diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index 22a31f02d..28c194574 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ type KeybindingUniversalConfig struct {
 	CopyToClipboard              string `yaml:"copyToClipboard"`
 	SubmitEditorText             string `yaml:"submitEditorText"`
 	AppendNewline                string `yaml:"appendNewline"`
+	ExtrasMenu                   string `yaml:"extrasMenu"`
 }
 
 type KeybindingStatusConfig struct {
@@ -383,6 +384,7 @@ func GetDefaultConfig() *UserConfig {
 				CopyToClipboard:              "<c-o>",
 				SubmitEditorText:             "<enter>",
 				AppendNewline:                "<a-enter>",
+				ExtrasMenu:                   "@",
 			},
 			Status: KeybindingStatusConfig{
 				CheckForUpdate:      "u",
diff --git a/pkg/gui/arrangement.go b/pkg/gui/arrangement.go
index 4cd9610f9..8f35ad86d 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/arrangement.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/arrangement.go
@@ -146,7 +146,10 @@ func (gui *Gui) getWindowDimensions(informationStr string, appStatus string) map
 		mainPanelsDirection = boxlayout.COLUMN
 	}
 
-	extrasWindowSize := 40 // TODO: make configurable
+	extrasWindowSize := 0
+	if gui.ShowExtrasWindow {
+		extrasWindowSize = 40 // TODO: make configurable
+	}
 
 	root := &boxlayout.Box{
 		Direction: boxlayout.ROW,
diff --git a/pkg/gui/extras_panel.go b/pkg/gui/extras_panel.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..976cf5b43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gui/extras_panel.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package gui
+
+func (gui *Gui) handleCreateExtrasMenuPanel() error {
+	menuItems := []*menuItem{
+		{
+			displayString: "Toggle show/hide command log",
+			onPress: func() error {
+				gui.ShowExtrasWindow = !gui.ShowExtrasWindow
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	return gui.createMenu(gui.Tr.DiffingMenuTitle, menuItems, createMenuOptions{showCancel: true})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/global_handlers.go b/pkg/gui/global_handlers.go
index cea8be8b0..92bb1fee4 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/global_handlers.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/global_handlers.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) linesToScrollDown(view *gocui.View) int {
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) atScrollBottom(view *gocui.View) bool {
-	return gui.linesToScrollDown(view) > 0
+	return gui.linesToScrollDown(view) == 0
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) scrollUpMain() error {
@@ -147,14 +147,14 @@ func (gui *Gui) scrollUpExtra() error {
 }
 
 func (gui *Gui) scrollDownExtra() error {
-	if err := gui.scrollDownView(gui.Views.Extras); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if gui.atScrollBottom(gui.Views.Extras) {
 		gui.Views.Extras.Autoscroll = true
 	}
 
+	if err := gui.scrollDownView(gui.Views.Extras); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index 4d104faf2..fa8329991 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ type Gui struct {
 	// Log of the commands that get run, to be displayed to the user.
 	CmdLog       []string
 	OnRunCommand func(entry oscommands.CmdLogEntry)
+
+	// the extras window contains things like the command log
+	ShowExtrasWindow bool
 }
 
 type listPanelState struct {
@@ -338,7 +341,6 @@ type guiState struct {
 	IsRefreshingFiles bool
 	Searching         searchingState
 	ScreenMode        WindowMaximisation
-	SideView          *gocui.View
 	Ptmx              *os.File
 	PrevMainWidth     int
 	PrevMainHeight    int
@@ -428,8 +430,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) resetState(filterPath string, reuseState bool) {
 				ConflictsMutex: sync.Mutex{},
 			},
 		},
-		SideView: nil,
-		Ptmx:     nil,
+		Ptmx: nil,
 		Modes: Modes{
 			Filtering: filtering.NewFiltering(filterPath),
 			CherryPicking: CherryPicking{
diff --git a/pkg/gui/keybindings.go b/pkg/gui/keybindings.go
index c2a420e8a..a31b47446 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/keybindings.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/keybindings.go
@@ -1111,6 +1111,13 @@ func (gui *Gui) GetInitialKeybindings() []*Binding {
 			Description: gui.Tr.LcOpenDiffingMenu,
 			OpensMenu:   true,
 		},
+		{
+			ViewName:    "",
+			Key:         gui.getKey(config.Universal.ExtrasMenu),
+			Handler:     gui.handleCreateExtrasMenuPanel,
+			Description: gui.Tr.LcOpenExtrasMenu,
+			OpensMenu:   true,
+		},
 		{
 			ViewName: "secondary",
 			Key:      gocui.MouseWheelUp,
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/english.go b/pkg/i18n/english.go
index 7507744b2..0b991bcfa 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/english.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/english.go
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ type TranslationSet struct {
 	DiffingMenuTitle                    string
 	LcSwapDiff                          string
 	LcOpenDiffingMenu                   string
+	LcOpenExtrasMenu                    string
 	LcShowingGitDiff                    string
 	LcCopyCommitShaToClipboard          string
 	LcCopyCommitMessageToClipboard      string
@@ -1038,6 +1039,8 @@ func englishTranslationSet() TranslationSet {
 		DiffingMenuTitle:                    "Diffing",
 		LcSwapDiff:                          "reverse diff direction",
 		LcOpenDiffingMenu:                   "open diff menu",
+		// the actual view is the extras view which I intend to give more tabs in future but for now we'll only mention the command log part
+		LcOpenExtrasMenu:                    "open command log menu",
 		LcShowingGitDiff:                    "showing output for:",
 		LcCopyCommitShaToClipboard:          "copy commit SHA to clipboard",
 		LcCopyCommitMessageToClipboard:      "copy commit message to clipboard",