diff --git a/egui/src/containers/combo_box.rs b/egui/src/containers/combo_box.rs
index 92b967b9..e840f20c 100644
--- a/egui/src/containers/combo_box.rs
+++ b/egui/src/containers/combo_box.rs
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ pub fn combo_box(
                 let frame_margin = frame.margin;
                 frame.show(ui, |ui| {
                     ui.set_min_width(button_response.rect.width() - 2.0 * frame_margin.x);
-                    ui.set_layout(Layout::justified(Direction::Vertical));
-                    menu_contents(ui);
+                    ui.with_layout(Layout::justified(Direction::Vertical), menu_contents);
                 })
             });
 
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ fn button_frame(
     let outer_rect_bounds = ui.available();
     let inner_rect = outer_rect_bounds.shrink2(margin);
     let where_to_put_background = ui.painter().add(PaintCmd::Noop);
-    let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect);
+    let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect, *ui.layout());
     add_contents(&mut content_ui);
 
     let outer_rect = Rect::from_min_max(
diff --git a/egui/src/containers/frame.rs b/egui/src/containers/frame.rs
index f0c006da..699b4fcb 100644
--- a/egui/src/containers/frame.rs
+++ b/egui/src/containers/frame.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ impl Frame {
         let outer_rect_bounds = ui.available();
         let inner_rect = outer_rect_bounds.shrink2(self.margin);
         let where_to_put_background = ui.painter().add(PaintCmd::Noop);
-        let content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect);
+        let content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect, *ui.layout());
         Prepared {
             frame: self,
             outer_rect_bounds,
diff --git a/egui/src/containers/resize.rs b/egui/src/containers/resize.rs
index 08b4bc90..d9c6020a 100644
--- a/egui/src/containers/resize.rs
+++ b/egui/src/containers/resize.rs
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ impl Resize {
 
         content_clip_rect = content_clip_rect.intersect(ui.clip_rect()); // Respect parent region
 
-        let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect);
+        let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(inner_rect, *ui.layout());
         content_ui.set_clip_rect(content_clip_rect);
 
         Prepared {
diff --git a/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs b/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
index a3caeb28..5eb8d67f 100644
--- a/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
+++ b/egui/src/containers/scroll_area.rs
@@ -100,10 +100,13 @@ impl ScrollArea {
         let inner_size = outer_size - vec2(current_scroll_bar_width, 0.0);
         let inner_rect = Rect::from_min_size(ui.available().min, inner_size);
 
-        let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(Rect::from_min_size(
-            inner_rect.min - state.offset,
-            vec2(inner_size.x, f32::INFINITY),
-        ));
+        let mut content_ui = ui.child_ui(
+            Rect::from_min_size(
+                inner_rect.min - state.offset,
+                vec2(inner_size.x, f32::INFINITY),
+            ),
+            *ui.layout(),
+        );
         let mut content_clip_rect = inner_rect.expand(ui.style().visuals.clip_rect_margin);
         content_clip_rect = content_clip_rect.intersect(ui.clip_rect());
         content_clip_rect.max.x = ui.clip_rect().max.x - current_scroll_bar_width; // Nice handling of forced resizing beyond the possible
diff --git a/egui/src/demos/app.rs b/egui/src/demos/app.rs
index a4a9db8b..b0b9eb28 100644
--- a/egui/src/demos/app.rs
+++ b/egui/src/demos/app.rs
@@ -389,13 +389,15 @@ fn show_menu_bar(ui: &mut Ui, windows: &mut OpenWindows, env: &DemoEnvironment)
                 (time.rem_euclid(60.0)).floor(),
                 (time.rem_euclid(1.0) * 100.0).floor()
             );
-            ui.set_layout(Layout::horizontal(Align::Max).reverse());
-            if ui
-                .add(Button::new(time).text_style(TextStyle::Monospace))
-                .clicked
-            {
-                windows.fractal_clock = !windows.fractal_clock;
-            }
+
+            ui.with_layout(Layout::horizontal(Align::Max).reverse(), |ui| {
+                if ui
+                    .add(Button::new(time).text_style(TextStyle::Monospace))
+                    .clicked
+                {
+                    windows.fractal_clock = !windows.fractal_clock;
+                }
+            });
         }
     });
 }
diff --git a/egui/src/demos/demo_window.rs b/egui/src/demos/demo_window.rs
index 84f08560..7f151192 100644
--- a/egui/src/demos/demo_window.rs
+++ b/egui/src/demos/demo_window.rs
@@ -360,20 +360,24 @@ impl Default for LayoutDemo {
 }
 
 impl LayoutDemo {
+    fn layout(&self) -> Layout {
+        let layout = Layout::from_dir_align(self.dir, self.align);
+        if self.reversed {
+            layout.reverse()
+        } else {
+            layout
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn ui(&mut self, ui: &mut Ui) {
         Resize::default()
             .default_size([200.0, 100.0])
-            .show(ui, |ui| self.content_ui(ui));
+            .show(ui, |ui| {
+                ui.with_layout(self.layout(), |ui| self.content_ui(ui))
+            });
     }
 
