diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
index 2b36164798..f4d23602ce 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.py
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ def config(defaults=None):
     c.add_opt('bottom_margin', default=20)
     c.add_opt('text_color', default=None)
     c.add_opt('background_color', default=None)
+    c.add_opt('show_controls', default=True)
 
     fonts = c.add_group('FONTS', _('Font options'))
     fonts('serif_family', default='Times New Roman' if iswindows else 'Liberation Serif',
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         for x in ('text', 'background'):
             setattr(self, 'current_%s_color'%x, getattr(opts, '%s_color'%x))
         self.update_sample_colors()
+        self.opt_show_controls.setChecked(opts.show_controls)
 
     def change_color(self, which, reset=False):
         if reset:
@@ -292,6 +294,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
                 self.opt_override_book_margins.isChecked())
         c.set('text_color', self.current_text_color)
         c.set('background_color', self.current_background_color)
+        c.set('show_controls', self.opt_show_controls.isChecked())
         for x in ('top', 'bottom', 'side'):
             c.set(x+'_margin', int(getattr(self, 'opt_%s_margin'%x).value()))
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
index 3ae2efe597..b36a5caceb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/config.ui
@@ -347,8 +347,8 @@ QToolBox::tab:hover {
            <rect>
             <x>0</x>
             <y>0</y>
-            <width>811</width>
-            <height>352</height>
+            <width>352</width>
+            <height>176</height>
            </rect>
           </property>
           <attribute name="label">
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@ QToolBox::tab:hover {
            <rect>
             <x>0</x>
             <y>0</y>
-            <width>352</width>
-            <height>123</height>
+            <width>811</width>
+            <height>352</height>
            </rect>
           </property>
           <attribute name="label">
@@ -605,20 +605,27 @@ QToolBox::tab:hover {
              </property>
             </widget>
            </item>
-           <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+           <item row="3" column="0" colspan="2">
             <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_remember_window_size">
              <property name="text">
               <string>Remember last used &amp;window size and layout</string>
              </property>
             </widget>
            </item>
-           <item row="3" column="0" colspan="2">
+           <item row="4" column="0" colspan="2">
             <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_remember_current_page">
              <property name="text">
               <string>Remember the &amp;current page when quitting</string>
              </property>
             </widget>
            </item>
+           <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+            <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_show_controls">
+             <property name="text">
+              <string>Show &amp;controls in the viewer window</string>
+             </property>
+            </widget>
+           </item>
           </layout>
          </widget>
         </widget>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
index 6f6f202619..2086ae9b8a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class Document(QWebPage): # {{{
 
     page_turn = pyqtSignal(object)
     mark_element = pyqtSignal(QWebElement)
+    settings_changed = pyqtSignal()
 
     def set_font_settings(self, opts):
         settings = self.settings()
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ class Document(QWebPage): # {{{
             self.set_font_settings(opts)
             self.set_user_stylesheet(opts)
             self.misc_config(opts)
+            self.settings_changed.emit()
             self.after_load()
 
     def __init__(self, shortcuts, parent=None, debug_javascript=False):
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ class Document(QWebPage): # {{{
         self.cols_per_screen = opts.cols_per_screen
         self.side_margin = opts.side_margin
         self.top_margin, self.bottom_margin = opts.top_margin, opts.bottom_margin
+        self.show_controls = opts.show_controls
 
     def fit_images(self):
         if self.do_fit_images and not self.in_paged_mode:
@@ -676,7 +679,7 @@ class DocumentView(QWebView): # {{{
 
         if not text and img.isNull() and self.manager is not None:
             menu.addSeparator()
-            if self.document.in_fullscreen_mode and self.manager is not None:
+            if (not self.document.show_controls or self.document.in_fullscreen_mode) and self.manager is not None:
                 menu.addAction(self.manager.toggle_toolbar_action)
             menu.addAction(self.manager.action_full_screen)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
index 903f41eeb5..bcb10a2f5b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         self.toggle_toolbar_action = QAction(_('Show/hide controls'), self)
         self.toggle_toolbar_action.setCheckable(True)
         self.toggle_toolbar_action.triggered.connect(self.toggle_toolbars)
+        self.toolbar_hidden = None
         self.addAction(self.toggle_toolbar_action)
         self.full_screen_label_anim = QPropertyAnimation(
                 self.full_screen_label, 'size')
@@ -359,7 +360,10 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
                 # continue to function even when the toolbars are hidden
                 self.addAction(action)
 
+        self.view.document.settings_changed.connect(self.settings_changed)
+
         self.restore_state()
+        self.settings_changed()
         self.action_toggle_paged_mode.toggled[bool].connect(self.toggle_paged_mode)
         if (start_in_fullscreen or self.view.document.start_in_fullscreen):
             self.action_full_screen.trigger()
@@ -373,6 +377,11 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         if at_start: return
         self.reload()
 
+    def settings_changed(self):
+        for x in ('', '2'):
+            x = getattr(self, 'tool_bar'+x)
+            x.setVisible(self.view.document.show_controls)
+
     def reload(self):
         if hasattr(self, 'current_index') and self.current_index > -1:
             self.view.document.page_position.save(overwrite=False)
@@ -575,8 +584,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         self.vertical_scrollbar.setVisible(True)
         self.window_mode_changed = 'normal'
         self.esc_full_screen_action.setEnabled(False)
-        self.tool_bar.setVisible(True)
-        self.tool_bar2.setVisible(True)
+        self.settings_changed()
         self.full_screen_label.setVisible(False)
         if hasattr(self, '_original_frame_margins'):
             om = self._original_frame_margins