diff --git a/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.cpp b/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.cpp
index 0b241c2ab..f90fe8d4a 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.cpp
@@ -346,11 +346,18 @@ AppearanceSettingsPage::AppearanceSettingsPage()
     connect(&verticalCardOverlapPercentBox, SIGNAL(valueChanged(int)), &settings,
             SLOT(setStackCardOverlapPercent(int)));
 
+    cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox.setRange(1, 999);
+    cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox.setValue(SettingsCache::instance().getCardViewInitialRowsMax());
+    connect(&cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox, qOverload<int>(&QSpinBox::valueChanged), &SettingsCache::instance(),
+            &SettingsCache::setCardViewInitialRowsMax);
+
     auto *cardsGrid = new QGridLayout;
     cardsGrid->addWidget(&displayCardNamesCheckBox, 0, 0, 1, 2);
     cardsGrid->addWidget(&cardScalingCheckBox, 1, 0, 1, 2);
     cardsGrid->addWidget(&verticalCardOverlapPercentLabel, 2, 0, 1, 1);
     cardsGrid->addWidget(&verticalCardOverlapPercentBox, 2, 1, 1, 1);
+    cardsGrid->addWidget(&cardViewInitialRowsMaxLabel, 3, 0);
+    cardsGrid->addWidget(&cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox, 3, 1);
 
     cardsGroupBox = new QGroupBox;
     cardsGroupBox->setLayout(cardsGrid);
@@ -448,6 +455,8 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::retranslateUi()
     cardScalingCheckBox.setText(tr("Scale cards on mouse over"));
     verticalCardOverlapPercentLabel.setText(
         tr("Minimum overlap percentage of cards on the stack and in vertical hand"));
+    cardViewInitialRowsMaxLabel.setText(tr("Maximum initial height for card view window:"));
+    cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox.setSuffix(tr(" rows"));
 
     handGroupBox->setTitle(tr("Hand layout"));
     horizontalHandCheckBox.setText(tr("Display hand horizontally (wastes space)"));
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.h b/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.h
index 078c0f9b3..2a3f7bf0b 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/dialogs/dlg_settings.h
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ private:
     QCheckBox cardScalingCheckBox;
     QLabel verticalCardOverlapPercentLabel;
     QSpinBox verticalCardOverlapPercentBox;
+    QLabel cardViewInitialRowsMaxLabel;
+    QSpinBox cardViewInitialRowsMaxBox;
     QCheckBox horizontalHandCheckBox;
     QCheckBox leftJustifiedHandCheckBox;
     QCheckBox invertVerticalCoordinateCheckBox;
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/game/zones/view_zone_widget.cpp b/cockatrice/src/game/zones/view_zone_widget.cpp
index 57455fc49..8514aa60d 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/game/zones/view_zone_widget.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/game/zones/view_zone_widget.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,16 @@ void ZoneViewWidget::resizeEvent(QGraphicsSceneResizeEvent *event)
     scrollBar->setMaximum(totalZoneHeight - newZoneHeight);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Calculates the max initial height from the settings.
+ * The max initial height setting is given as number of rows, so we need to map it to a height.
+ **/
+static qreal calcMaxInitialHeight()
+{
+    const qreal cardsHeight = (SettingsCache::instance().getCardViewInitialRowsMax() + 1) * (CARD_HEIGHT / 3);
+    return cardsHeight + 5; // +5 padding to make the cutoff look nicer
+}
+
 void ZoneViewWidget::resizeToZoneContents()
 {
     QRectF zoneRect = zone->getOptimumRect();
@@ -265,7 +275,7 @@ void ZoneViewWidget::resizeToZoneContents()
     QSizeF maxSize(width, zoneRect.height() + extraHeight + 10);
     setMaximumSize(maxSize);
 
-    qreal initialZoneHeight = qMin(zoneRect.height(), 500.0);
+    qreal initialZoneHeight = qMin(zoneRect.height(), calcMaxInitialHeight());
     QSizeF initialSize(width, initialZoneHeight + extraHeight + 10);
     resize(initialSize);
 
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.cpp b/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.cpp
index d01742327..5c8d50e0b 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.cpp
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ SettingsCache::SettingsCache()
     tabGameSplitterSizes = settings->value("interface/tabgame_splittersizes").toByteArray();
     knownMissingFeatures = settings->value("interface/knownmissingfeatures", "").toString();
     useTearOffMenus = settings->value("interface/usetearoffmenus", true).toBool();
+    cardViewInitialRowsMax = settings->value("interface/cardViewInitialRowsMax", 14).toInt();
 
     showShortcuts = settings->value("menu/showshortcuts", true).toBool();
     displayCardNames = settings->value("cards/displaycardnames", true).toBool();
@@ -300,6 +301,12 @@ void SettingsCache::setUseTearOffMenus(bool _useTearOffMenus)
     emit useTearOffMenusChanged(useTearOffMenus);
 }
 
+void SettingsCache::setCardViewInitialRowsMax(int _cardViewInitialRowsMax)
+{
+    cardViewInitialRowsMax = _cardViewInitialRowsMax;
+    settings->setValue("interface/cardViewInitialRowsMax", cardViewInitialRowsMax);
+}
+
 void SettingsCache::setKnownMissingFeatures(const QString &_knownMissingFeatures)
 {
     knownMissingFeatures = _knownMissingFeatures;
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.h b/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.h
index 7c8cc2ec7..0f46adb41 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/settings/cache_settings.h
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ private:
     QString clientVersion;
     QString knownMissingFeatures;
     bool useTearOffMenus;
+    int cardViewInitialRowsMax;
     int pixmapCacheSize;
     int networkCacheSize;
     int redirectCacheTtl;
@@ -485,6 +486,7 @@ public:
     void setClientVersion(const QString &clientVersion);
     void setKnownMissingFeatures(const QString &_knownMissingFeatures);
     void setUseTearOffMenus(bool _useTearOffMenus);
+    void setCardViewInitialRowsMax(int _cardViewInitialRowsMax);
     QString getClientID()
     {
         return clientID;
@@ -501,6 +503,10 @@ public:
     {
         return useTearOffMenus;
     }
+    int getCardViewInitialRowsMax() const
+    {
+        return cardViewInitialRowsMax;
+    }
     ShortcutsSettings &shortcuts() const
     {
         return *shortcutsSettings;
diff --git a/dbconverter/src/mocks.cpp b/dbconverter/src/mocks.cpp
index 98ac958eb..6419f267a 100644
--- a/dbconverter/src/mocks.cpp
+++ b/dbconverter/src/mocks.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ SettingsCache::SettingsCache()
 void SettingsCache::setUseTearOffMenus(bool /* _useTearOffMenus */)
 {
 }
+void SettingsCache::setCardViewInitialRowsMax(int /* _cardViewInitialRowsMax */)
+{
+}
 void SettingsCache::setKnownMissingFeatures(const QString & /* _knownMissingFeatures */)
 {
 }
diff --git a/tests/carddatabase/mocks.cpp b/tests/carddatabase/mocks.cpp
index 8f05f7360..5e42ccc44 100644
--- a/tests/carddatabase/mocks.cpp
+++ b/tests/carddatabase/mocks.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ SettingsCache::SettingsCache()
 void SettingsCache::setUseTearOffMenus(bool /* _useTearOffMenus */)
 {
 }
+void SettingsCache::setCardViewInitialRowsMax(int /* _cardViewInitialRowsMax */)
+{
+}
 void SettingsCache::setKnownMissingFeatures(const QString & /* _knownMissingFeatures */)
 {
 }