diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.c.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.c.smoother-slide-in	2008-09-22 17:21:05.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.c	2008-10-12 11:22:38.000000000 -0400
@@ -792,6 +792,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } PanelAppletToLoad;
 
 static GSList  *panel_applets_to_load = NULL;
+static GSList  *panel_applets_loading = NULL;
 static gboolean panel_applet_have_load_idle = FALSE;
 
 static void
@@ -818,6 +819,44 @@ panel_applet_on_load_queue (const char *
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+void
+panel_applet_stop_loading (const char *id)
+{
+	PanelAppletToLoad *applet;
+	GSList *l, *applet_link;
+
+	applet_link = NULL;
+	for (l = panel_applets_loading; l; l = l->next) {
+		applet = l->data;
+
+		if (strcmp (applet->id, id) == 0) {
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (l == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	panel_applets_loading = g_slist_delete_link (panel_applets_loading, l);
+	free_applet_to_load (applet);
+
+	if (panel_applets_loading == NULL) {
+		GSList *toplevels, *l;
+
+		toplevels = panel_toplevel_list_toplevels ();
+
+                l = toplevels;
+		while (l != NULL) {
+		    PanelToplevel *toplevel;
+
+		    toplevel = (PanelToplevel *) l->data;
+
+		    panel_toplevel_queue_initial_unhide (toplevel);
+		    l = l->next;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 static gboolean
 panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer dummy)
 {
@@ -848,8 +887,8 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 		panel_applet_have_load_idle = FALSE;
 		return FALSE;
 	}
-
 	panel_applets_to_load = g_slist_delete_link (panel_applets_to_load, l);
+	panel_applets_loading = g_slist_append (panel_applets_loading, applet);
 
 	panel_widget = panel_toplevel_get_panel_widget (toplevel);
 
@@ -873,6 +912,7 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 					applet->locked,
 					applet->position,
 					applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_MENU:
 		panel_menu_button_load_from_gconf (panel_widget,
@@ -880,12 +920,14 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 						   applet->position,
 						   TRUE,
 						   applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_LAUNCHER:
 		launcher_load_from_gconf (panel_widget,
 					  applet->locked,
 					  applet->position,
 					  applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_LOGOUT:
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_LOCK:
@@ -896,6 +938,7 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 				applet->position,
 				TRUE,
 				applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_ACTION:
 		panel_action_button_load_from_gconf (
@@ -904,6 +947,7 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 				applet->position,
 				TRUE,
 				applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_MENU_BAR:
 		panel_menu_bar_load_from_gconf (
@@ -912,18 +956,18 @@ panel_applet_load_idle_handler (gpointer
 				applet->position,
 				TRUE,
 				applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 		break;
 	case PANEL_OBJECT_SEPARATOR:
 		panel_separator_load_from_gconf (panel_widget,
 						 applet->locked,
 						 applet->position,
 						 applet->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (applet->id);
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
 
-	free_applet_to_load (applet);
-
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.h.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.h
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.h.smoother-slide-in	2008-09-22 17:21:05.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/applet.h	2008-10-12 11:11:42.000000000 -0400
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ AppletInfo *panel_applet_register    (Gt
 				      gboolean         exactpos,
 				      PanelObjectType  type,
 				      const char      *id);
+void panel_applet_stop_loading (const char *id);
 
 const char *panel_applet_get_id           (AppletInfo      *info);
 const char *panel_applet_get_id_by_widget (GtkWidget       *widget);
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c.smoother-slide-in	2008-10-11 12:42:50.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c	2008-10-12 11:19:58.000000000 -0400
@@ -1286,6 +1286,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 		if (!in_default_panel_config (frame_act->id)) {
 			panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		}
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		return;
@@ -1328,6 +1329,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		CORBA_exception_free (&corba_ev);
 		bonobo_object_release_unref (object, NULL);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
                 g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		g_free (error);
@@ -1344,6 +1346,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 		g_warning (G_STRLOC ": failed to load applet %s",
 			   frame->priv->iid);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		return;
@@ -1355,6 +1358,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 			   "(cannot get control frame)", frame->priv->iid);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		gtk_object_sink (GTK_OBJECT (widget));
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		return;
@@ -1371,6 +1375,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 			   frame->priv->iid, error);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		gtk_object_sink (GTK_OBJECT (widget));
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		g_free (error);
@@ -1394,6 +1399,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 			   frame->priv->iid, error);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		gtk_object_sink (GTK_OBJECT (widget));
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		g_free (error);
@@ -1418,6 +1424,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 			   "(cannot get control)", frame->priv->iid);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		gtk_object_sink (GTK_OBJECT (widget));
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		return;
@@ -1430,6 +1437,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 			   "(cannot get applet shell)", frame->priv->iid);
 		panel_applet_frame_loading_failed (frame, frame_act->id);
 		gtk_object_sink (GTK_OBJECT (widget));
+		panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act->id);
 		g_free (frame_act);
 		return;
@@ -1461,6 +1469,7 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Obje
 	panel_lockdown_notify_add (G_CALLBACK (panel_applet_frame_sync_menu_state),
 				   frame);
 
+	panel_applet_stop_loading (frame_act->id);
 	g_free (frame_act->id);
 	g_free (frame_act);
 }
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.h.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.h
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-profile.c.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-profile.c
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.c.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.c.smoother-slide-in	2008-09-22 17:21:05.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.c	2008-10-11 12:42:50.000000000 -0400
@@ -2898,12 +2898,15 @@ static void
 panel_toplevel_initially_hide (PanelToplevel *toplevel)
 {
 	if (!toplevel->priv->attached) {
+
+		/* We start the panel off hidden until all the
+		 * applets are loaded, and then finally slide it
+		 * down when it's ready to be used
+		 */
 		toplevel->priv->initial_animation_done = FALSE;
 
 		toplevel->priv->state = PANEL_STATE_AUTO_HIDDEN;
 		gtk_widget_queue_resize (GTK_WIDGET (toplevel));
-
-		panel_toplevel_queue_auto_unhide (toplevel);
 	} else
 		toplevel->priv->initial_animation_done = TRUE;
 
@@ -3638,6 +3641,17 @@ panel_toplevel_queue_auto_unhide (PanelT
 				    toplevel);
 }
 
+void
+panel_toplevel_queue_initial_unhide (PanelToplevel *toplevel)
+{
+	if (toplevel->priv->initial_animation_done)
+		return;
+       /* Give the applets a second or so to frob after registering */
+	toplevel->priv->unhide_timeout =
+		g_timeout_add_seconds (1, (GSourceFunc) panel_toplevel_auto_unhide_timeout_handler,
+			toplevel);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 panel_toplevel_enter_notify_event (GtkWidget        *widget,
 				   GdkEventCrossing *event)
diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.h.smoother-slide-in gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.h
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.h.smoother-slide-in	2008-09-22 17:21:05.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-toplevel.h	2008-10-11 12:42:50.000000000 -0400
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ void                 panel_toplevel_hide
 void                 panel_toplevel_unhide                 (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
 void                 panel_toplevel_queue_auto_hide        (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
 void                 panel_toplevel_queue_auto_unhide      (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
+void                 panel_toplevel_queue_initial_unhide   (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
 void                 panel_toplevel_push_autohide_disabler (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
 void                 panel_toplevel_pop_autohide_disabler  (PanelToplevel       *toplevel);
 