     pub fn content_ui(&mut self, ui: &mut Ui) {
-        let layout = Layout::from_dir_align(self.dir, self.align);
-        if self.reversed {
-            ui.set_layout(layout.reverse());
-        } else {
-            ui.set_layout(layout);
-        }
-
         // ui.add(label!("Available space: {:?}", ui.available().size()));
         if ui.add(Button::new("Reset")).clicked {
             *self = Default::default();
diff --git a/egui/src/menu.rs b/egui/src/menu.rs
index 9be946d8..aaf971fb 100644
--- a/egui/src/menu.rs
+++ b/egui/src/menu.rs
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ fn menu_impl<'c>(
                 style.visuals.widgets.inactive.bg_fill = TRANSPARENT;
                 style.visuals.widgets.inactive.bg_stroke = Stroke::none();
                 ui.set_style(style);
-                ui.set_layout(Layout::justified(Direction::Vertical));
-                add_contents(ui)
+                ui.with_layout(Layout::justified(Direction::Vertical), add_contents);
             })
         });
 
diff --git a/egui/src/ui.rs b/egui/src/ui.rs
index 5285d8b6..62fdf1e1 100644
--- a/egui/src/ui.rs
+++ b/egui/src/ui.rs
@@ -67,17 +67,24 @@ impl Ui {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn child_ui(&mut self, child_rect: Rect) -> Self {
+    pub fn child_ui(&mut self, child_rect: Rect, layout: Layout) -> Self {
         let id = self.make_position_id(); // TODO: is this a good idea?
         self.child_count += 1;
+
+        let cursor = if layout.is_reversed() {
+            child_rect.max
+        } else {
+            child_rect.min
+        };
+
         Ui {
             id,
             painter: self.painter.clone(),
             desired_rect: child_rect,
             child_bounds: Rect::from_min_size(child_rect.min, Vec2::zero()), // TODO: Rect::nothing() ?
             style: self.style().clone(),
-            layout: self.layout,
-            cursor: child_rect.min,
+            layout,
+            cursor,
             child_count: 0,
         }
     }
@@ -275,16 +282,6 @@ impl Ui {
         &self.layout
     }
 
-    // TODO: remove
-    pub fn set_layout(&mut self, layout: Layout) {
-        self.layout = layout;
-
-        // TODO: remove this HACK:
-        if layout.is_reversed() {
-            self.cursor = self.rect_finite().max;
-        }
-    }
-
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     pub fn contains_mouse(&self, rect: Rect) -> bool {
@@ -613,7 +610,7 @@ impl Ui {
     pub fn add_custom_contents(&mut self, size: Vec2, add_contents: impl FnOnce(&mut Ui)) -> Rect {
         let size = size.at_most(self.available().size());
         let child_rect = Rect::from_min_size(self.cursor, size);
-        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect);
+        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect, self.layout);
         add_contents(&mut child_ui);
         self.allocate_space(child_ui.bounding_size())
     }
@@ -621,7 +618,7 @@ impl Ui {
     /// Create a child ui. You can use this to temporarily change the Style of a sub-region, for instance.
     pub fn add_custom<R>(&mut self, add_contents: impl FnOnce(&mut Ui) -> R) -> (R, Rect) {
         let child_rect = self.available();
-        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect);
+        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect, self.layout);
         let r = add_contents(&mut child_ui);
         let size = child_ui.bounding_size();
         (r, self.allocate_space(size))
@@ -641,7 +638,7 @@ impl Ui {
         let child_rect = Rect::from_min_max(self.cursor + indent, self.bottom_right());
         let mut child_ui = Ui {
             id: self.id.with(id_source),
-            ..self.child_ui(child_rect)
+            ..self.child_ui(child_rect, self.layout)
         };
         let ret = add_contents(&mut child_ui);
         let size = child_ui.bounding_size();
@@ -677,10 +674,13 @@ impl Ui {
             Align::Center => self.available().width() / 2.0 - width / 2.0,
             Align::Max => self.available().width() - width,
         };
-        self.child_ui(Rect::from_min_size(
-            self.cursor + vec2(x, 0.0),
-            vec2(width, self.available().height()),
-        ))
+        self.child_ui(
+            Rect::from_min_size(
+                self.cursor + vec2(x, 0.0),
+                vec2(width, self.available().height()),
+            ),
+            self.layout,
+        )
     }
 
     /// Start a ui with horizontal layout.
@@ -716,8 +716,19 @@ impl Ui {
         add_contents: impl FnOnce(&mut Self) -> R,
     ) -> (R, Rect) {
         let child_rect = Rect::from_min_size(self.cursor, initial_size);
-        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect);
-        child_ui.set_layout(layout); // HACK: need a separate call right now
+        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(child_rect, layout);
+        let ret = add_contents(&mut child_ui);
+        let size = child_ui.bounding_size();
+        let rect = self.allocate_space(size);
+        (ret, rect)
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_layout<R>(
+        &mut self,
+        layout: Layout,
+        add_contents: impl FnOnce(&mut Self) -> R,
+    ) -> (R, Rect) {
+        let mut child_ui = self.child_ui(self.rect(), layout);
         let ret = add_contents(&mut child_ui);
         let size = child_ui.bounding_size();
         let rect = self.allocate_space(size);
@@ -749,7 +760,7 @@ impl Ui {
 
                 Self {
                     id: self.make_child_id(&("column", col_idx)),
-                    ..self.child_ui(child_rect)
+                    ..self.child_ui(child_rect, self.layout)
                 }
             })
             .collect();