel_config.close();
@@ -904,10 +958,37 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *e) {
       QFile panel_config(get_config_dir().filePath("layout"));
       if (panel_config.open(QFile::WriteOnly)) {
         QXmlStreamWriter stream(&panel_config);
+        stream.setAutoFormatting(true);
         stream.writeStartDocument();
 
+        stream.writeStartElement("layout");
+
         stream.writeTextElement("panels", saveState(0).toBase64());
 
+        // if the panels have any specific layout data to save, save it now
+        for (int i=0;i<olive::panels.size();i++) {
+          QByteArray layout_data = olive::panels.at(i)->SaveLayoutState();
+
+          if (!layout_data.isEmpty()) {
+
+            // layout data is matched with the panel's objectName(), which we can't do if the panel has no name
+            const QString& panel_name = olive::panels.at(i)->objectName();
+            if (panel_name.isEmpty()) {
+              qWarning() << "Panel" << i << "had layout state data but no objectName(). Layout was not saved.";
+            } else {
+              stream.writeStartElement("panel");
+
+              stream.writeAttribute("name", panel_name);
+
+              stream.writeCharacters(layout_data.toBase64());
+
+              stream.writeEndElement();
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
+        stream.writeEndElement(); // layout
+
         stream.writeEndDocument();
         panel_config.close();
       } else {
diff --git a/panels/effectcontrols.cpp b/panels/effectcontrols.cpp
index b6aa690e3..174baa795 100644
--- a/panels/effectcontrols.cpp
+++ b/panels/effectcontrols.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QResizeEvent>
 #include <QScrollBar>
-#include <QSplitter>
 #include <QScrollArea>
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QSpacerItem>
@@ -321,7 +320,7 @@ void EffectControls::setup_ui() {
   hlayout->setSpacing(0);
   hlayout->setMargin(0);
 
-  QSplitter* splitter = new QSplitter();
+  splitter = new QSplitter();
   splitter->setOrientation(Qt::Horizontal);
   splitter->setChildrenCollapsible(false);
 
@@ -507,6 +506,16 @@ void EffectControls::Retranslate() {
   UpdateTitle();
 }
 
+void EffectControls::LoadLayoutState(const QByteArray &data)
+{
+  splitter->restoreState(data);
+}
+
+QByteArray EffectControls::SaveLayoutState()
+{
+  return splitter->saveState();
+}
+
 void EffectControls::update_scrollbar() {
   verticalScrollBar->setMaximum(qMax(0, effects_area->height() - keyframeView->height() - headers->height()));
   verticalScrollBar->setPageStep(verticalScrollBar->height());
diff --git a/panels/effectcontrols.h b/panels/effectcontrols.h
index fb5c16014..4cc3a9116 100644
--- a/panels/effectcontrols.h
+++ b/panels/effectcontrols.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QScrollBar>
 #include <QHBoxLayout>
+#include <QSplitter>
 
 #include "project/projectelements.h"
 #include "ui/timelineheader.h"
@@ -78,6 +79,9 @@ public:
   void add_effect_paste_action(QMenu* menu);
 
   virtual void Retranslate() override;
+
+  virtual void LoadLayoutState(const QByteArray& data) override;
+  virtual QByteArray SaveLayoutState() override;
 public slots:
   void cut();
   void copy(bool del = false);
@@ -112,6 +116,7 @@ private:
   QString panel_name;
   int mode;
 
+  QSplitter* splitter;
   QPushButton* btnAddVideoEffect;
   QLabel* lblVideoEffects;
   QPushButton* btnAddVideoTransition;
diff --git a/panels/project.cpp b/panels/project.cpp
index ebbe01e0a..1458ba4f0 100644
--- a/panels/project.cpp
+++ b/panels/project.cpp
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ void Project::save_project(bool autorecovery) {
   sequence_id = 1;
 
   QFile file(autorecovery ? autorecovery_filename : olive::ActiveProjectFilename);
-  if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly/* | QIODevice::Text*/)) {
+  if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly)) {
     qCritical() << "Could not open file";
     return;
   }
diff --git a/ui/panel.cpp b/ui/panel.cpp
index 2892be2e8..ed54ea43d 100644
--- a/ui/panel.cpp
+++ b/ui/panel.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ Panel::~Panel()
   olive::panels.removeAll(this);
 }
 
+void Panel::LoadLayoutState(const QByteArray &) {}
+
+QByteArray Panel::SaveLayoutState()
+{
+  return QByteArray();
+}
+
 void Panel::changeEvent(QEvent *e)
 {
   if (e->type() == QEvent::LanguageChange) {
diff --git a/ui/panel.h b/ui/panel.h
index db7054b13..c4c9f2cbe 100644
--- a/ui/panel.h
+++ b/ui/panel.h
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ class Panel : public QDockWidget {
 public:
   Panel(QWidget* parent = nullptr);
   virtual ~Panel() override;
+
   virtual void Retranslate() = 0;
+
+  virtual void LoadLayoutState(const QByteArray& data);
+  virtual QByteArray SaveLayoutState();
 protected:
   virtual void changeEvent(QEvent* e) override;
 };