diff --git a/apps/gui/skin_engine/skin_render.c b/apps/gui/skin_engine/skin_render.c
index 304ebf1..d0221a8 100644
--- a/apps/gui/skin_engine/skin_render.c
+++ b/apps/gui/skin_engine/skin_render.c
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ struct skin_draw_info {
     int offset; /* used by the playlist viewer */
 };

-typedef bool (*skin_render_func)(struct skin_element* alternator, struct skin_draw_info *info);
-bool skin_render_alternator(struct skin_element* alternator, struct skin_draw_info *info);
+static int alternator_change_line(struct skin_element* alternator,
+                                  struct skin_draw_info *info, bool* line_changed);

 #ifdef HAVE_LCD_BITMAP
 static void skin_render_playlistviewer(struct playlistviewer* viewer,
@@ -375,14 +375,29 @@ static bool skin_render_line(struct skin_element* line, struct skin_draw_info *i
 {
     bool needs_update = false;
     int last_value, value;
+    bool in_changed_alternator = false;
+    struct skin_element *child;
+    struct conditional *conditional;
+    int old_refresh_mode = info->refresh_type;
+
+    if (line->type == LINE_ALTERNATOR)
+    {
+        line = line->children[alternator_change_line(line, info,
+                                                     &in_changed_alternator)];
+        if (line->children_count == 0)
+            return in_changed_alternator;
+        if (in_changed_alternator)
+        {
+            info->refresh_type = SKIN_REFRESH_ALL;
+            info->force_redraw = true;
+        }
+
+    }

     if (line->children_count == 0)
         return false; /* empty line, do nothing */
+    child = line->children[0];

-    struct skin_element *child = line->children[0];
-    struct conditional *conditional;
-    skin_render_func func = skin_render_line;
-    int old_refresh_mode = info->refresh_type;
     while (child)
     {
         switch (child->type)
@@ -411,20 +426,13 @@ static bool skin_render_line(struct skin_element* line, struct skin_draw_info *i
                     if (last_value >= 0 && value != last_value && last_value < child->children_count)
                         do_tags_in_hidden_conditional(child->children[last_value], info);
                 }
-                if (child->children[value]->type == LINE_ALTERNATOR)
-                {
-                    func = skin_render_alternator;
-                }
-                else if (child->children[value]->type == LINE)
-                    func = skin_render_line;
-
                 if (value != last_value)
                 {
                     info->refresh_type = SKIN_REFRESH_ALL;
                     info->force_redraw = true;
                 }

-                if (func(child->children[value], info))
+                if (skin_render_line(child->children[value], info))
                     needs_update = true;
                 else
                     needs_update = needs_update || (last_value != value);
@@ -475,6 +483,12 @@ static bool skin_render_line(struct skin_element* line, struct skin_draw_info *i

         child = child->next;
     }
+    if (in_changed_alternator)
+    {
+        info->refresh_type = old_refresh_mode;
+        info->force_redraw = false;
+        needs_update = true;
+    }
     return needs_update;
 }

@@ -483,6 +497,8 @@ static int get_subline_timeout(struct gui_wps *gwps, struct skin_element* line)
     struct skin_element *element=line;
     struct wps_token *token;
     int retval = DEFAULT_SUBLINE_TIME_MULTIPLIER*TIMEOUT_UNIT;
+restart: /* we are really using tail recursion so do it with a messy goto
+            to prevent stack overusage */
     if (element->type == LINE)
     {
         if (element->children_count == 0)
@@ -504,9 +520,8 @@ static int get_subline_timeout(struct gui_wps *gwps, struct skin_element* line)
                                            element->children_count);
             if (val >= 0)
             {
-                retval = get_subline_timeout(gwps, element->children[val]);
-                if (retval >= 0)
-                    return retval;
+                element = element->children[val];
+                goto restart;
             }
         }
         element = element->next;
@@ -514,11 +529,11 @@ static int get_subline_timeout(struct gui_wps *gwps, struct skin_element* line)
     return retval;
 }

-bool skin_render_alternator(struct skin_element* element, struct skin_draw_info *info)
+static int alternator_change_line(struct skin_element* element,
+                           struct skin_draw_info *info, bool* line_changed)
 {
     bool changed_lines = false;
     struct line_alternator *alternator = (struct line_alternator*)element->data;
-    unsigned old_refresh = info->refresh_type;
     if (info->refresh_type == SKIN_REFRESH_ALL)
     {
         alternator->current_line = element->children_count-1;
@@ -561,13 +576,9 @@ bool skin_render_alternator(struct skin_element* element, struct skin_draw_info
             alternator->current_line = try_line;
             alternator->next_change_tick = current_tick + rettimeout;
         }
-
-        info->refresh_type = SKIN_REFRESH_ALL;
-        info->force_redraw = true;
     }
-    bool ret = skin_render_line(element->children[alternator->current_line], info);
-    info->refresh_type = old_refresh;
-    return changed_lines || ret;
+    *line_changed = changed_lines;
+    return alternator->current_line;
 }

 static void skin_render_viewport(struct skin_element* viewport, struct gui_wps *gwps,
@@ -575,7 +586,6 @@ static void skin_render_viewport(struct skin_element* viewport, struct gui_wps *
 {
     struct screen *display = gwps->display;
     char linebuf[MAX_LINE];
-    skin_render_func func = skin_render_line;
     struct skin_element* line = viewport;
     struct skin_draw_info info = {
         .gwps = gwps,
@@ -613,14 +623,8 @@ static void skin_render_viewport(struct skin_element* viewport, struct gui_wps *
         align->left = info.buf;
         align->center = NULL;
         align->right = NULL;
-
-
-        if (line->type == LINE_ALTERNATOR)
-            func = skin_render_alternator;
-        else if (line->type == LINE)
-            func = skin_render_line;
-
-        needs_update = func(line, &info);
+
+        needs_update = skin_render_line(line, &info);

         /* only update if the line needs to be, and there is something to write */
         if (refresh_type && needs_update)
@@ -715,14 +719,13 @@ void skin_render(struct gui_wps *gwps, unsigned refresh_mode)
 }

 #ifdef HAVE_LCD_BITMAP
-static void skin_render_playlistviewer(struct playlistviewer* viewer,
+static __attribute__((noinline)) void skin_render_playlistviewer(struct playlistviewer* viewer,
                                        struct gui_wps *gwps,
                                        struct skin_viewport* skin_viewport,
                                        unsigned long refresh_type)
 {
     struct screen *display = gwps->display;
     char linebuf[MAX_LINE];
-    skin_render_func func = skin_render_line;
     struct skin_element* line;
     struct skin_draw_info info = {
         .gwps = gwps,
@@ -774,13 +777,7 @@ static void skin_render_playlistviewer(struct playlistviewer* viewer,
         align->center = NULL;
         align->right = NULL;

-
-        if (line->type == LINE_ALTERNATOR)
-            func = skin_render_alternator;
-        else if (line->type == LINE)
-            func = skin_render_line;
-
-        needs_update = func(line, &info);
+        needs_update = skin_render_line(line, &info);

         /* only update if the line needs to be, and there is something to write */
         if (refresh_type && needs_update)