diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
index abf43f478b6..f8282da0f9e 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/changesView.ts
@@ -440,13 +440,13 @@ export class ChangesViewPane extends ViewPane {
 		}));
 
 		// Shared constants for pane sizing
-		const ciMarginTop = 8; // matches margin-top on .ci-status-widget
-		const ciMinHeight = CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT + CIStatusWidget.MIN_BODY_HEIGHT + ciMarginTop;
+		const ciMinHeight = CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT + CIStatusWidget.MIN_BODY_HEIGHT;
+		const treeMinHeight = 3 * 22; // three tree rows (row height = 22)
 
 		// Top pane: file tree
 		const treePane: IView = {
 			element: this.contentContainer,
-			minimumSize: ciMinHeight,
+			minimumSize: treeMinHeight,
 			maximumSize: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
 			onDidChange: Event.None,
 			layout: (height) => {
@@ -464,15 +464,14 @@ export class ChangesViewPane extends ViewPane {
 			maximumSize: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
 			onDidChange: Event.map(this.ciStatusWidget.onDidChangeHeight, () => undefined),
 			layout: (height) => {
-				const innerHeight = Math.max(0, height - ciMarginTop);
-				ciElement.style.height = `${innerHeight}px`;
-				const bodyHeight = Math.max(0, innerHeight - CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT);
+				ciElement.style.height = `${height}px`;
+				const bodyHeight = Math.max(0, height - CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT);
 				ciWidget.layout(bodyHeight);
 			},
 		};
 
 		this.splitView.addView(treePane, Sizing.Distribute, 0, true);
-		this.splitView.addView(ciPane, CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT + CIStatusWidget.MIN_BODY_HEIGHT + ciMarginTop, 1, true);
+		this.splitView.addView(ciPane, CIStatusWidget.HEADER_HEIGHT + CIStatusWidget.PREFERRED_BODY_HEIGHT, 1, true);
 
 		// Style the sash as a visible separator between sections
 		const updateSplitViewStyles = () => {
diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/ciStatusWidget.ts b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/ciStatusWidget.ts
index c1ca007b580..63dab1fb216 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/ciStatusWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/ciStatusWidget.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ class CICheckListRenderer implements IListRenderer<ICICheckListItem, ICICheckTem
 export class CIStatusWidget extends Disposable {
 
 	static readonly HEADER_HEIGHT = 30;
-	static readonly MIN_BODY_HEIGHT = 112; // at least 4 checks (4 * 28)
+	static readonly MIN_BODY_HEIGHT = 84; // at least 3 checks (3 * 28)
+	static readonly PREFERRED_BODY_HEIGHT = 112; // preferred 4 checks (4 * 28)
 	static readonly MAX_BODY_HEIGHT = 240; // at most ~8 checks
 
 	private readonly _domNode: HTMLElement;
diff --git a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/ciStatusWidget.css b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/ciStatusWidget.css
index c1e1ca57a6d..80ccbf4df52 100644
--- a/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/ciStatusWidget.css
+++ b/src/vs/sessions/contrib/changes/browser/media/ciStatusWidget.css
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 	flex-direction: column;
 	flex-shrink: 0;
 	box-sizing: border-box;
-	margin-top: 8px;
 	overflow: hidden;
 	font-size: 12px;
 }
@@ -52,7 +51,8 @@
 	padding-right: 8px;
 }
 
-.ci-status-widget.has-fix-actions:hover .ci-status-widget-counts {
+.ci-status-widget.has-fix-actions:hover .ci-status-widget-counts,
+.ci-status-widget.has-fix-actions:focus-within .ci-status-widget-counts {
 	visibility: hidden;
 }
 
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@
 	align-items: center;
 }
 
-.ci-status-widget:hover .ci-status-widget-header-actions.has-actions {
+.ci-status-widget:hover .ci-status-widget-header-actions.has-actions,
+.ci-status-widget:focus-within .ci-status-widget-header-actions.has-actions {
 	display: flex;
 }