diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
index 7f3dfb657b..0688161703 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
@@ -88,9 +88,10 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         self.buttonBox.button(QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Ok).setText(_('&OK'))
         self.buttonBox.button(QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Cancel).setText(_('&Cancel'))
         self.buttonBox.accepted.connect(self.accepted)
+        self.buttonBox.rejected.connect(self.rejected)
         self.apply_vl_checkbox.stateChanged.connect(self.use_vl_changed)
 
-        # Set up the heading for sorting
+        self.table.setAlternatingRowColors(True)
         self.table.setSelectionMode(QAbstractItemView.SelectionMode.SingleSelection)
 
         self.find_aut_func = find_aut_func
@@ -112,6 +113,10 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         hh.sectionClicked.connect(self.do_sort)
         hh.setSortIndicatorShown(True)
 
+        vh = self.table.verticalHeader()
+        vh.setDefaultSectionSize(gprefs.get('general_category_editor_row_height', vh.defaultSectionSize()))
+        vh.sectionResized.connect(self.row_height_changed)
+
         # set up the search & filter boxes
         self.find_box.initialize('manage_authors_search')
         le = self.find_box.lineEdit()
@@ -271,10 +276,16 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
             self.start_find_pos = -1
         self.table.blockSignals(False)
 
+    def row_height_changed(self, row, old, new):
+        self.table.verticalHeader().blockSignals(True)
+        self.table.verticalHeader().setDefaultSectionSize(new)
+        self.table.verticalHeader().blockSignals(False)
+
     def save_state(self):
         self.table_column_widths = []
         for c in range(0, self.table.columnCount()):
             self.table_column_widths.append(self.table.columnWidth(c))
+        gprefs['general_category_editor_row_height'] = self.table.verticalHeader().sectionSize(0)
         gprefs['manage_authors_table_widths'] = self.table_column_widths
         self.save_geometry(gprefs, 'manage_authors_dialog_geometry')
 
@@ -451,6 +462,9 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
             if orig != v:
                 self.result.append((id_, orig['name'], v['name'], v['sort'], v['link']))
 
+    def rejected(self):
+        self.save_state()
+
     def do_recalc_author_sort(self):
         with self.no_cell_changed():
             for row in range(0,self.table.rowCount()):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.py
index 98faaa910a..74d5bc274d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_list_editor.py
@@ -386,6 +386,10 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
         hh.sectionClicked.connect(self.record_sort)
         hh.setSortIndicatorShown(True)
 
+        vh = self.table.verticalHeader()
+        vh.setDefaultSectionSize(gprefs.get('general_category_editor_row_height', vh.defaultSectionSize()))
+        vh.sectionResized.connect(self.row_height_changed)
+
         self.table.setColumnCount(4)
         for col,width in enumerate(self.table_column_widths):
             self.table.setColumnWidth(col, width)
@@ -421,6 +425,11 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
         self.table.setContextMenuPolicy(Qt.ContextMenuPolicy.CustomContextMenu)
         self.table.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.show_context_menu)
 
+    def row_height_changed(self, row, old, new):
+        self.table.verticalHeader().blockSignals(True)
+        self.table.verticalHeader().setDefaultSectionSize(new)
+        self.table.verticalHeader().blockSignals(False)
+
     def fill_in_table(self, tags, tag_to_match, ttm_is_first_letter):
         self.create_table()
 
@@ -552,6 +561,7 @@ class TagListEditor(QDialog, Ui_TagListEditor):
                 self.table.setColumnWidth(c, w)
 
     def save_geometry(self):
+        gprefs['general_category_editor_row_height'] = self.table.verticalHeader().sectionSize(0)
         gprefs['tag_list_editor_table_widths'] = self.table_column_widths
         super().save_geometry(gprefs, 'tag_list_editor_dialog_geometry')