diff --git a/include/nanogui/screen.h b/include/nanogui/screen.h
index d2e044f4..63e511a2 100644
--- a/include/nanogui/screen.h
+++ b/include/nanogui/screen.h
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class NANOGUI_EXPORT Screen : public Widget {
 
     /* Internal helper functions */
     void update_focus(Widget *widget);
-    void dispose_window(Window *window);
+    void dispose_widget(Widget *widget);
     void center_window(Window *window);
     void move_window_to_front(Window *window);
     void draw_widgets();
diff --git a/include/nanogui/widget.h b/include/nanogui/widget.h
index cc2a5caf..1bd5b2dd 100644
--- a/include/nanogui/widget.h
+++ b/include/nanogui/widget.h
@@ -208,6 +208,18 @@ class NANOGUI_EXPORT Widget : public Object {
      */
     void set_icon_extra_scale(float scale) { m_icon_extra_scale = scale; }
 
+    /**
+     * The amount of extra scaling applied to *icon* fonts.
+     * See \ref nanogui::Widget::mIconExtraScale.
+     */
+    float iconExtraScale() const { return mIconExtraScale; }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the amount of extra scaling applied to *icon* fonts.
+     * See \ref nanogui::Widget::mIconExtraScale.
+     */
+    void setIconExtraScale(float scale) { mIconExtraScale = scale; }
+
     /// Return a pointer to the cursor of the widget
     Cursor cursor() const { return m_cursor; }
     /// Set the cursor of the widget
@@ -270,6 +282,13 @@ class NANOGUI_EXPORT Widget : public Object {
      */
     float icon_scale() const { return m_theme->m_icon_scale * m_icon_extra_scale; }
 
+private:
+    /**
+     * Convenience function to share logic between both signatures of
+     * ``removeChild``.
+     */
+    void removeChildHelper(const std::vector<Widget *>::iterator& child_it);
+
 protected:
     Widget *m_parent;
     ref<Theme> m_theme;
diff --git a/src/screen.cpp b/src/screen.cpp
index 4b04e75c..0ae28b4e 100644
--- a/src/screen.cpp
+++ b/src/screen.cpp
@@ -915,12 +915,19 @@ void Screen::update_focus(Widget *widget) {
         move_window_to_front((Window *) window);
 }
 
-void Screen::dispose_window(Window *window) {
-    if (std::find(m_focus_path.begin(), m_focus_path.end(), window) != m_focus_path.end())
-        m_focus_path.clear();
-    if (m_drag_widget == window)
-        m_drag_widget = nullptr;
-    remove_child(window);
+void Screen::dispose_widget(Widget *widget) {
+    if (std::find(mFocusPath.begin(), mFocusPath.end(), widget) != mFocusPath.end())
+        mFocusPath.clear();
+
+    if (mDragWidget == widget) {
+        mDragWidget = nullptr;
+        mDragActive = false;
+    }
+
+    for (auto child : widget->children())
+        disposeWidget(child);
+
+    remove_child(widget);
 }
 
 void Screen::center_window(Window *window) {
diff --git a/src/widget.cpp b/src/widget.cpp
index 83f06ee7..3a0b76db 100644
--- a/src/widget.cpp
+++ b/src/widget.cpp
@@ -177,20 +177,24 @@ void Widget::add_child(Widget * widget) {
 }
 
 void Widget::remove_child(const Widget *widget) {
-    size_t child_count = m_children.size();
-    m_children.erase(std::remove(m_children.begin(), m_children.end(), widget),
-                     m_children.end());
-    if (m_children.size() == child_count)
-        throw std::runtime_error("Widget::remove_child(): widget not found!");
-    widget->dec_ref();
+    removeChildHelper(std::find(m_children.begin(), m_children.end(), widget));
 }
 
 void Widget::remove_child_at(int index) {
-    if (index < 0 || index >= (int) m_children.size())
-        throw std::runtime_error("Widget::remove_child_at(): out of bounds!");
-    Widget *widget = m_children[index];
-    m_children.erase(m_children.begin() + index);
-    widget->dec_ref();
+    assert(index >= 0);
+    assert(index < child_count);
+    removeChildHelper(m_children.begin() + index);
+}
+
+void Widget::removeChildHelper(const std::vector<Widget *>::iterator& child_it) {
+    if (child_it == m_children.end())
+        return;
+    Widget *widget = *child_it;
+
+    screen()->disposeWidget(widget);
+    m_children.erase(child_it);
+
+    widget->decRef();
 }
 
 int Widget::child_index(Widget *widget) const {
@@ -216,7 +220,8 @@ Screen *Widget::screen() {
     Widget *widget = this;
     while (true) {
         if (!widget)
-            return nullptr;
+            throw std::runtime_error(
+                "Widget:internal error (could not find parent screen)");
         Screen *screen = dynamic_cast<Screen *>(widget);
         if (screen)
             return screen;
diff --git a/src/window.cpp b/src/window.cpp
index 3fcbf26f..1eb1acde 100644
--- a/src/window.cpp
+++ b/src/window.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void Window::dispose() {
     Widget *widget = this;
     while (widget->parent())
         widget = widget->parent();
-    ((Screen *) widget)->dispose_window(this);
+    ((Screen *) widget)->remove_child(this);
 }
 
 void Window::center() {