diff --git a/src/plugin/ollieplugin.cpp b/src/plugin/ollieplugin.cpp
index 76d358e..52db469 100644
--- a/src/plugin/ollieplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugin/ollieplugin.cpp
@@ -408,6 +408,23 @@ QList<OllieView::ActionEntry> OllieView::collectActions() const
     return entries;
 }
 
+void OllieView::positionPalette(PaletteWidget *palette, bool fullWidth)
+{
+    QWidget *w = m_mainWindow->window();
+    if (!w) {
+        return;
+    }
+    const int margin = 12;
+    const int y = w->height() / 6;
+    if (fullWidth) {
+        palette->resize(w->width() - 2 * margin, 320);
+        palette->move(w->mapToGlobal(QPoint(margin, y)));
+    } else {
+        const QSize sz = palette->size();
+        palette->move(w->mapToGlobal(QPoint((w->width() - sz.width()) / 2, y)));
+    }
+}
+
 void OllieView::showCommandPalette()
 {
     if (!m_palette) {
@@ -465,13 +482,8 @@ void OllieView::showCommandPalette()
 
     m_palette->setItems(items);
 
-    // Center the palette near the top of the active window.
-    if (QWidget *w = m_mainWindow->window()) {
-        const QSize sz = m_palette->size();
-        const QPoint topLeft = w->mapToGlobal(QPoint((w->width() - sz.width()) / 2,
-                                                      w->height() / 6));
-        m_palette->move(topLeft);
-    }
+    // The command palette keeps its compact centered width.
+    positionPalette(m_palette, /*fullWidth=*/false);
 
     m_palette->activate();
 }
@@ -600,12 +612,7 @@ void OllieView::showFileSwitcher()
         m_filePalette->setItems({loading});
     }
 
-    if (QWidget *w = m_mainWindow->window()) {
-        const QSize sz = m_filePalette->size();
-        const QPoint topLeft = w->mapToGlobal(QPoint((w->width() - sz.width()) / 2,
-                                                      w->height() / 6));
-        m_filePalette->move(topLeft);
-    }
+    positionPalette(m_filePalette, /*fullWidth=*/true);
     m_filePalette->activate();
 
     // Kick off (or serve from cache) the index; filesReady repopulates.
@@ -700,12 +707,7 @@ void OllieView::showSymbolSwitcher()
         m_symbolPalette->setItems({loading});
     }
 
-    if (QWidget *w = m_mainWindow->window()) {
-        const QSize sz = m_symbolPalette->size();
-        const QPoint topLeft = w->mapToGlobal(QPoint((w->width() - sz.width()) / 2,
-                                                      w->height() / 6));
-        m_symbolPalette->move(topLeft);
-    }
+    positionPalette(m_symbolPalette, /*fullWidth=*/true);
     m_symbolPalette->activate();
 
     m_indexer.requestSymbols(m_symbolSwitcherRoot);
diff --git a/src/plugin/ollieplugin.h b/src/plugin/ollieplugin.h
index e7258c8..9d31486 100644
--- a/src/plugin/ollieplugin.h
+++ b/src/plugin/ollieplugin.h
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ private:
     // async-arrival paths). Root is used to project-qualify the frecency key.
     QList<PaletteItem> buildFileItems(const QString &root, const QStringList &files) const;
     QList<PaletteItem> buildSymbolItems(const QString &root, const QList<Symbol> &symbols) const;
+
+    // Size and place a palette near the top of the active window. When
+    // \a fullWidth, it spans the window width (minus a small margin); otherwise
+    // it keeps its own width and is horizontally centered.
+    void positionPalette(PaletteWidget *palette, bool fullWidth);
     // One harvested, runnable action with the provenance needed to build a
     // unique id and to disambiguate labels shared by several commands.
     struct ActionEntry {