diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/button.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/button.rkt
index b58f18e3..48e97919 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/button.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/button.rkt
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 (define MIN-BUTTON-WIDTH 72)
 (define BUTTON-EXTRA-WIDTH 12)
 
+(define NSSmallControlSize 1)
+(define NSMiniControlSize 2)
+
 (define-objc-class MyButton NSButton
   #:mixins (FocusResponder KeyMouseResponder CursorDisplayer)
   [wxb]
@@ -61,6 +64,14 @@
       (tellv cocoa sizeToFit)
       (when (and (eq? event-type 'button)
                  (string? label))
+        (when font
+          (let ([n (send font get-point-size)])
+            (when (n . < . sys-font-size)
+              (tellv (tell cocoa cell) 
+                     setControlSize: #:type _int 
+                     (if (n . < . (- sys-font-size 2))
+                         NSMiniControlSize
+                         NSSmallControlSize)))))
         (let ([frame (tell #:type _NSRect cocoa frame)])
           (tellv cocoa setFrame: #:type _NSRect 
                  (make-NSRect (NSRect-origin frame)
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/frame.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/frame.rkt
index 8d585a77..7779a020 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/frame.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/frame.rkt
@@ -244,12 +244,12 @@
                           (not (send p get-sheet)))))
               (let ([p (get-parent)])
                 (send p set-sheet this)
-                (tell (tell NSApplication sharedApplication)
-                      beginSheet: cocoa
-                      modalForWindow: (send p get-cocoa)
-                      modalDelegate: #f
-                      didEndSelector: #:type _SEL #f
-                      contextInfo: #f))
+                (tellv (tell NSApplication sharedApplication)
+                       beginSheet: cocoa
+                       modalForWindow: (send p get-cocoa)
+                       modalDelegate: #f
+                       didEndSelector: #:type _SEL #f
+                       contextInfo: #f))
               (tellv cocoa makeKeyAndOrderFront: #f))
           (begin
             (when is-a-dialog?
diff --git a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/item.rkt b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/item.rkt
index 674da458..e04a3751 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/item.rkt
+++ b/collects/mred/private/wx/cocoa/item.rkt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
          ffi/unsafe
          ffi/unsafe/objc
          "../../syntax.rkt"
+         "../../lock.rkt"
          "window.rkt"
          "const.rkt"
          "types.rkt"
@@ -10,11 +11,17 @@
 
 (provide 
  (protect-out item%
-              install-control-font))
+              install-control-font
+              sys-font-size))
 
 (import-class NSFont)
-(define sys-font (tell NSFont
-                       systemFontOfSize: #:type _CGFloat 13))
+
+(define sys-font-size 13)
+(define sys-font 
+  (atomically
+   (let ([f (tell NSFont systemFontOfSize: #:type _CGFloat sys-font-size)])
+     (tellv f retain)
+     f)))
 
 (define (install-control-font cocoa font)
   (if font