diff --git a/ui/sidebar.cpp b/ui/sidebar.cpp
--- a/ui/sidebar.cpp
+++ b/ui/sidebar.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <qmenu.h>
 #include <kcolorscheme.h>
+#include <KSqueezedTextLabel>
 #include <kurlmimedata.h>
 
 #include "settings.h"
@@ -425,7 +426,7 @@
     QSplitter *splitter;
     QStackedWidget *stack;
     QWidget *sideContainer;
-    QLabel *sideTitle;
+    KSqueezedTextLabel *sideTitle;
     QVBoxLayout *vlay;
     QWidget *sideWidget;
     QWidget *bottomWidget;
@@ -492,18 +493,17 @@
     d->splitter->setChildrenCollapsible( false );
 
     d->sideContainer = new QWidget( d->splitter );
-    d->sideContainer->setMinimumWidth( 90 );
-    d->sideContainer->setMaximumWidth( 600 );
     d->vlay = new QVBoxLayout( d->sideContainer );
     d->vlay->setMargin( 0 );
 
-    d->sideTitle = new QLabel( d->sideContainer );
+    d->sideTitle = new KSqueezedTextLabel( d->sideContainer );
     d->vlay->addWidget( d->sideTitle );
     QFont tf = d->sideTitle->font();
     tf.setBold( true );
     d->sideTitle->setFont( tf );
     d->sideTitle->setMargin( 3 );
     d->sideTitle->setIndent( 3 );
+    d->sideTitle->setTextElideMode( Qt::ElideRight );
 
     d->stack = new QStackedWidget( d->sideContainer );
     d->vlay->addWidget( d->stack );
@@ -550,9 +550,19 @@
             QList<int> splitterSizes = Okular::Settings::splitterSizes();
             if ( !splitterSizes.count() )
             {
-                // the first time use 1/10 for the panel and 9/10 for the pageView
-                splitterSizes.push_back( 50 );
-                splitterSizes.push_back( 500 );
+                QFontMetrics fontMetrics( d->sideTitle->fontMetrics());
+                int sideTitleWidth = 0;
+                Q_FOREACH ( SidebarItem* sbItem, d->pages )
+                {
+                    int w = fontMetrics.boundingRect( sbItem->text() ).width();
+                    if ( w > sideTitleWidth )
+                        sideTitleWidth = w;
+                }
+
+                // the first time use ~1/5 for the panel and ~4/5 for the pageView
+                // (depending on language, sideTitleWidth equals ~100px)
+                splitterSizes.push_back( sideTitleWidth );
+                splitterSizes.push_back( 500 - sideTitleWidth );
             }
             d->splitter->setSizes( splitterSizes );
             d->splitterSizesSet = true;